Workforce or human resources planning is the process of ensuring that an organization will have the right number of employees with the right talent at the right time to meet the requirements of the organization's strategic plan. The five basic steps in the workforce planning process according to Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (2014) are as follows:
1. Forecasting future demand
2. Forecasting future supply
3. Forecasting labor surplus or shortage work
4. Goal Setting and Strategic Planning
5. Program Implementation and Evaluation Forecasting future demand requires an analysis of strategic activities to determine the need for workforce expansion or reduction based on anticipated changes in the business.
In addition to considering the number of members of the workforce, the skills and competencies required must also be considered. Developing a forecast of future supply involves an internal analysis of the current workforce, anticipation of turnover and attrition patterns, and an analysis of external labor supply. A supply and demand analysis allows HR to identify potential gaps or surpluses and initiate efforts to develop workforce plans for recruitment, retention or reduction, if necessary. Options for acquiring and retaining talent will be further explored in Module Eight. Many employers face the dilemma of having vacant positions that they cannot fill because they have not been able to find candidates with the necessary skills. According to research by ManpowerGroup (2015), 48% of US employers indicate that talent shortages have a medium to high impact on their businesses. The skills gap is particularly evident in the technology and healthcare sectors. One way employers can respond is by tapping into underutilized talent, such as retired employees and home-based workers (Dobbs, Manyika, and Woetzel, 2015). In conclusion, workforce planning is an important process to ensure the availability of talent to meet the organization's strategic objectives. While there is a quantitative aspect of matching supply and demand, there is also a qualitative element that includes understanding the impact of organizational context, including employee engagement and organizational culture. HR professionals must develop strategies that address the skills gap to ensure the availability of strategic talent. Once critical talent is available, an organization uses tools such as performance management to align and develop employees' full potential. The topic of performance management will be addressed in Module Four. 

Submit a draft of your strategic and workforce plan. Develop a three-year human resources plan for WeaveTech that includes business metrics used to measure achievement of the organization's strategic goals and objectives and a workforce plan.