Labor Quality Is Small Enterprises' Biggest Challenge - A Tailored Workforce Plan Can Help, Says Info-Tech Research Group

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Mar 29, 2023, 14:11 ET

The research and advisory firm's new resource emphasizes that managing the people who make up an organization and its departments is essential, whether there are three employees or 300.

TORONTO, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - In an uncertain labor market and economy, almost half of all small businesses are facing difficulties due to staff turnover. Small business leaders are often left at a disadvantage for hiring and retaining the best talent and can face even more difficulty due to a lack of a formal human resources (HR) function. As such, small businesses must solve their strategic workforce planning problem without access to the same level of time or resources that large enterprises have at their disposal. To support small business owners and leaders in their efforts to identify a solution to their labor quality and availability challenges, Info-Tech Research Group, one of the world's leading IT research and advisory firms, has released its newest industry guide, The Small Enterprise Guide to People and Resources Management.

Info-Tech recommends spending development time and effort wisely by implementing the 70-20-10 principle, which places the greatest emphasis on learning by doing. This experiential learning is then supported by feedback from mentoring, training, and self-reflection. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

Strategic workforce planning (SWP) is a systematic process designed to identify and address the gaps in today's workforce, including pinpointing the human capital needs of the future. Linking workforce planning with strategic planning ensures that the right people are in the right roles at the right times, with the knowledge, skills, and attributes to deliver on strategic business goals, no matter the size of the business.

"It can be tempting to think of workforce planning as a bureaucratic exercise reserved for the largest and most formal of organizations," says Jane Kouptsova, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "But workforce planning is never more important than in small enterprises, where every individual accounts for a significant portion of overall productivity."

Without workforce planning, organizations often find themselves in a reactive mode. Hiring new staff as the need arises, they often pay a premium for having to fill a position quickly or suffer productivity losses when a critical role goes unexpectedly vacant. A workforce plan helps to anticipate these challenges, identify solutions to mitigate them, and allocate resources for the most impact, resulting in a greater return on workforce investment in the long run.

Info-Tech Research Group has identified three phases of workforce management to assist small business owners and leaders in devising a plan tailored to their unique small enterprise needs. The three phases are:

Workforce planning – The first phase assists the leadership team, managers, and the HR partner, if applicable, in identifying needs, goals, metrics, and skills gaps. After those specifics have been determined comes the selection of a tailored skill sourcing strategy.

An additional resource for phase one is the Workforce Planning Workbook for Small Enterprises.
Knowledge transfer – Phase two involves leadership, the management team, and any incumbents and successors working through the discovery of critical knowledge and the selection of knowledge transfer methods.

Additional resources for phase two include IT Knowledge Identification Interview Guide Template and IT Knowledge Transfer Plan Template.
Development planning – The third and final phase is for leadership teams, managers, and employees to identify priority competencies, assess employees, draft development goals, and provide any necessary coaching and feedback.

Additional resources for phase three include IT Competency Library, Leadership Competencies Workbook, IT Employee Career Development Workbook, Individual Competency Development Plan, and Learning Methods Catalog.

The new research-based blueprint from the firm also reminds organizational leaders to gather resources and participants before embarking on the formal three-phase process. This includes having an up-to-date IT strategy, consulting with the existing IT team, compiling any necessary documentation pertaining to current roles and skills, and assembling the right participants, such as senior leadership and front-line management.

To access the full industry resource on small enterprise workforce planning and talent management, business leaders can download The Small Enterprise Guide to People and Resources Management from Info-Tech's website.

For more information about Info-Tech Research Group or to view the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For more than 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and Industry analysts through the Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group