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Build a Strategic IT Workforce Plan

Staff your IT organization for success; availability is not a skill set.

  • Talent has become a competitive differentiator. To 46% of business leaders, workforce planning is a top priority – yet only 13% do it effectively.
  • CIOs aren’t sure what they need to give the organization a competitive edge or how current staffing line-ups fall short.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • A well defined strategic workforce plan (SWP) isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.
  • Integrate as much data as possible into your workforce plan to best prepare you for the future. Without knowledge of your future initiatives, you are filling hypothetical holes.
  • To be successful, you need to understand your strategic initiatives, workforce landscape, and external and internal trends.

Impact and Result

The workforce planning process does not need to be onerous, especially with help from Info-Tech’s solid planning tools. With the right people involved and enough time invested, developing an SWP will be easier than first thought and time well spent. Leverage Info-Tech’s client-tested 5-step process to build a strategic workforce plan:

  1. Build a project charter
  2. Assess workforce competency needs
  3. Identify impact of internal and external trends
  4. Identify the impact of strategic initiatives on roles
  5. Build and monitor the workforce plan

Build a Strategic IT Workforce Plan Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should build a strategic workforce plan for IT, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

1. Initiate the project

Assess the value of a strategic workforce plan and the IT department’s fit for developing one, and then structure the workforce planning project.

2. Analyze workforce needs

Gather and analyze workforce needs based on an understanding of the relevant internal and external trends, and then produce a prioritized plan of action.

3. Build the workforce plan

Evaluate workforce priorities, plan specific projects to address them, and formalize and integrate strategic workforce planning into regular planning processes.


Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

9.5/10


Overall Impact

$233,729


Average $ Saved

25


Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Werner Co.

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

10

Heather helped us through several analyst calls utilize some infotech org planning tools and create our own materials for internal career path conv... Read More

San Diego Tourism Authority

Guided Implementation

9/10

$20,799

35

NEPC, LLC

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

5

South African Reserve Bank

Guided Implementation

10/10

$44,099

55

Debswana

Guided Implementation

9/10

$64,999

26

Very engaging and relevant

South African Reserve Bank

Guided Implementation

10/10

$1.26M

50

Best - The ability to consolidate using your tools. Worst - None

City of Burbank

Guided Implementation

10/10

$10,000

10

Rosens Diversified

Guided Implementation

10/10

$2,479

9

Cianbro Corporation

Guided Implementation

10/10

$30,999

5

Carlene was very knowledgeable and an excellent listener. Nothing to share on the negative.

Canada Border Services Agency

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

20

Best part is the tool we will be able to leverage without much customization. There was no worst part.

Granite State Management & Resources

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

2

AARP Inc

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

1

We were able to cover the material quickly! Very useful.

The Master's University

Guided Implementation

10/10

$10,000

5

The call gave us pause to think bigger picture before making some staffing decisions.

District Of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board,The

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

N/A

recruitment is difficult in the north. Ideas and strategies presented will hopefully help generate interest in working for our company and allow us... Read More

The City of Red Deer

Guided Implementation

9/10

$7,000

7

Andy was good to discuss my issue with because of his experience. Thanks.

Vinci PLC

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

N/A

It was a fairly straightforward call, but Andy helped validate some of my initials thoughts, but also gave me good advice on how others had also ap... Read More

Agriculture Financial Services Corporation

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

N/A

Proquest

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

N/A


Human Resources Management

Have the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
This course makes up part of the People & Resources Certificate.

Now Playing:
Academy: Human Resources Management | Executive Brief

An active membership is required to access Info-Tech Academy
  • Course Modules: 4
  • Estimated Completion Time: 2-2.5 hours
  • Featured Analysts:
  • Carlene McCubbin, Sr. Research Manager, CIO Practice
  • James Alexander, SVP of Research and Advisory, CIO Practice

Workshop: Build a Strategic IT Workforce Plan

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Identify Project Goals, Metrics, and Current State

The Purpose

  • Develop a shared understanding of the challenges your organization is facing with regards to talent and workforce planning.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • An informed understanding of whether or not you need to develop a strategic workforce plan for IT.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Identify goals, metrics, and opportunities

  • Identified goals, metrics, and opportunities
1.2

Segment current roles

1.3

Identify organizational culture

  • Documented organizational culture
1.4

Assign job competencies

  • Aligned competencies to roles
1.5

Assess current talent

  • Identified current talent competency levels

Module 2: Assess Workforce and Analyze Trends

The Purpose

  • Perform an in-depth analysis of how internal and external trends are impacting the workforce.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • An enhanced understanding of the current talent occupying the workforce.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Assess environmental trends

  • Complete internal trends analysis
  • Complete external trends analysis
2.2

Identify impact on workforce requirements

2.3

Identify how trends are impacting critical roles

  • Identified internal and external trends on specific IT roles
2.4

Explore viable options

Module 3: Perform Gap Analysis

The Purpose

  • Identify the changing competencies and workforce needs of the future IT organization, including shortages and surpluses.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Determined impact of strategic initiatives on workforce needs.
  • Identification of roles required in the future organization, including surpluses and shortages.
  • Identified projects to fill workforce gaps.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Identify strategic initiatives

3.2

Identify impact of strategic initiatives on roles

3.3

Determine workforce estimates

  • Identified workforce estimates for the future
3.4

Determine projects to address gaps

  • List of potential projects to address workforce gaps

Module 4: Prioritize and Plan

The Purpose

  • Prepare an action plan to address the critical gaps identified.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • A prioritized plan of action that will fill gaps and secure better workforce outcomes for the organization.

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Determine and prioritize action items

  • Prioritized list of projects
4.2

Determine a schedule for review of initiatives

  • Completed workforce plan
4.3

Integrate workforce planning into regular planning processes

  • Identified opportunities for integration
Build a Strategic IT Workforce Plan preview picture

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

MEMBER RATING

9.5/10
Overall Impact

$233,729
Average $ Saved

25
Average Days Saved

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve.

Read what our members are saying

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 7 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Initiate the project
  • Call 1: Scoping call to establish the relevance of this project for your organization
  • Call 2: Discuss your current state assessment and project plan

Guided Implementation 2: Analyze workforce needs
  • Call 1: Discuss your organization’s culture and identify role and staff competencies
  • Call 2: Determine impact of internal and external trends
  • Call 3: Determine the workforce implications and discuss gaps

Guided Implementation 3: Build and monitor the workforce plan
  • Call 1: Identify projects to address gaps in the workforce plan
  • Call 2: Review metrics and determine a schedule for the review of key initiatives

Authors

David Spindler

David Glazer

Contributors

  • Anne Roberts, President, Leadership Within Inc.
  • Cindy Grant, Vice President, HR, Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company
  • Laurie Johnson, GC3 Getting Connected Coaching & Consulting
  • Martha McIver, Vice President Canada HR, CBRE Limited
  • Noelle Sargent, EVP, HR, International Financial Data Services
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