Workforce planning tools are enormously valuable to organizations wanting to optimize their workforce. These tools help with headcount planning, managing performance, filling talent gaps, and more.
But with so many workforce planning software vendors out there vying for your attention, finding the right fit can feel overwhelming. This article explores five popular solutions, helps you understand how the right workforce planning tool can propel your business, and provides practical tips for successful implementation.
What are workforce planning tools?
Workforce planning tools are means or methods that help organizations align people management with business goals. They support tasks like evaluating employee performance and growth, predicting and preparing for future staffing needs, and ensuring compliance with labor laws.
Strategic workforce planning tools may include workforce management software, competency modeling, scenario planning frameworks, and other data-driven platforms or methodologies. These tools enable you to collect and analyze information about your workforce over time.
Why use advanced workforce planning tools?
Effective workforce planning tools come with a range of benefits, including:
- Improved efficiency: Identifying bottlenecks provides an opportunity to resolve them to optimize schedules, improve productivity, and reduce overtime.
- Reduced labor costs: Optimizing employee headcount and addressing skills gaps helps you make better use of human capital, which saves you money.
- Increased risk management: Anticipating future workforce needs, such as a shortage of top talent, allows you to proactively address problems through the workforce planning process.
- Enhanced decision-making: Using insights from workforce data leads to more informed decisions regarding hiring, training, and resource allocation.
- Better alignment with business needs: Strategic workforce planning helps ensure the right people with the right skills are in roles that support the company’s ability to meet its business objectives.
5 types of workforce planning tools
Businesses use a variety of tools to manage their employees. While not all of them are digital, those that use technology to provide real-time data are especially effective for informing workforce strategies. These tools help business leaders draw more accurate conclusions about talent needs.
Here are five top tool types worth looking into.
1. Predictive analytics platforms
Predictive analytics platforms use past and present employee data to forecast future workforce outcomes. These platforms can help your HR team make more informed decisions about hiring initiatives, onboarding programs, retention, and other HR functions.
Organizations can also use these analytics tools to predict future events, such as employee turnover, and take proactive measures to prevent them.
2. Role-based forecasting systems
Role-based planning systems use forecasting to help companies identify future resource needs based on upcoming opportunities. These systems are beneficial even if you don’t know all the granular details about a role’s responsibilities.
For example, say you manage a light industrial space and just got word that your company is opening a second warehouse. The new warehouse will assemble auto parts, but you aren’t yet sure which type of automobile the parts will be used for.
With a role-based forecasting system, you could identify transferable skills for auto part assembly to start mapping out which workers will staff the new plant. This would allow you to get a head start on staffing models, making for a smoother transition.
3. Scenario modeling dashboards
Scenario modeling dashboards allow you to see the outcomes of your decisions before you make them. These visual planning tools let you simulate various scenarios to explore the “what ifs” by changing key variables.
For example, you could forecast the potential outcomes of making the same business decision under different economic conditions. Scenario modeling would help you pick the most favorable time to implement new projects or initiatives.
4. Skills inventories
Skills inventories are databases that house information on employees’ skill sets and abilities. These tools can help you understand your organization’s strengths and weaknesses, identify skills gaps, and find opportunities for upskilling.
Keeping a skills inventory has many benefits, including better talent management, easier succession planning, and more targeted recruitment efforts.
5. Self-service scheduling and communication apps
Self-service scheduling apps allow employees to log in and claim shifts that fit their schedules. These apps are especially helpful for staffing companies, as they reduce the costs associated with scheduling while also improving employees’ user experiences.
Just as scheduling needs streamlining, so does workforce communication, which is why communication apps also made this list. They help teams securely message each other on the go, keeping strategic planning conversations going and ideas organized.
5 workforce planning tools to consider
If you’re looking for the best workforce planning software on the market, you may want to shift your thinking. The ideal tool will be the one that works best for your existing business strategy and workflows, which means it will vary between companies.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, a great way to begin your search is by evaluating our top five picks for workforce planning tools.
1. Teambridge
OK, we may be a little biased with this one, but it’s for a good reason. As a workforce management solution, Teambridge is different from other workforce planning tools on the market because it’s composable. Composable software enables businesses to build their workforce management software around their workflows, resulting in a flexible and customized solution.
The best part is that you get this flexibility without having to write any code. You can use drag-and-drop-style modules to create dashboards, policies, collective workspaces, and more, allowing you to assemble and reassemble your interface as your business needs evolve.
Key features:
- Self-service scheduling: Let staff schedule their own shifts while maintaining control. With self-service scheduling, you can implement custom rules, such as needing manager approval, requiring a specific type of role, or limiting the number of hours worked per day.
- Geofencing time clock: Prevent time theft by tracking employee locations using a GPS signal from their mobile phones to make sure staff clocks in and out only from their worksite.
- A white label mobile app: Give your staff access to a consumer-grade mobile app wrapped in your company’s branding. Employees can use the app to clock in and out, upload documents, message their managers, request time off, and more.
- Instant pay: Allow staff to withdraw their earned wages at any time and receive the money in minutes. Instant pay helps attract and retain top talent by improving employee satisfaction.
- AI functionality: Offload manual tasks to AI agents that can find and vet top talent, verify credentials, review timesheets, communicate with staff, and schedule meetings.
Limitations:
- Teambridge doesn’t yet have built-in payroll processing, but it has a same-day payroll software coming soon. In the meantime, the solution offers payroll integrations.
- The software doesn’t yet have an open API, but that’s also in the works.
2. Workforce.com
Workforce.com is an all-in-one workforce management software focused on managing hourly employees. It allows you to sync onboarding, hiring, and payroll with a single login while offering employees mobile self-service for tasks like updating personal details and requesting PTO.
This workforce planning tool also helps you predict labor needs and quickly fill gaps with reactive scheduling, shift swapping, and bidding to manage call-outs.
Key features:
- One-click payroll compliance: Before processing payroll, use automation to calculate complex pay rates—including differentials and overtime—based on team structures, time tracked, and local regulations.
- Labor forecasting: Connect data on external factors like local events, foot traffic, weather conditions, and sales to map staffing ratios and build demand-based schedules.
- Benefits management: Easily enroll new hires in medical, dental, and vision plans and set them up for automated 401(K) contributions within 15 minutes. The program automatically calculates and deducts health contributions with every payroll run.
Limitations:
- While Workforce.com has scheduling tools, it doesn’t offer self-scheduling. Organizations still need to allocate labor hours and costs for scheduling employees.
- Staff can’t initiate their own payments in times of need and must wait for their set payday.
3. ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now is an HR software solution that offers three packages based on your budget and needs. The basic package simplifies payroll and HR, while the premium package adds benefits for administration and automatic time tracking.
This solution focuses on providing actionable insights based on ADP’s extensive data bank. It helps organizations benchmark compensation, find new talent, automatically match candidates with the right roles, and prevent turnover.
Key features:
- A wealth of data: Use ADP’s predictive model, which considers 30+ factors, to assess turnover risk.
- Digital HR storefront: Get access to a wide range of HR solutions and custom integrations with ADP Marketplace’s standard APIs.
- Talent acquisition tools: Integrate with ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor, and use intelligent candidate matching to help you find the right people faster.
Limitations:
- The software doesn’t include traditional communication tools (such as 1:1 private messaging, group chats, and broadcast messages) for selecting staff members based on factors like role or location.
4. Connecteam
Connecteam is a workforce management app designed for “deskless” (mobile) teams. It offers tools to help businesses streamline operations, communications, and human resources programs, including automated timesheets, task management tools, work chats, and onboarding courses.
Connecteam serves businesses of all sizes, from large enterprises to mom-and-pop shops. Its goal is to help organizations drive efficiency, gain business oversight, and improve employee engagement.
Key features:
- Help desk: Support your teams with a built-in help desk, which includes an internal ticketing system to assist employees with issues.
- Live polls: Use surveys and live polls to gather real-time employee feedback straight from the field, which gives you additional data for making smarter decisions.
- Social features: Reward team members for hitting metrics with in-app gift cards to help increase employee satisfaction.
Limitations:
- Connecteam doesn’t offer built-in payroll processing—only integrations with payroll providers.
5. When I Work
When I Work is shift-based workforce management software that puts the employee experience first. It helps give shift workers a voice, promoting fair scheduling and increased control of their work lives.
This tool focuses primarily on three HR functions: scheduling, time tracking, and communication. For employers, it simplifies scheduling, reduces labor costs, boosts accountability among staff, and supports business growth.
Key features:
- Labor budget forecasting: Maximize your bottom line with the forecasted labor budget that appears as you assign shifts.
- One-click scheduling: Automatically fill the shifts you need by scheduling available employees with the right qualifications.
- Overtime alerts: Receive alerts when a shift would push an employee into overtime hours so you can swap it if needed.
Limitations:
- This workforce planning tool focuses mostly on scheduling and time tracking, foregoing other helpful features like built-in payroll and benefits administration.
Tips for implementing workforce planning tools successfully
Implementing any new digital tool requires patience and buy-in from stakeholders—including your staff. To find success, keep these tips in mind:
- Start with a clear plan. Define your needs and goals, then develop a detailed implementation plan that includes key milestones and deadlines.
- Offer employee training. Employees will be more willing to adopt the new tool if they feel prepared to use it. Be sure to provide thorough training before implementing, and offer information on where to go for help if they get stuck.
- Encourage employee feedback. Empower staff to identify areas for improvement and give feedback on whether the new software is meeting their needs.
- Continuously monitor and improve. Once the system is live, monitor it closely against your predefined metrics and consistently work to make it better.
Transform your workforce planning strategy
Workforce planning tools are essentially dedicated office assistants. Their job is to make your work life easier, help you meet strategic objectives, and weave greater efficiency into every ounce of your workday.
Teambridge offers comprehensive tools that enable businesses to optimize resource allocation and productivity. Self-service features like PTO management and flexible scheduling enhance employee engagement, while AI-driven automation simplifies tasks like staffing and compliance to meet modern workforce needs.
What workforce planning challenges are you looking to solve? Book a chat with us to share more and learn how Teambridge can help solve them.
