Workforce Planning: More Than a Spreadsheet Exercise


Workforce planning… we’ve got it covered


According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), “Workforce planning is the process an organisation uses to analyse its workforce and determine the steps it must take to prepare for future talent needs.”


Within a project environment, this means actively assessing the supply of project talent (leaders, project managers, engineers, trades, analysts, etc.) against the demand generated by the project pipeline (and compared with BAU).


That involves:

  • Identifying gaps in skills, numbers, and timing that could impact delivery.
  • Determining interventions such as recruitment, upskilling, redeployment, or partnerships to ensure the right people are in place.
  • Forecasting beyond individual projects to align workforce strategy with the portfolio/program pipeline and long-term organisational objectives.


Yet the most common response we hear when speaking with organisations is still: “We’ve got it covered.”
Maybe that’s true. Or maybe the statement deserves closer examination.


In one case, a leader admitted they were still running everything manually from a spreadsheet (it was a good spreadsheet, but there are far better options).


Where Workforce Planning Breaks Down

  • Planning sits in reactive mode, stuck in silos:
  • HR runs ad-hoc models.
  • Business units manage their versions.
  • Finance tracks costs.
  • Leaders patch gaps with short-term fixes.
  • The result? No unified, strategic view of what skills are needed, when, and how to build a sustainable workforce pipeline.


Australia continues to experience strong labour demand.


The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that in May 2025 there were 357,000 job vacancies, still well above pre-pandemic levels. Healthcare, social assistance, and construction are among the hardest hit sectors, signalling prolonged hiring delays and widening skills gaps (ABS, Job Vacancies, May 2025).


Reactive hiring is costly


Workforce studies highlight that reactive hiring leads to higher recruitment costs, longer time-to-fill, and poor job fit. Organisations that only start recruiting when gaps appear often experience productivity losses and higher turnover (SHRM, 2023 – Strategic Workforce Planning).Only 11% of organisations are mature in workforce planning


According to research by SHRM, only about 11% of organisations have reached true strategic maturity in workforce planning. The vast majority still operate with basic, reactive methods that are misaligned with long-term needs (SHRM, 2023).

Spreadsheets are too brittle for today’s environment

Academic research in workforce analytics consistently shows that relying on manual or spreadsheet-based planning is slow, fragmented, and prone to error—making it inadequate for dynamic labour markets (Journal of Business Research, 2022 – Workforce Analytics Review).


Strategic workforce planning drives resilience. Organisations aligning their current workforce to future needs through structured workforce planning are more resilient and adaptable, enabling them to sustain performance during uncertainty (SHRM, 2023; [OECD, 2024 – Skills Outlook).



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Naigating odays

Closing the Gap: Labour, Talent, and the Energy Transition

By SG • August 21, 2025
By 2035, demand for project professionals could exceed 65 million worldwide, leaving a shortfall of up to 30 million. Explore how global skills gaps, sector pressures, and labour market dynamics are reshaping talent strategies in 2025.

Broader industry contribution

June 7, 2023
Attraction and retention “How to attract and retain talent, in the scope of major infrastructure projects” for Australian Local Government Infrastructure Yearbook 2021 https://algiy.partica.online/algiy/algiy-2021/flipbook/122/ Major Projects Conference 2022 https://www.nswconference.com.au/speakers.html Webinar Webinar briefing – sample of what we have delivered in the past (targeted at Graduates) in partnership with AIPM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au7tNN0_tbU Are employers spending sufficient time supporting staff and building a resilient culture? What’s an acceptable staff turnover – none, 6%, 15%? https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6833872083806769152/ The Future of PMOs - PMO Vision 2030 ProNEXUS were of the PMO Vision 2030 - The Future of PMOs Workshop. The workshop was to discuss the impact and effectiveness of a PMO/EPMO function as part of the Association of International Project Management Officers (AIPMO). Feedback/what to expect from us: Extremely relevant. Massive importance trying to retain & employ Loved the presenter’s style and outlook The conversation style flowed very well Presented really well. The casual approach made for easy and open Conversation. Very relevant topic Engaging speaker, supported by presentation that was shared post meeting Good interaction, more of a conversation than a typical presentation. Nik was excellent. Great perspective and good tips There was some robust discussion particular around different views. Challenging member views was very good The casual approach made for easy and open Conversation. Good speaker, very interactive The feedback was very positive and averaged the following ratings out of 10 for your presentation:  Relevance of Topic: 9.2 Guest Speaker: 9.5

What does a Project Sponsor actually do?

December 30, 2022
The role of a Project Sponsor is to work closely with the Organisation to provide governance and leadership. What makes a good Project Sponsor? An effective Project Sponsor is able to articulate and demonstrate the strategic value of a project at the Board, Organisational, and Project level. They understand the importance of developing and refining the business case and ensuring this aligns with the business strategy. The Project Sponsor typically has a depth of experience within the organisation and is a well-respected individual. The most successful Project Sponsors have a consistent track record in leadership and they are effective communicators. They have demonstrated their capability to influence all facets of the business. What does a Project Sponsor do? A Project Sponsor is part of the initial planning phase of a project. They work in collaboration with key stakeholders to determine what the key outcomes should be. They will:- Determine the availability of resources (financial and human capital) Approve project scope and changes Formulate an ongoing communication plan Work on refining the implementation strategy from project status to business as usual Approve (sign off) each phase of a project Provide support to the project and help resolve conflict or potential conflict Put in place the necessary project controls Help to mitigate risks and remove obstacles that may deter progress Be resilient and emotionally intelligent Ensure adherence to Governance standards Agree to “what success looks like” It is this macro view that adds a certain level of credibility and legitimacy. The Project Sponsor should be the key decision-maker. They are ultimately responsible for delivering the project and adding value to the organisation. The success of the project isn’t about ticking the various boxes along the way, ensuring. What does an Executive Sponsor do? While the Project Sponsor is appointed by the organisation the Executive Sponsor is appointed by the Board. The link between organisation and its project governance practices. The Executive Sponsor is usually a Senior Executive. They will have an intimate understanding of their strategy, financial position, organisational culture, and market dynamics. As such they carry a level of authority and influence beyond just being a project advocate. How much influence does an Executive Sponsor have? The Executive Sponsor will have the necessary influence to determine how a project is progressing, they are focussed on delivering beyond just quality and outcome, they want to ensure the investment yields a return from a strategic, financial, cultural, and market position. Should the Project not deliver against some or all of the pre-determined criteria the Executive Sponsor would be well within their scope to question the organisation’s investment. They can either defend or challenge the Project’s progress. Regardless of whichever position they take, they are (as a Board appointed representative) accountable to the Board. With any strategic role, all parties must take the time and make time to ensure the Project and its stakeholders (including the Board) and engaging on a regular basis. Contact Us Sources Crawford, L. & Cooke-Davies, T. (2005). Project governance: the pivotal role of the executive sponsor. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2005—North America, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. International Journal of Project Management Time and budget: the twin imperatives of a project sponsor Volume 15, Issue 3, June 1997, Pages 181-186 JNevan Wright Auckland Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand