Workforce Strategic Planning Document Fairbanks North Star Borough July 2008

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Purpose

Workforce Strategic Planning is a systematic approach to anticipating future staffing needs and designing an effective strategy to meet those needs. This process will allow the Borough to use our human capital more effectively, and to ensure a continued supply of qualified people ready to move into positions of higher responsibility. The Career Enhancement section of this effort, where possible, will create a motivated and prepared workforce that has identified career paths and provides advancement opportunities.

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Plan Components

The Workforce Strategic Plan consists of several components that include: Workforce Preparedness/Readiness/Development – Developing skills of existing employees, keeping skills current. Strategic Staffing – Hiring individuals who have diverse skill sets and potential/interest to work in a higher capacity. Succession Planning – The process to identify and provide training opportunities to employees interested in promotional opportunities. Career Enhancement Planning – Identified career paths for employees, ability for employees to request training in order to qualify for other Borough jobs. Retention Strategies – Systematic approach to addressing the root causes of employee turnover, for overall reduction.

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Policy Requirements

The Fairbanks North Star Borough has made the Workforce Strategic Plan an organizational priority to develop its existing workforce to assume greater leadership roles and advancement potential. Page 1 of 5

The Workforce Strategic Plan must work in concert with other personnel rules, ordinances, policies and be in compliance with terms of the collective bargaining agreements. The following are guiding principles that shall be applied throughout the Workforce Strategic Plan:

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1.

The Plan will identify those positions that are targeted for consideration.

2.

The Plan will be in compliance with all Borough Policies, including the Recruitment and EEO Policies. The Plan will not alter the requirement that a competitive process be conducted for all vacancies.

3.

The Plan will be administered in a professional manner with full respect to all participants.

4.

The Plan will provide for identification of individuals with leadership skills, leadership capability and growth potential, so as to provide them with opportunities to develop their skills and to gain experience in leadership roles.

5.

The Plan will include a succession planning component that will ensure the development of a pool of qualified individuals who are able to step into leadership positions, both in the short and long term.

6.

The Plan recognizes that a combination of opportunities will be used to provide development for leadership candidates, including but not limited to: utilization of “acting” positions for the purpose of gaining exposure and experience, training programs, educational courses, mentoring, etc.

7.

The Plan will survey the workforce in those capacities that may be eligible for training, and evaluate those individuals for participation. It is recognized that requested participation in the Plan may be denied due to a variety of reasons.

8.

The Plan will establish a mechanism for identifying and addressing the cause of employee turnover and promote strategies for reducing turnover.

Process Defined

The Workforce Strategic Planning Process is a four step process. The first two steps consist of gathering data. The next two steps analyze that data and prepare appropriate solutions or strategies to meet future anticipated labor needs. Those steps are defined as: Step 1: Supply Analysis. The first step in workforce planning is to identify the composition (demographics) and capabilities (competencies) of the company’s

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current workforce. It also involves examining attrition statistics, including resignations, retirements, internal transfers and promotions, and involuntary terminations. Step 2: Demand Analysis. The purpose of demand analysis is to forecast the competencies that will be required by the future workforce for the organization to be successful. To do this, HR and Department Directors will first try to predict how the nature of the work will change over time (5-7 year period). Both internal and external influences will be considered. These include business mission, strategies and goals, as well as legislation, economic conditions and technological advances. Step 3: Gap Analysis. As the name implies, gap analysis is the comparison of the supply and demand data collected during Steps 1 and 2. The result is the determination of skill surpluses and deficiencies. While identifying competencies that are lacking is an obvious goal of this activity, it is equally important to understand which are in excess. After all, employees with skills that will be needed to a lesser extent in the future do not maintain or increase their value to the organization. No matter how well those employees perform now, their skills may eventually become obsolete without intervention. Gap analysis helps pinpoint who is at risk and proactively deal with each situation as appropriate. Step 4: Solution Analysis. Solution analysis is the development of strategies for closing the gaps identified in Step 3. Specifically, it is the identification of ways to build skills that are in short supply and reduce those that are overly abundant in relation to the organization’s projected needs. A variety of targeted recruitment, development and retention activities can be employed to achieve these ends. A solution analysis should be focused squarely on optimizing the current and future workforce. The end result will be a by department, customized Workforce Strategic Plan that may include: Workforce Preparedness/Readiness/Development Strategic Staffing Succession Planning Career Enhancement Planning Retention Strategies

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Procedure 1. Human Resources will draft and distribute the competency survey and request information from employees on their professional goals. 2. Human Resources will survey each Department Director on current and expected staffing requirements and identify potential succession plan participants. 3. The Department Director and Human Resources will review the employee survey data to complete the gap analysis. 4. Human Resources will evaluate employee requests for consideration under this plan. If accepted into the Emerging Leaders Plan, the Department Director and Human Resources will work on individualized training programs for each employee. Under this Plan, no employee will be guaranteed a promotion; what they will be given is the opportunity to prepare for obtaining a more responsible position. All job openings will conform to existing personnel rules. a. The Department Director and Human Resources will meet with the Emerging Leaders Plan participant annually to review the status and make any necessary changes to their individualized training plan. i. The process will provide clarity to employees about expectations. ii. The process will help employees understand potential career development. iii. The process will provide regular feedback to employees about performance and areas where additional training may be needed. iv. The process will provide a framework where employees can achieve success. 5. The Human Resources Department will work with the union officials to identify career ladders for employees within identified skill sets. This may require existing jobs to be modified and reclassified.

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Retention Strategies

The data collected during the exit process will be analyzed to determine any patterns that identify reasons employees are leaving that we have some control over. The bulk of our employees (within the next 3-5 years) will be leaving the organization because they are eligible for and take advantage of retirement. Unfortunately, there is little the Borough can do to address this faucet of employee turnover. The Employee Satisfaction Survey is done bi-annually and will be gathered again in the spring of 2009. This year we will look at potential modifications to the survey that will allow us to gather information helpful in this process. That information, along with the exit process information will help the Borough to understand where employee dissatisfaction is occurring and make positive changes that will aid in the retention of our employees. Some retention strategies that have already been put into place are: 1. Ability to request alternate and flexible work schedules. 2. Ability to hire employees into skilled positions in a training capacity. 3. Instituted training pools for Lifeguard positions to ensure when vacancies arise there are qualified individuals ready and available to step into those positions. 4. Offer Leave of Absences for individuals who need immediate time off but plan to return to the workforce. 5. Offer tuition reimbursement program.

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