Digital technologies are developing exponentially and in the process are eliminating old jobs and creating new ones. Being ready for and willing to change is central in this time and HR should propel and participate in this cultural change.

Strategic Workforce Planning is the link between corporate or business strategy and HR strategy. It is indispensable for an HR department that wants to work strategically and proactively. The ultimate goal is Total Workforce Management − a long-term qualitative and quantitative Workforce Planning of one’s own resources and a consistent concept for incorporating external resources, e. g. through labour leasing or freelanceship.

The analysis of HR-related data with the goal of optimising decision-making processes is called Workforce Analytics. By using analytic tools, HR data is put into relation with other relevant corporate data. But this discipline is still not very common. Efficiency is still the main focus in HR and evidence-based techniques like Predictive Analytics are only rarely and selectively used, mainly in the context of staff retention.

From Strategic Workforce Planning and the concomitant analysis we can derive various Talent Strategies that lead to operative measures.

In Talent Acquisition, chatbots and automised Active Sourcing (Augmented Intelligence) as well as preselection and phone interviews (Autonomous Intelligence) are tested. Human and machine competence is combined for doubled benefit.

In the area of Talent Development, new digital skills become relevant. In the future it well be less about directly offering education opportunities and instead about being a broker for education offers as well as making (also informal) learning processes possible. Additionally, it will systematically evaluate learning-specific data.

Talent Engagement is about creating a culture and leadership with the goal of making employees excited for their work and offering opportunities for active participation.

In Talent Retention, Predictive HR is increasingly tested for determining likelihood of resignation. An important index for this is the ENPS figure.

In these outlined talent strategies Workforce Analytics plays an important role. It enables HR personnel to notice trends in the workforce and by using Strategic Workforce Planning they are, thus, able to counteract risks.