Openai/6913a25a-3e84-8001-ae77-885ca935e940

This conversation was exported from ChatGPT

gpt-4o

User: Considering the economic climate and current challenges, what are the top 3 things employers need to consider now when …

Considering the economic climate and current challenges, what are the top 3 things employers need to consider now when workforce planning for 2026?

Assistant: As you and your teams build the workforce‑planning strategy for 2026, here are three critical considerations that refle…

As you and your teams build the workforce‑planning strategy for 2026, here are three critical considerations that reflect today’s economic landscape and what it will take to win on talent, capabilities and agility. Then I’ll drill into how you can translate each into actionable steps in your role steering sales, marketing and engagement.

1. Shift from head‑count planning to skills and capability planning

Why this matters now

• According to the World Economic Forum ‘Future of Jobs’ report, 63 % of employers identify skills gaps as a major barrier to transformation through 2025–2030. World Economic Forum
• Workforce planning is moving beyond static “how many people” models to questions of “which skills, where and when.” JobsPikr
• With technology (especially AI and automation) accelerating, many traditional roles are shifting faster than before—leading to gaps if you don’t anticipate skills instead of just bodies. Bernard Marr

Actionable steps for you

• Build a skills‑map for your organisation (and specifically for your sales/marketing teams) that starts with: “What skills will we need by 2026 to drive member engagement and revenue growth?” Think: digital analytics, social‑media content strategy, automation fluency, hybrid selling, data‑driven storytelling.
• Run a gap analysis: Where are you strong today? Where are you weak? Prioritise 2–3 high‑impact skill areas (not every skill).
• Delegate to your email specialist and sales team leads to own development plans for these high‑impact skills: e.g., “By Q2 2026 we will certify 50% of the team in [new tool or methodology]”. Let them own execution; you set the targets and framework.
• Factor redeployment and internal mobility into head‑count decisions. If someone in your team has adjacent skills, can they transition into a more future‑critical role rather than you hiring externally? This helps with retention and cost control.

Why I recommend this above other moves Because in a tighter labour market and with cost pressures ahead, you’re less likely to win just by adding bodies. Winning in 2026 means having the right capabilities. By making skills your lever, you build a more sustainable competitive advantage—not just filling seats.

2. Embed flexibility and adaptability into your workforce model

Why this matters now

• Labour markets are showing signs of a “low‑hire, low‑fire” cycle: many employers are holding steady rather than aggressively hiring/firing. Financial Times
• Hybrid/remote work, fluid talent models (gig, part‑time, contract), and dynamic roles are now part of the norm. Spherion
• Technology and business model disruption means the roles you planned for might change; agility becomes a differentiator. Lightcast

Actionable steps for you

• Review your team design for 2026: Which roles must be full‑time vs which can operate in a hybrid/remote or flexible schedule? Decide what flexibility means in your context (e.g., remote five days vs hybrid 3‑2, or global time zones).
• Build scenario planning into your workforce plan: for example, “If our content‑engine platform is implemented by Q3 2026, we can shift one full‑time role into a part‑time contractor focused on strategy.”
• Train your sales and marketing leads on agile team structures: encourage them to build cross‑functional pods (e.g., one person focusing on social analytics + one on automation + one on audience engagement) rather than rigid functional silos.
• Delegate oversight of flexible workforce KPIs to your operations lead or HR partner: track cost per output, time‑to‑ramp, retention in flexible roles. You maintain oversight, they run execution.

Why this comes second Because even with the right skills, you’ll struggle if your workforce configuration is rigid and doesn’t adapt to business changes. This gives you the structural flexibility to respond quickly and cost‑effectively—as your marketing channels, member behaviours and tech stack evolve.

3. Connect workforce plan to business strategy, financial constraints and engagement outcomes

Why this matters now

• Economic headwinds (inflation, interest rates, slower growth) mean budget constraints will likely persist into 2026. You’ll be under pressure to show ROI on people investments.
• Workforce planning in isolation (HR plan without business alignment) leads to mismatch, inefficiency, under‑utilisation. SHRM
• Your focus on member engagement and revenue means every person, every role, must tie back to outcomes: acquisition, retention, digital funnels, metrics.

Actionable steps for you

• In your 2026 workforce plan, cross‑walk each role and skill investment to a business metric: e.g., “We need a marketing automation specialist → target an increase in lead‑to‑member conversion by 15% → projected revenue impact $X.”
• Build cost scenarios: full‑time hire vs upskilling existing resource vs external contract. For each, show cost and expected time‑to‑value.
• Delegate to your finance partner or HR business partner the development of a workforce dashboard: showing head‑count by role, cost by role, utilisation, engagement scores, skills‑coverage. You review it monthly at leadership.
• Make engagement measurement part of the plan: e.g., survey scores, retention of key talent, percentage of roles with skills pathway. Link this to your sales/marketing outcome so your team understands that workforce plan = engagement = revenue.

Why this is critical Too many workforce plans stay in a “people” silo and don’t connect back to the commercial engine. You, as the strategic owner for marketing/sales/engagement, need the workforce element to be tightly integrated into your growth playbook. That way you can defend the investment, prioritise what matters and align your team on both strategy and execution.

✅ Recommended prioritisation

If I had to prioritise, I’d recommend this sequence for you:

1. Skills/capability planning (build foundational strength)
2. Business‑strategy/financial alignment (ensure the plan is defensible and outcome‑driven)
3. Workforce flexibility model (enable agility and future readiness)

That way you build the right “what” (skills), tie it to the “why” (business outcomes/costs), and then enable the “how” (flexible model) for execution.

Additional tips for delegation and team skill‑building

• Assign your email specialist (or a junior team member) to lead the skills‑map project: compile current team skills, desired future skills, gap analysis. You review the findings and set priorities.
• Run a quarterly “Capability Review” meeting with your sales leads: each lead presents one new skill their team has acquired, how it’s applied, what ROI it’s producing.
• Use micro‑learning platforms or short “skill sprints” (4‑6 weeks) for high‑impact areas (e.g., automation tools, member‑insight analytics). Start small, show wins, scale up.
• Build a “flex talent pool” for your marketing team: e.g., maintain a roster of trusted freelancers/contractors you can call on for surges (product launches, campaigns) so you don’t over‑hire.
• Maintain a workforce‑dashboard for visibility: This should include skill coverage, utilisation, cost per output, vacancy/critical roles pipeline, and link to engagement/retention. Review monthly.

If you like, I can pull together a ready‑to‑use 2026 workforce‑planning worksheet tailored for marketing and engagement teams (with these three considerations built in) that you can share with your team for execution. Would you like me to build that?

User: Summarize each of these points into a single sentence with a single actionable step and a single recommendation.

Summarize each of these points into a single sentence with a single actionable step and a single recommendation.

Assistant: Here’s a one-sentence summary for each workforce planning focus, along with a clear action and top recommendation:

Here’s a one-sentence summary for each workforce planning focus, along with a clear action and top recommendation:

1. Skills & Capability Planning

• Summary: Focus workforce planning on the future skills your teams need—especially digital, analytical, and engagement-driving capabilities.
• Actionable Step: Conduct a skills-gap analysis across marketing, sales, and engagement roles to identify 2–3 critical future capabilities.
• Recommendation: Assign a team lead (e.g., your email specialist or sales manager) to own skill development plans with quarterly check-ins.

2. Flexible and Agile Workforce Models

• Summary: Build flexibility into your team structure through hybrid roles, on-demand talent, and agile configurations.
• Actionable Step: Review your 2026 role structure to identify which roles could shift to remote, part-time, or project-based formats.
• Recommendation: Establish a small “flex talent pool” of reliable freelancers or contractors for content and campaign surges.

3. Align with Business Strategy and ROI

• Summary: Tie every workforce investment directly to a business outcome like member acquisition, retention, or revenue growth.
• Actionable Step: Map each key role or skill investment in your plan to a measurable outcome (e.g., lead conversion rate or campaign ROI).
• Recommendation: Create a workforce-performance dashboard that includes skill coverage, cost per output, and engagement metrics—review monthly.

Would you like this in a slide or one-pager format for team planning or executive review?

User: Yes, create one for executive review

Yes, create one for executive review

Assistant: Here is your executive summary document for 2026 workforce planning priorities:

Here is your executive summary document for 2026 workforce planning priorities:

📄 Download the Executive Summary

Let me know if you'd like a visual slide version or editable format for collaboration.