The global workforce management software market is expected to reach USD 10.24 billion by 2029, reflecting a steady growth of around 6.98% CAGR, as per the insights from Mordor Intelligence. In the fast-changing portfolio of the IT industry, workforce management is critical in ensuring the operational process works well and clients are satisfied. Agents’ responses are limited to voice calls, emails, web chats, and other mediums. As a result, IT companies need to have an adequate number of agents capable of handling these different types and mediums of queries. It represents a nicely worked-up balance between what the consumer desires and how the workforce is utilized.
Such equilibrium can be difficult to attain manually, and such attainment gaps may be large. Qualtrics, similar to other workforce management applications, adopt the latest technology, such as time tracking and task management. With its modern algorithms and real-time data analysis, IT managers, can forecast and manage staffing adequately on time, allocate resources intelligently, and adjust employee schedules efficiently. Qualtrics also helps managers pinpoint what essential skills are lacking for those employees, propose plans for training workers, and make sure they are workforce-ready to turn into more customer-oriented employees.
In addition, utilizing workforce management tools specific to the IT industry, such as Qualtrics, is crucial for such organizations since it makes their operations smooth and improves customer service delivery and retention, thereby beating the competition.
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Understanding Workforce Management Software
Workforce management software streamlines and optimizes how organizations manage their workforce. It typically oversees three main areas:
- Employee scheduling and time and attendance, also known as time and labor.
- Managing time-off requests and employee leave, referred to as absence management.
- Ensuring workplace compliance and productivity, known as workforce health and safety.
These functions enable businesses to place the right talent in the right job at the right time and cost-effectively. The software facilitates efficient resource allocation, ensures compliance with labor regulations, reduces labor costs, and improves overall productivity.
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Factors Influencing Workforce Planning in the IT Industry
Workforce planning in IT requires analyzing talent availability, forecasting future demand for IT services, and developing strategies to attract, develop, and retain a competent workforce that can deliver quality services.
IT firms must consider several key factors in the designing of an effective workforce plan:
Technological Advancements:
Given the lightning pace of technological developments in the modern world, existing technologies and skills are very prone to obsolescence. Workforce planning plays a key role in pointing IT firms to emerging technologies relevant to their business and providing the necessary training to advance the technical expertise of their consultants.
Industrial Trends – Remote/Hybrid Model:
IT firms must work out their workforce plans with the current trends of the industry such as the growing number of remote and hybrid workers in the IT industry. This means a consideration of the technology infrastructure required to underpin remote working, which, therefore, enables the firm to obtain and retain the best talent in the market with extreme competition.
Long-term and Short-term Business Goals:
Workforce planning must be a very close-fitting fit with the overall organizational business strategy. IT business leaders must work out the organization’s operating and strategic goals when designing a workforce plan. This consideration helps to identify the short-term and long-term resource requirements. Additionally, the plan must be flexible enough to allow changing business needs while ensuring that the firm has the right talent to make the business successful.
Current Skill Levels and Capabilities of the Existing Workforce:
Faulty strategic workforce planning or management does not account for the existing skill levels and capabilities of the existing workforce. IT managers need to work out the existing workforce’s current skill levels and capabilities when developing a workforce plan. This analysis will identify any existing skill gaps or talent shortages in the organization that must be addressed. Based on this accurate assessment of the current skill levels of the existing workforce, organizations will have the right human resources to deliver their set business objectives.
Workforce Planning Benefits in IT Companies
Apart from dealing with challenges such as skill shortages and frequent hiring/firing cycles, workforce planning benefits an IT company in several ways.
1. Cost Savings:
The fierce competition for able-bodied professionals increases the cost of resourcing. Workforce planning allows the IT organization to scrutinize labor charges and identify cost-effective global resources. Knowing whether the skills required are single-time or continuous and building the right mix of contingent and permanent consultants will facilitate an organization’s control of costs.
2. Supply vs Demand Gap:
Workforce planning enables IT managers to forecast workforce requirements based on growth plans and project pipelines. Hence, it helps them identify the demand vs. supply gap. This will enable the implementation of suitable corrective measures to avert last-minute hiring or resource shortages and avoid project delays.
3. Skill Inventory:
A survey by Analytics Insights revealed a notable rise in IT job attrition, with around 25.2% of employees leaving their positions. Keeping the consultants’ skills and competencies up to date is an important part of any organization. Workforce planning enables an organization to have a real-time skill inventory of the workforce pool along with its competencies. This comprehensive view will facilitate the matching of the consultants’ skills with the right projects for successful delivery.
4. Attrition Control:
High attrition rates in the IT industry can be contained through workforce planning, which ensures that IT resources are matched with projects that are in tune with their skills and interests. Efficient learning and development techniques, such as formal training and mentoring, can make the job more rewarding and less burdensome, preventing unplanned attrition.
5. Future-proofing Skills:
Continuous upgrading of workforce skills will help work out the skill gaps to keep up with the development of technology. Workforce planning facilitates in tailoring training programs to individual development plans, enabling consultants to remain market-relevant with in-demand skills.
As per a survey, 91% of technology managers expressed difficulty in finding skilled IT professionals.
6. Succession Planning Facilitation:
According to Deloitte, although 86% of leaders acknowledge the importance of succession planning for leadership roles, only 14% feel confident in their execution of it.
Workforce planning helps identify potential successors to critical positions and develops plans to aid them in career advancement. By smoothly transferring skills and expertise, organizations further reduce the risks associated with key personnel changes and ensure business continuity.
Why Workforce Management Software is a Must-have for IT Workforce
IT employees tend to operate in a very specific environment, which makes the process of managing such staff a bit complicated.
Workforce management software is important to IT departments for the following reasons:
Complex Skillset and Project Management:
En toto, IT groups usually deal with a large number of concurrent projects, whose different requirements in terms of required team members’ skills may sometimes be divergent. Workforce management software aids in identifying skill gaps and forms specialized project teams based on the skill sets of the team members, and it further ensures the effective use of resources.
Remote and Hybrid Workforce:
Workers are the backbone of the workforce that allows remote worker optimization and implementation of hybrid work environments. Such software programs allow easy communication, assigning tasks while monitoring progress of a project in a situation where a team is geographically distributed from each other..
Optimize for On-call and Support Rotations:
Since IT business operations involve round-the-clock services, employees may have to be on call for a certain time. Workforce management software supports the simplification of fair and equitable call flows and covering, helping to prevent burnout.
Improved Cybersecurity:
IT teams frequently deal with data security and privacy rules. The regulations may be related to the national, regional or even global level. A workforce management software program streamlines employee certifications and trail auditing while setting up their appropriate access permissions.
Compliance and Audit Requirements:
Current data privacy and security regulations assure IT departments of proper work and prompt action in case of breaches. The management of workforce software allows for easy accounts of the certifications and the granting of access permissions to the employees.
Data-driven Decision Making:
Data in IT departments constitutes a significant volume. Workforce management solutions come with cutting-edge analytics, which is beneficial for making the right decisions that need data related to the required employees, skill development programs, and project resources.
Leveraging Qualtrics: The Microsoft MySkills4Afrika Program Case Study
Introduction:
Microsoft’s MySkills4Afrika program represents one of the prime examples of technology giants playing a role in the transformation of developing markets. In addition to its dedicated mission to empower small businesses, startups, and economic empowerment across Africa, Microsoft provided workforce management with the robust Qualtrics tool, which offered Microsoft the means to manage a program of this scale and reach.
Challenges:
Mic management of a program with such a massive reach into millions of lives and thousands of volunteers required a superior and robust data collection and feedback management solution. Microsoft faced the challenges of pairing volunteers with appropriate projects, maintaining progress, and ensuring program satisfaction.
Solution:
Qualtrics was the solution that met with Microsoft’s needs, boasting flexibility, power, and ease of use. The use of Qualtrics enabled Microsoft to profile volunteers’ skills and interests accurately while pairing them with appropriate projects. This empowered volunteering initiatives with innovative start-ups like Totohealth, which directly translated into measurable improvements in accessibility and health and well-being outcomes.
Results:
Qualtrics provided Microsoft with a tool to collect real-time data, gauging the program’s impact and adjusting the strategies accordingly. MySkills4Afrika saw an 86% b********** satisfaction rate, a hallmark of sustainable positive outcomes. In addition, 98% of assignments met Microsoft’s business objectives, which clearly indicates the program’s mutual success.
Conclusion:
Employing the power of Qualtrics, Microsoft’s MySkills4Afrika program personifies how technology and corporate expertise can drive meaningful change in emerging markets. With real-time insights, Microsoft continues to refine its approach and is, therefore, the shining example of corporate social responsibility and economic empowerment.
“Every organization that we’ve worked with—I’m extremely proud of them and what they’ve been able to accomplish. Without Qualtrics, we would not have been able to assess our impact and improve the program.” – Mteto Nyati, CTO, Microsoft Africa.
Final Note
As a term in the IT industry, WFM has critical strategic implications, such as being based on a structured decision process, enabling forecasting accuracy, prediction of demand, and budget control. Through automation and tools with high capabilities, IT departments can bring their workforce management strategies to alignment with strategic targets and should, therefore, expect augmented operational performance. A WFM system implemented for the IT workforce gives businesses control over resource allocations. It eliminates backlogs and reduces operational expenses simultaneously. Ultimately, success comes from a happy and influential workforce that operates at the performer level and responds to ever-dynamic IT themes.
Read: Qualtrics Launches Three New AI-Powered Suites for CX, EX, and Research
FAQs
1. What is Remote Workforce Management?
Remote workforce management refers to the supervision and coordination of employees who work from different locations that do not include the traditional office. This is a form of workforce management that uses technology to ensure effective communication, productivity, and engagement among employees.
2. What is Contingent Workforce Management?
Contingent workforce management refers to the application of strategies and practices that ensure nonpermanent workers, such as freelancers, contractors, and consultants, are adequately integrated and utilized within an organization.
3. What is Mobile Workforce Management?
Mobile workforce management refers to the supervision of workers in the field or on the move. It uses mobile technology to address scheduling, communication, and task management to properly manage remote teams and field-based employees.
4. How does WFM Software Integrate with Other Business Systems?
WFM software usually integrates with a variety of business systems, such as HRIS, payroll, ERP, and VMS. Integration with other systems ensures data is well managed, and this, in turn, improves operational efficiency through single access and synchronization of information across different platforms.
5. How does WFM Software Support Decision-Making in Workforce Planning?
WFM software provides the manager with data-driven insights and predictive analytics to support decision-making in workforce planning. The software provides valuable information on staffing, scheduling, and resource allocation, aligning with business intentions, to enable the manager to make informed decisions better to optimize the productivity and performance of the workforce.
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