BSBHRM513 Student Guide 09-11-19

Student Guide
BSBHRM513 Manage workforce planning

BSBHRM513 Manage workforce planning Student Guide
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Overview 3
Learning outcomes 6
Topic 1: Research workforce requirements 7
Topic 2: Develop workforce objectives and strategies 16
Topic 3: Implement initiatives to support workforce planning objectives 23
Topic 4: Monitor and evaluate workforce trends 27
Review and Assessment 30
© RTO Works 2020 SELC Career College Australia RTO: 91721 SELC-BSBHRM513-SRT-V2019.1.2 Page 2 of 30
Overview
Introduction
 The Student Guide should be used in conjunction with the recommended reading and any further
course notes or activities given by the trainer/assessor.
Topics Content
Topic 1: Research workforce requirements  Australia’s national workplace relations system
 Workforce planning guide
 Workplace Diversity
 Analysis of Workforce
 Data, Trends and Analysis
Topic 2: Develop workforce objectives and  Workforce Costs

strategies  Review organisational strategy and establish aligned
objectives
 Strategies to address unacceptable staff turnover
 Objectives to retain required skilled labour
 Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
 Strategies to source skilled labour
 Communicate to relevant stakeholders
 Obtain agreement and endorsement for objectives
and establish targets
 Contingency planning
Topic 3: Implement initiatives to support  Workforce strategies

workforce planning objectives  Organisational change
 Redundancy/Redeployment/Retrenchment
 Succession planning
 Employer of choice
Topic 4: Monitor and evaluate workforce  Monitor, evaluate and review

trends  Employee Satisfaction
 Government Policy
Unit review and Assessment Tasks
Recommended text
The following text is recommended for this unit:
Cole, Kris. Leadership and Management Theory and Practice. Cengage. 7th Edition (2018)
Chapter 1 The changing world of work
Chapter 11 Understanding motivation, engagement and retention
Chapter 13 Building productive work teams
Chapter 15 Providing formal and informal performance feedback
Chapter 20 Developing, managing and monitoring operational plans
Chapter 22 Identifying and managing risks
Chapter 24 Introducing and leading change
Chapter 28 Recruiting and inducting employees
Chapter 32 Moving from diversity to inclusion
Content
The Student Guide includes:
 Topics for the unit
 Activities
 Links to websites containing relevant information
 (if the links are broken, copy and paste into a web browser).
Activities:
The trainer/assessor will provide a simulated work environment therefore, the activities provided in the
Student Guide:
 Reflect real life work tasks.
 Are performed to industry safety requirements as relevant.
 Use authentic workplace documentation.
 Require you to work with others as part of a team.
 Require you to plan and prioritise competing work tasks.
 Involve the use of standard, workplace equipment such as computers and software.
 Take into consideration workplace constraints such as time and budgets.
 Activities will either be self-directed or carried out as part of group or team work.
 Read through the activity carefully and ask the trainer/assessor for guidance if required.
 Time will be allocated for completing the activity, along with class discussion and feedback.
 Some activities may require you to submit work to the trainer/assessor for feedback. Where this is
the case, it will be indicated at the bottom of the activity.
Video clips:
 If presented in class, take part in any class discussions, providing feedback and contributing to
debate and arguments.
 If directed to watch the video in self-study, or independently in class, then take notes so that
contributions to any future class discussions can be made.
Roleplays:
The trainer/assessor will direct class roleplays.
When undertaking these activities ensure that you understand the purpose of the roleplay and take part as
if you are in a professional situation to provide your fellow classmates with a true-to-life experience.
Roleplays rely on your ability to act in a manner which imitates real life situations and can provide you with
depth of understanding and practical skills.
Homework/Self-study
At the end of each session the trainer/assessor will direct you to complete any activities, questions or
reading from the day’s session as homework.
Further to this, time should be spent in self-study reading topic notes, independent research, completing
project work or watching webinars/video clips that relate to an area being covered.
Any work that you submit should be:
 Professionally typed and presented, using headings, consistent style and layout.
 Your own work and not copy and pasted information from the internet.
 If you are using information researched, reference and source the material or link.
 Submit your work to the trainer/assessor within the timeframe allocated.
Folder management and naming documents

As a guide, keep all work for this unit in a folder that has the unit code as its name, along with the name of
the student. Any activities and assessment tasks should then be saved to this folder.
Save documents logically within the folder structure, include:
 Unit code
 Task number
 Task name
 Your last name (optional)
 The date or version number (optional)
Back up
Always have a backup of work on a different device. If the college has a student network drive this would
be the safest option, however, a backup to a USB or removable hard drive should also be undertaken. If
using a USB to save files, then ensure a backup is kept on a laptop or home computer.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to have the skills and knowledge required to manage planning
in relation to an organisation's workforce including researching requirements, developing objectives and
strategies, implementing initiatives and monitoring and evaluating trends.
Outcomes include:
 Researching workforce requirements
 Developing workforce objectives and strategies
 Implementing initiatives to supporting workforce planning objectives
 Monitoring and evaluating workforce trends
Topic 1: Research workforce requirements

Content:
 Australia’s national workplace relations system
 Workforce planning guide
 Workplace Diversity
 Analysis of Workforce
 Data, Trends and Analysis
Australia’s national workplace relations system

The national workplace relations system comprises of legislation and standards, agreements and awards
applying to most employers and employees in Australia.
Industrial relations
Industrial relations is the management of work related obligations and entitlements between an employer
and employee and is legislated via the Fair Work Act 2009.
Information and advice can be sourced from:
 The Fair Work Ombudsman which provides expert advice in a range of areas such as pay, leave,
dismissal, employee entitlements and awards and agreements. https://www.fairwork.gov.au
 Private sources of expertise such as IHR Australia which offers a wide range of workplace
relations/industrial relations services to assist professional organisations to manage their regulatory
requirements and adopt best-practice employment principles.
 The Fair Work Helpline for Employers provides expert help and advice for navigating the Australian
industrial relations system: https://fairworkhelp.com.au/industrial-relations/
 State/territory based bodies such as NSW Industrial Relations who work with employers and
employees to achieve fair, equitable and productive workplaces. NSW IR supports the NSW
Government as a participant in the national workplace relations system, by monitoring and advising
on workplace relations developments and initiatives: https://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au
Class activity: Research and discussion

Work in small groups.
Think of a job in two different industries. For example an Accountant, an Engineer, a Hairdresser. Outline
the industrial relations that is relevant to each industry.
Present to the class in a group discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.
Legislation
Fair Work Act 2009
 Provides a safety net of minimum terms and conditions of employment.
 Allows for enterprise bargaining underpinned by bargaining obligations and rules governing
industry action.
 Enables flexible working arrangements that best meet the needs of both workers and
employers
 Protects against unfair or unlawful termination of employment.
Further information: https://www.fairwork.gov.au
Fair Work Commission

The Fair Work Commission’s role is to set award pay rates and conditions, and to help employers and
employees work towards cooperative and productive workplace relations. The Commission also actively
helps workplaces to prevent disputes, as well as helping to resolve them when they do occur.
Further information: https://www.fwc.gov.au
Enterprise agreements
An enterprise agreement is an agreement between one or more national system employers and their
employees, as specified in the agreement. Enterprise agreements are negotiated by the parties through
collective bargaining in good faith, primarily at the enterprise level. Under the Fair Work Act 2009, an
enterprise can mean any kind of business, activity, project or undertaking.
Modern Awards
Modern awards are industry or occupation-based, and apply to employers and employees who perform
work covered by the award. Modern awards are used to identify and apply the minimum pay rates and
conditions of employment.
Further information: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/awards-and-agreements
National Employment Standards

 Maximum weekly hours: An employee can work a maximum of 38 ordinary hours in a week.
 Flexible working arrangements: certain employees have the right to request flexible working
arrangements. Employers can only refuse these requests on reasonable business grounds.
 Parental leave: Employees can get parental leave when a child is born or adopted. Parental
leave entitlements.
 Annual leave: All employees except for casual employees are entitled to paid annual leave.
 Compassionate & bereavement leave: All employees (including casual employees) are entitled
to compassionate leave (also known as bereavement leave). Compassionate leave can be
taken when a member of an employee's immediate family or household dies or suffers a life-
threatening illness or injury.
 Community service leave: Employees, including casual employees, can take community
service leave for certain activities such as voluntary emergency management activities and jury
duty (including attendance for jury selection).
 Long service leave: An employee gets long service leave after a long period of working for the
same employer. Most employees' entitlement to long service leave comes from long service
leave laws in each state or territory.
 Public holidays: all employees are entitled to public holidays, which vary by state.
 Notice and final pay: not all employees are required to give or receive notice e.g. casuals. Final
pay can be paid out instead of worked.
 Fair work information statement: Employers have to give every new employee a copy of the
Fair Work Information Statement (the Statement) before, or as soon as possible after, they
start their new job.
Trade unions
Trade unions have an important role to play in Australia’s work relations system with a key role of acting as
employee representatives during workplace disputes and acting as a bargaining representative during
bargaining negotiations.
Workforce planning guide

A workforce plan identifies how future staffing and skill needs will be met, for example, through recruiting,
development, internal deployment, recruitment and/or succession planning. This ensures that planning is
proactive and talent surpluses and shortages are avoided where possible.
The Australian Public Service commission have created a web-based workforce planning guide that has
been designed for Human Resources professionals and other APS staff responsible for working in
partnership with agency division, branch and section heads to undertake workforce planning. The guide
uses a common approach to workforce planning. Each file is available as a PDF in the folder APS
Workforce Planning Resources.
Activity: Workforce planning guide
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 2 Workforce planning explained

This provides a good overview of workforce planning.
Weblink: http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/current-publications/workforce-planning-
guide/workforce-planning-explained
Consider the key questions listed in each chapter.
Discuss each question in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.
Activity: Videos
As an introduction to the unit, watch the following clips:

1. Workforce planning tips presented by Wendy Perry
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaI40ENkWLg (02:38)
2. Work force planning in action at BMW
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=QgGdGYIsVhE&list=PLmUW1h26Laf5FdWOjkNVqEheBJo3xNXoA&index=10 (4:00)
3. “Workforce of the future” discusses how strategic workforce planning can help financial institutions
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ipGOyPnwrw&index=3&list=PLmUW1h26Laf7z-
5P6ExKO5YIKXElA0dip (4:52)
The trainer/assessor will facilitate a class discussion about the outcomes from the videos.
Activity: Self-assessment
Think about the RTO or another company of your choice and briefly address each of the following
questions. If the RTO is chosen as the case study, your trainer/assessor will provide you with the
required information.
Before commencing the activity, write a brief background summary of the business – i.e. number of staff,
area of industry, products or services sold, growth rate, a list of job roles, a hierarchy chart and perhaps
a link to the organisation’s website.
Assume you are the employer identifying workforce issues – how would you answer the following
questions (answer as many questions as possible depending on the information available):
Planning and Alignment
 How will technology change the way we work and interact with and deliver services to our
customers?
 Are we reorganising? Are we creating or expanding business lines or services? Are we eliminating
or scaling back business lines or services? Are we consolidating or centralizing programs?
Decentralizing programs? Will programs or people be relocated or redistributed?
 Are job functions and competencies changing? Which current job functions and workforce
competencies are critical to our mission and goals? Which will no longer be required in 3-5 years?
What new job functions and competencies will be needed in 3-5 years?
Hiring
 What factors affect our ability to recruit and retain mission-critical knowledge and skills?
 How effective are current sourcing, recruitment, and selection strategies?
 What factors are affecting retention of high performers?
 How effective are current retention strategies? What does data from employee surveys and exit
interviews show?
 How are workforce attitudes (e.g., factors affecting job satisfaction, level of engagement in the
workplace, loyalty to employer) expected to change, and what impact do we expect those changes
to have on our agency?
Development
 How well are managers prepared to coach employees for new opportunities and career growth?
 How well are individuals for leadership positions identified, assessed, and developed?
 How well is knowledge transferred among employees to retain mission-critical competencies?
 What forms of training and development are needed to teach mission-critical competencies in the
next 3-5 years?
Performance
 How effective are supervisors at dealing with poor performance?
Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 3 Initiation and planning

guide/initiation-and-planning
Workplace Diversity
Workplace diversity means creating an inclusive environment that accepts each individual's differences,
embraces their strengths and provides opportunities for all staff to achieve their full potential.
 Valuing difference allows each person to contribute their unique experiences to the workplace and can
impact positively on not only internal activities and relationships, but the experiences of customers and
other stakeholders as well.
Tips for creating a diverse workplace

 Discuss diversity with your employees, highlighting the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive
workplace.
 Identify and address any unconscious bias in recruitment, retention and promotion that may be
preventing particular groups of people from joining or staying at your workplace.
 Value individual skills that employees bring, including language skills and international experience that
may help to broaden your market and business connections.
 Ensure flexible work options are available to all staff, including comprehensive parental leave policies
for both men and women.
 Be aware of different cultural practices and special needs of employees and make workplace
adjustments where appropriate.
 Take steps to prevent discrimination and harassment in your workplace.
Source: http://www.adcq.qld.gov.au/resources/for-employers/diversity-in-the-workplace
Activity: Initiatives for diversity
Divide into pairs.

Each group should research the current government initiatives for diversity and inclusiveness in the
workplace.
Task:
List some of the initiatives for your state with a brief overview of each.
What federal and state legislation covers workplace diversity?
Submit all work in professionally written documents and your trainer/assessor will provide your group
with feedback.
Analysis of Workforce
Discuss each of the following tools used to assist with the workforce planning process:
 Job analysis
 Job design
 Workforce profiling
 Developing skills inventories
 Competency profiling
Activity: Staff profiling
Split into pairs.

Each member of the group is to think about how they generally contribute to the course – that is in class
discussions, activities and how they conduct themselves within the classroom environment. Each person
is to complete a profile based on the following:
1. Contributions to class discussion/group work/activities
2. Knowledge of subject
3. Skill level
You are to do the same but complete a profile of your team member. The profile should be honest and
constructive.
Discuss each other’s profile.
Answer the following questions:

1. Were the profiles similar, completely different, spot on?
2. Do you agree with the other member’s profile of you? If not list the reasons why.
3. Did any conflict arise during discussion? How did you both manage/resolve it?
Submit all work in professionally written documents and your trainer/assessor will provide your group
with feedback.
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 4 Segmenting your workforce

guide/segmenting-your-workforce

Please note that internal and external issues are discussed in further detail within the workforce planning
guide referred to later in this session.
Data, Trends and Analysis

There are a number of labour force analysis and forecasting techniques that can be used to analyse the
Australian labour market.
For example:
The labour force participation rate is the proportion of the workforce-age population (15- to 64-year-olds)
that is employed or actively looking for work. It is a good indicator of the total supply of labour, although it
does not include those who are marginally attached to the labour force (people who want to be working but
are not actively looking for work), such as discouraged job seekers.
Source: https://www.employment.gov.au/annual-report-2016/analysis-trends-australian-labour-market
The employment-to-population ratio is the proportion of the workforce-age population that is employed.
This ratio is influenced by both labour demand and labour supply factors. It is also a good summary
indicator for measuring Australia’s labour market performance relative to other countries, particularly those
in the OECD.
Source: https://www.employment.gov.au/annual-report-2016/analysis-trends-australian-labour-market
Forecasting models that can assist with identifying future workforce needs include:
 Equilibrium modelling: this forecasting model uses past data to predict trends and assumes that
over time no change will occur within the system. The model is simple, but the benefit of this
approach is that it provides baseline data from which changes can be assessed.
 Network Flows Mapping: this is a “what if” type of model. It attempts to predict employment
outcomes, such as retirement, lateral movement, promotion and so on, based upon their links with
other employee characteristics such as salary, skill, age, or gender.
 Change forecasting: this forecasting model attempts to forecast employee flows by looking at past
practices. This information is used to project the future availability of employees whilst making
allowances for potential organisational change, so it is different to equilibrium modelling. The
statistical methods employed are usually probability and regression analysis
 Optimisation models: this forecasting model attempts to identify an “ideal” position, or set of future
goals, using complex statistical techniques such as linear and goal programming. They rely heavily
on the integration of workforce planning with strategic or corporate planning.
Data can be collected from:

 ABS for statistics
 University data
 Industry research/government reports
 Professional associations
 Equal Employment Opportunity statistics
The NSW workforce profile provides snapshots from data collected and analysed
http://www.psc.nsw.gov.au/sector-support/workforce-information
The ABS Labour Force Survey provides timely statistics on the size and characteristics of the civilian
labour force and can be used by an organisation to assist in workforce planning:
https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DOSSbyTopic/139689E1A84FE4F0CA256BD00028B0E5?
OpenDocument
The Labour Market Information Portal contains up to date labour market data to help employers and others
understand their local labour markets. There is a range of useful information on the portal such as
employment projections differentiated by industry, occupation, skill level and region up to 2020. The Portal
also includes a section on recruitment analysis, focusing on employer advice about recruitment of a range
of workers.
The National Skill Needs List can also be used for workforce planning. It is based on detailed labour
market research and analysis. It identifies traditional trades that are identified as experiencing a national
skills shortage. Australian Apprentices undertaking a qualification that leads to an occupation included on
the list may be entitled to employer incentives and personal benefits. Skill shortages can therefore be
identified and factored into the workforce planning process.
External markets identify trends in supply, demographics and economics that impacts on an organisation’s
ability to meet its objectives.
Activity: Data Analysis
Visit the ABS site www.abs.gov.au. Spend some time looking at the data available - what general labour
supply data could be used for workforce planning?
Split the group into pairs – collate the following information in a document for submission:
- Your trainer/assessor will set some data analysis targets for you to research, for example the
breakdown of the workforce for Cairns – age, gender, labour force for the area, etc.
- Consider your own place of work (or use the College as an example) to identify the
demographics, economic growth, and any other relevant data for that area.
- How could this data be used to recruit new staff?
- In what way can it be used to create a diverse workforce?
Submit in a professionally written and structured document to your trainer/assessor for feedback.
Mini-project: Develop a workforce plan
Consider the following simulation business, Oz Hardware which provides hardware, homewares, garden
supplies and building materials. It has 100 stores located across Australia.
Assume that Oz Hardware’s Strategic Plan states that they will ensure that they will attract a highly
skilled workforce and seek to increase diversity within the organisation.
Oz Hardware would like to start recruiting staff for a new store in your area. After analysing past
workforce information they have found the following:
The majority of sales staff are only semi-skilled, with the average age of 19.
There is a high number of managerial positions
The percentage of males employed are 75%.
There are no indigenous workers employed.
The average age of managerial positions is 61.
The majority of employees are part time and retention is averaging 1 year.
The store is due to open in 4 months and will require the following:
- 1 manager
- 5 sales staff
- 3 warehouse staff
- 1 admin staff
Task:
In small groups, develop a workforce plan that could be used to ensure that Oz Hardware are accessing
a skilled and diverse workforce for the new store as per the information provided.
Use the Workforce Plan template provided and also assume that you need to communicate your plan.
This means completing the communication and consultation strategy section in the workforce plan.
Refer to the following workforce plan for the State Library of Queensland to assist you with developing
your plan:
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/355687/20161102SLQ-
StrategicWorkforcePlan.pdf
Each group is to present their workforce plan.
The presentation should be visually appealing with transitions, animations and consistent styles and
colours.
During the presentation you must demonstrate effective communication skills including:
- Speaking clearly and concisely
- Using non-verbal communication to assist with understanding
- Asking questions to identify required information
- Responding to questions as required
- Using active listening techniques to confirm understanding
If you are undertaking this activity with a team, each person in the group must contribute equally to the
design, development of the presentation and also each member must take part in the delivery.
The trainer/assessor will observe you conducting the presentation, ask questions at the end and provide
feedback on the information presented and the presentation style.
Topic 2: Develop workforce objectives and strategies

Content:
 Workforce Costs
 Reviewing the organisational strategy and establishing aligned objectives
 Strategies to address unacceptable staff turnover
 Objectives to retain required skilled labour
 Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
 Strategies to source skilled labour
 Communicating to relevant stakeholders
 Obtaining agreement and endorsement for objectives and establish targets
 Contingency planning
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 5 Demand Analysis

guide/demand-analysis
Workforce Costs
Costs which affect an organisation include:
 recruitment
 training
 remuneration/benefits
 third party costs
 redeployment
 compensation
 retrenchment
Group discussion: Discuss mergers and acquisitions – provide examples of famous banking mergers; what
are the costs involved with regard to workforce planning?
Activity: Workforce Costs
Use the RTO or a company you are familiar with to address the following:
How many staff are employed at your organisation?
Considering the breakdown of staffing roles and responsibilities, approximate the basic wage for the
entire staff. (If the organisation is global then concentrate on just the office currently employed).
What training does the staff undertake? What would you estimate the cost for one year to equate to?
Consider if 4 staff left a year – what would be the cost to the organisation – thinking in terms of just
recruitment.
Reviewing the organisational strategy and establishing aligned objectives

To ensure that an organisation anticipates current and future workforce needs, a review of the
organisational strategy can be undertaken to ensure that objectives are aligned in order to meet business
goals. For example if a business direction changes and the workforce needs change then this should be
reflected in objectives that meet this change.
When reviewing an organisation’s direction, the aim is to develop a good understanding of the goals,
vision, mission and future business plans and how this may affect the workforce.
Examples of for strategic objectives:

https://www.clearpointstrategy.com/56-strategic-objective-examples-for-your-company-to-copy/
Effective employee retention strategies: https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/management-tips/effective-

employee-retention-strategies
Aligning objectives: https://tallyfy.com/organizational-strategy/
Class discussion: Consider a company has the objective of becoming an employer of choice, however
staff turnover and retention is poor. Reflect on organisational strategy and establishing the aligned
objectives for the retention of staff. What strategies could be put in place to address unacceptable staff
turnover?
Strategies to address unacceptable staff turnover

The Northern Territory Government - Department of Business have the following information on retaining
and supporting staff - refer to Chapter 5 Retain and Support:
Weblink: http://www.dob.nt.gov.au/Employment/workforce-development/Documents/your-
workforce/ch5_retain-and-support.pdf
Activity: Staff turnover
Consider your own place of work, a past workplace or one you are familiar with and then consider the
following questions:
1. List all the reasons why you stay in your position? List all the reasons you would consider
leaving. Now consider the staff in your organisation. What strategies are in place to retain staff?
Is there a high turnover? If so why do you think that is? List down any new strategies that could
be used to retain staff at your organisation.
2. How would an exit interview enable a Manager to identify further strategies for staff retention?
3. List other ways of collecting feedback from staff (for example email, social media, telephone,
printed survey etc) – for each identify:
o advantages and disadvantages of each method
o identify a method that you think would be appropriate for your own workplace or one you are
familiar with.
Type up your responses in a professionally written document and submit to your trainer/assessor for
feedback.
Objectives to retain required skilled labour

It is important to retain skilled staff, having clear objectives to retain the required labour can support
retention.
There are a number of factors why employees may leave. For example:
 Different expectations of the job role
 Lack of training and development
 Low advancement opportunities
 Lack of trust and confidence in leadership
 Stress from overwork
Retention methods can include:

 Training and development
 Coaching and mentoring
 Instilling a positive culture
 Effective communication for positive staff feedback
 Providing growth opportunities
 Creating a healthy work/life balance
 Fostering and promoting trust and leadership
 Rewards and recognition
Objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). For example:
Increase employee
em ployee retention
retention rates by 25%
25% in
in
one year.
Im plem ent w
Implement ork/life balance policy by end
work/life end
of Septem ber 2020.
September
Create mentorship
m entorship program
program for new
new staff
staff,,
com m encing in tw
commencing twoom onths.
months.
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 6 Supply Analysis

guide/supply-analysis
Ethnic and Cultural Diversity

Fostering a culture that promotes diversity and empowers employees to act in accordance can be through
implementation of a diversity policy which has clear objectives for workforce diversity and cross-cultural
management. It could include:
 Recruiting people from a diverse pool of high quality candidates
 Representation of stakeholder diversity or community
 Drawing on the diverse offering of employees and their different skill sets, experiences,
approaches and perspectives.
 Providing equal opportunity
 Recruitment and management on the basis of performance and competency regardless of
ethnicity or cultural background.
Activity: Videos
Watch these YouTube clips and discuss the issues that arise with each:
The Importance of diversity in the Workplace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzqNgyqUYso (02:15)
Diversity in the Workplace: Take One https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY5XmSyIJa8 (01:09)
Workplace Diversity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-irAhCa28fU (04:29)
Cultural competence and diversity in the workplace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-irAhCa28fU
(03:16)
The trainer/assessor will facilitate a class discussion about the outcomes from the video.
Activity: Workplace gender equality
Divide into pairs and look at the following Australian Government link, which provides fact sheets and
statistics on workplace gender equality.
https://www.wgea.gov.au/research-and-resources/fact-sheets-and-statistics
Your group will be provided with a topic from the list.

Download the fact sheet and choose some interesting facts from the statistics produced.
Present to the rest of the class.
Strategies to source skilled labour

To source, attract and recruit skilled labour, a company may use their own inhouse recruitment strategy or
that of an agency. Finding skilled labour can be time consuming and costly. Following are some websites
that provide tips on finding top talent.
How to find skilled workers during a labour shortage: https://www.craftforce.com/qualified-skilled-workers-

today/
How to recruit employees for small businesses: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/top-ways-to-attract-

quality-employees-2948197
Meet the most popular recruitment methods in Australia: how does your strategy compare?
https://blog.jobactive.gov.au/meet-most-popular-recruitment-methods-australia-how-does-your-strategy-
compare
Survey reveals top six strategies to recruit skilled workers:

https://www.accountingweb.com/technology/trends/survey-reveals-top-six-strategies-to-recruit-skilled-
workers
Refer to the document good-practices-guides developed on behalf of the National Industry Skills
Committee (NISC) to assist employers address their future skill and workforce needs.
Activity: Workforce needs
Divide into pairs. Your group will be provided with a section from the good-practices-guides to research.
The group is to read through the information provided and select one initiative to present.
You can create a PowerPoint presentation or Prezi to deliver your ideas or develop a summary sheet
outlining the strategy.
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 7 Gap analysis and strategy

guide/gap-analysis-and-strategy
Communicate to relevant stakeholders

Communicating the objectives for workforce planning and rationale to all the relevant stakeholders can help
to support the successful management of strategies to address staff turnover, retention and sourcing of
skilled labour and the promotion of ethnic and cultural diversity.
This can be communicated through:

 Policies and procedures
 Holding presentations, meetings, workshops
 Mentoring and coaching
 Training and development
 Leadership and management strategies
Relevant stakeholders will be anyone involved in managing workforce planning as well as employees.
Obtain agreement and endorsement for objectives and establish targets

Obtaining agreement and endorsement may be required through organisational channels such as human
resources or via a working group committee. It would require discussion and feedback before going ahead
with agreed and established targets that would align with the organisational functions, if necessary.
Contingency planning
Organisations should have contingency plans set in place for any unforeseen disruption, which could in
turn cause huge financial loss. A contingency plan provides an alternative action that can be taken to
overcome issues that have the potential to cause major disruption. It is used if the original function
becomes unfeasible – it prepares the organisation for an alternative course of action. Natural disasters and
terrorist attacks are good examples, however the following could possibly have a major affect on a
company:
 Labour disputes
 Disruption of product/service supply
 Electricity failure
 Economic crisis
 Terrorist attack
 Data corruption/cyber terrorism/data loss
 Theft
 Workplace accidents
Not having these plans in place can have devastating affects on a business.
Class activity: Research and discussion
Information from Mind Tools http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_51.htm
Discuss in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.
Activity: Contingency planning
Divide into pairs. Complete the following activity:

1. Consider the following issues that could affect an organisation:
a. Data files for payroll accounts are corrupted and cannot be restored.
b. Fire in the warehouse has damaged the whole building
c. One of your suppliers has gone bankrupt
2. What would be the impact of these issues on the organisation?
3. What actions could be taken within the organisations if these issues did occur?
4. List the advantages of contingency planning. Are there any disadvantages?
5. Source an example contingency plan for a type of disaster that could occur in your current place
of work.
6. Using sources from the Internet and any other text resources, create a basic contingency plan
for loss of data caused through either a cyber attack or data theft at your organisation.
Type up your responses in a professionally written document and submit to your trainer/assessor for
feedback.
Topic 3: Implement initiatives to support workforce

planning objectives
Content:
 Action to support agreed objectives for recruitment, training, redeployment and redundancy
 Organisational change
 Develop and implement strategies to assist in meeting the organisation’s workforce diversity goals
 Succession planning
 Employer of choice
Action to support agreed objectives for recruitment, training, redeployment and

redundancy
Supporting the agreed objectives can be through implementing actions that have been agreed to support
the workforce planning initiatives. For example it could be:
 A training and development plan to support staff in upskilling
 A communication plan to promote the importance of cultural and ethnicity diversity in the
workplace
 Promoting teamwork and actioning team building activities
 Implementation of workplace practices that promote diversity through education and policy
Redundancy/redeployment/retrenchment may be required in order to meet objectives. This will require

management of processes, procedures, organisational standards and policies to ensure that these are
executed fairly and comply to legislation and regulation.
Activity: Redundancy/Redeployment/Retrenchment
Do you know what your organisation’s procedures are for redundancy, redeployment and/ or
retrenchment? Provide an outline of the processes, or have a look on the Internet for a redundancy
policy – for example: http://policy.usq.edu.au/documents.php?id=13430PL notice the procedure
undertaken by the organisation
Read this article from FCB: http://www.fcbgroup.com.au/resources/publications/the-informant/february-

2012/workforce-restructuring-147/
HR Solutions explain a 7-step approach to managing redundancy:

http://www.hrsolutions.com.au/HR/client/NewsRoom/c_latestNewsItem.jsp?
categoryID=13&elementID=36
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 8: Implementation

guide/implementation
Activity: Workforce planning objectives
Initiatives should be implemented to ensure that workforce objectives are achieved. Actions to support
these could be development of policies and procedures; advertising; training, etc.
Look at the following objectives and think of some initiatives that could support these:
Training objective: All staff to complete online WHS training
Initiative 1:
Initiative 2:
Recruitment objective: Diverse workforce including Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders.
Initiative 1:
Initiative 2:
Organisational change
Organisations should develop and implement strategies that will support employees dealing with any
organisational changes.
Any changes to an organisation will have an effect on employees. This can be either through staff
redundancy, changes in business processes, the introduction of new technology or redeployment of skills
across an organisation. It can lead to:
Staff resisting to change
Employees leaving
Industrial relation issues
Leadership and management can support the successful change within an organisation. As well as
effective communication and the involvement of stakeholders early on in the change process.
The Queensland Government’s Change Management Best Practices Guide

(https://www.forgov.qld.gov.au/manage-workplace-change
Business Victoria – How to deal with redundancy and retrenchment :
http://www.business.vic.gov.au/hiring-and-managing-staff/ending-employment/genuine-redundancy-pay-
redundancy
Class discussion: How can training and development support organisational change?
Develop and implement strategies to assist in meeting the organisation’s

workforce diversity goals
A workforce strategy can include objectives to support meeting the organisation’s workforce diversity goals.
Implementing a workforce diversity plan can provide a framework for implementing strategies. For example,
a strategy could be to attract and recruit a diverse workforce. A diversity plan could provide the goal to
ensure accessible and inclusive recruitment and selection processes.
The success of implementation will depend upon how well it is communicated, promoted and supported by
both management and workers.
Department of Human Services: Workplace Diversity and inclusion strategy

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/sites/default/files/8378-1609en.pdf
Article: Workplace diversity through recruitment: A step by step guide

https://ideal.com/workplace-diversity/
Class activity: Brainstorm, research and discussion

Work in small groups.
 Brainstorm what workforce diversity encapsulates (ie age, gender, etc)
 Research all legislation that relates to workplace diversity in Australia.
 Consider the following workforce diversity goals and develop three strategies for each which can
support in reaching the goals:
 Develop and retain a diverse workforce
 Workforce diversity is part of everyday business
 How would you implement these strategies? Select one and clearly outline how it could be developed
and implemented. Provide one example of this in practice.
Type up your responses in a document and share your findings in a class discussion facilitated by your
trainer/assessor.
Article: Top 10 benefits of diversity in the workplace (infographic)

https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/244/top-10-benefits-of-diversity-in-the-workplace-infographic-
included
Succession Planning
Discuss the following information on the Government of Western Australia small business website:
http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/business-life-cycle/exiting-a-business/succession-planning/
Employer of choice
An employer of choice is one that offers a workplace environment and culture that attract and retain
employees. This can also include a superior remuneration package, salary equal to or above market rates,
comprehensive compensation; and employee benefit packages (for example private health insurance,
holidays/time off work). Further factors could be:
 Job security
 Employee empowerment
 Respected by managers and colleagues
 Personal development/professional development/training/up-skilling
 Shared information (such as financial results)
 Commitment to retain employees
 Engagement strategies and perks such as free lunches or company events
 Involvement – employees given opportunities to input on work processes
 Positive relationships within the workplace

 Fairness
 Good work/life balance

Activity: Video
Life at Google
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA54HWLZ2e4 (03:47)
The trainer/assessor will facilitate a class discussion about the outcomes from the video.
Activity: Employer of Choice
1. Divide the group into pairs.

Have a look at the list of winners for the Employer of Choice Business Awards 2014
Select an organisation from the list of winners and give to each group
a. Provide a summary of the organisation’s background
b. Provide an overview of some of the initiatives used by the organisation
Each group to share their findings with the rest of the class.
2. Thinking of another organisation list down any initiatives currently used for retaining employees
3. List any further initiatives or strategies that you think the organisation can implement to be more
proactive in retaining staff. Ensure these are realistic.
Each group to share their findings with the rest of the class.
Activity: Leadership and Management
Leadership and Management: Theory and Practice - Chapter 23 Identifying and Managing Risks
Complete the Quick Review questions, Build your Skills activities and case studies given at the end of
the chapter.
Topic 4: Monitor and evaluate workforce trends

Content:
 Monitor, evaluate and review
 Employee Satisfaction
 Government Policy
Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 8: Implementation

(monitoring, evaluation and review)
guide/implementation
Monitor, evaluate and review

Evaluation of workforce planning implementation can include:
 monitoring the workforce age profile
 rates of turnover
 gender
The following questions could be asked:

 Does the workforce plan link to the organisation’s strategic plan, mission, core values, vision
and objectives?
 Has it the support of senior management?
 What workforce analysis has taken place?
 Was the data collected include indicators such as the distribution of employees by occupation,
age, gender, attrition and retirement rates, etc.?
 Have employees been included in the strategic workforce planning process?
 What future resources are required?
 What competency and skill levels have been determined for employee occupational group
types/levels
Furthermore, the external market should be monitored to help make plans for the future environment,
understand the labour market and develop contingency plans. Both economic and supply and demand of
labour should be carefully considered.
Activity: Geographic Mobility
Search for the terms Geographic mobility and Job mobility - provide an example of each.
Class discussion: What is the “substitution effect”?
Employee Satisfaction
To maintain the continuing commitment of the workforce in the workforce planning process, it is important
to gather feedback from employees. This will indicate whether workforce development strategies have
been effectively implemented in addressing workforce issues.
Employees can be given Feedback/Satisfaction surveys to determine if initiatives set in place are relevant
and effective.
Activity: Satisfaction Surveys
Divide into pairs for these activities.

1. Have a look at the following website, which provides some good example questions.
http://www.custominsight.com.au/employee-engagement-survey/sample-survey-items.asp
2. There are many companies that provide a service for creating customer satisfaction surveys such
as: http://www.sogosurvey.com/sample-surveys/employee-satisfaction-surveys/ have a look at some
of the suggested formats and questions.
3. Use the following free template for employee satisfaction surveys by survey monkey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/employee-satisfaction-surveys/
4. Create your own survey using survey monkey or one of your own choice.
 As the survey cannot be given to employees to gain feedback, undertake this activity as a class
based task.
 Assume you are the manager of the college you are attending. Compose a survey with at least
10 questions to gauge whether or not students are happy with an initiatives set in place by the
college. This could be social activities, incentives for women with children, cheap canteen food,
early marks for completion of activities on a Friday afternoon, etc.
 Send the survey out to all members of the class (these alternatively could be photocopied for
each group)
 Each group should discuss the questions posed, come to an agreement and answer the
questions.
 Collate the responses given by other class members
 Analyse the data and write a brief conclusion of the results.
Share your results with the rest of the class.
Government Policy
The government’s tools for regulating the labour market include:
 The nature and extent of state welfare provisions, which provide individuals with varying measures
of independence from employers;
 Immigration policy, which determines the number of people entering the country and the skills and
training they bring with them; and
 Industrial relations legislation regulating management prerogative, or the right of management to
make unilateral decisions concerning employee dismissal, management of grievances, pay and
conditions. See the industrial relations website for further information:
https://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/about-nswir
There are many papers on this subject matter – this one by Natalie Cooper from the ANU looks at the
history of the Australian government labour market policies since 1945.
https://crawford.anu.edu.au/public_policy_community/content/doc/2011_Cooper_review.pdf
The Australian Government Department of Social Services paper discusses the impact of social policy
initiatives on labour supply incentives: https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/publications-
articles/research-publications/social-policy-research-paper-series/number-18-the-impact-of-social-policy-
initiatives-on-labour-supply-incentives-a-review-of-the-literature
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry looks at addressing Australia’s labour shortages:
http://www.acci.asn.au/getattachment/f29dbaf8-e9db-4e2a-b786-93ad435c9ec0/Addressing-Australia-s-
Labour-Shortages.aspx
Activity: Toolkits
There are many toolkits that can help in evaluating workforce planning. Take a look at a few and
compare what is included for each. Which toolkit would you use? What would you add?
http://legacy.communitydoor.org.au/management/hr/hr-assist/wf-toolkit.pdf
Review and Assessment
The content of this unit has now been covered.
Review and completion

Ensure any outstanding activities, reading, role-plays, meetings, presentations or further tasks that require
observation or submission to the trainer/assessor has been completed.
Assessment Tasks
The trainer/assessor will discuss each task in detail – please ensure the assessment procedures,
submission instructions and deadlines are clear, and you understand any expectations.
Support
The trainer/assessor will provide support when required. If any reasonable adjustment is required please
speak with the trainer/assessor or college support services.

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Student Guide

BSBHRM513 Manage workforce planning

Topic 2: Develop workforce objectives and  Workforce Costs

Topic 3: Implement initiatives to support  Workforce strategies

Topic 4: Monitor and evaluate workforce  Monitor, evaluate and review

Unit review and Assessment Tasks

Folder management and naming documents

Topic 1: Research workforce requirements

Australia’s national workplace relations system

Class activity: Research and discussion

Further information: https://www.fairwork.gov.au

Fair Work Commission

Further information: https://www.fwc.gov.au

Further information: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/awards-and-agreements

National Employment Standards

Workforce planning guide

Activity: Workforce planning guide

Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 2 Workforce planning explained

Consider the key questions listed in each chapter.

Discuss each question in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

As an introduction to the unit, watch the following clips:

Planning and Alignment

Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Activity: Workforce planning guide

Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 3 Initiation and planning

Consider the key questions listed in each chapter.

Discuss each question in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Tips for creating a diverse workplace

Activity: Initiatives for diversity

Divide into pairs.

Activity: Staff profiling

Split into pairs.

Answer the following questions:

Activity: Workforce planning guide

Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 4 Segmenting your workforce

Consider the key questions listed in each chapter.

Discuss each question in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Data, Trends and Analysis

Data can be collected from:

Activity: Data Analysis

Mini-project: Develop a workforce plan

Each group is to present their workforce plan.

Topic 2: Develop workforce objectives and strategies

Activity: Workforce planning guide

Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 5 Demand Analysis

Consider the key questions listed in each chapter.

Discuss each question in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Activity: Workforce Costs

Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Reviewing the organisational strategy and establishing aligned objectives

Examples of for strategic objectives:

Effective employee retention strategies: https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/management-tips/effective-

Aligning objectives: https://tallyfy.com/organizational-strategy/

Strategies to address unacceptable staff turnover

Activity: Staff turnover

Objectives to retain required skilled labour

Retention methods can include:

Activity: Workforce planning guide

Workforce Planning Guide: Chapter 6 Supply Analysis

Discuss each question in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Ethnic and Cultural Diversity

Activity: Workplace gender equality

Your group will be provided with a topic from the list.

Present to the rest of the class.