Forecasting the Future: Strategic Workforce Planning for Early Careers

Economic uncertainty, shifting budget priorities, and the rise of GenAI are reshaping how organizations think about Early Career recruiting. University Recruiting (UR) teams can no longer rely on static, once-a-year headcount projections. Instead, they need a strategic workforce planning approach that is data-driven and tightly aligned with evolving business goals. Based on Veris Insights research, 79% of UR leaders cite workforce planning as a strategic priority, but many face significant barriers to making meaningful progress on this goal. Among those who forecast intern hiring, 75% forecast only a year or less ahead of time, and nearly 80% struggle with late requisitions. That’s why we developed a practical playbook to help UR leaders adopt a more strategic approach to workforce planning.

Core Principles of Strategic Workforce Planning

1. Forecast with Structure & Precision
   Use historical data alongside a consistent methodology to set clear, credible headcount forecasts that align with business cycles and hiring goals.
2. Create a Repeatable Forecasting Process & System
   Build a governance structure that clearly defines roles and responsibilities, key stages of the process, tasks that sit beneath them, and accountability for all involved. This involves setting clear roles and ensuring that plans are executed consistently.
3. Align Workforce Plans with Business Objectives
   To move from reactive to proactive, align forecasts to business strategies in the near-term and the future. Ensure that workforce planning conversations take place alongside strategic initiatives, identifying where Early Talent can support growth and innovation.
4. Scenario Plan for the Unexpected
   Build in a buffer for unpredictable external forces that can impact your plans. Teams that prepare for multiple outcomes are better positioned to adapt quickly.
5. Review & Refine Each Cycle
   Review the process and accuracy of the workforce plans each cycle to improve your outcomes each year. Each cycle brings an opportunity to strengthen planning precision and build institutional knowledge that compounds over time.

 

Measuring Impact with Key Metrics

To demonstrate value and drive continuous refinement, track metrics in the following categories:

Process Success

• Time from process start to headcount approval
• % of requisitions submitted on time

 

Forecast Accuracy

• Gap between projections and actual hires
• % of teams/locations using historical data to inform forecasts

 

Strategic Alignment

• Intern to full-time hire ratio
• Presence of the UR team in strategic workforce planning meetings

 

Early Career Talent Outcomes

• Conversion rate
• Retention rate
• Promotion rates
• Speed to promotion

 

Highlight these metrics to highlight wins, identify improvement areas, and reinforce UR’s role as a strategic partner in workforce planning.

Reflective Questions for UR Leaders

Use these questions to assess where your team stands and where strategic workforce planning could unlock more impact:

• Forecasting Readiness: Do we have a consistent process for setting headcount targets grounded in data and aligned to business needs?
• Governance & Ownership: Are roles, responsibilities, and decision points clearly defined across our planning process?
• Flexibility & Resilience: If headcount shifts suddenly, can we adapt our plans quickly with minimal disruption?
• Strategic Alignment: Are our workforce plans connected to broader organizational goals and future skill demands?

 

Pairing these questions with the metrics above will help you identify process gaps and focus your improvement efforts.

Actionable Next Steps

1. Map Your Current Process against the core components of strategic workforce planning to pinpoint immediate improvements.
2. Focus on Strengthening One Component at a Time—whether it’s formalizing your forecast method, clarifying your role in workforce planning, or introducing scenario planning into your process.
3. Track Progress Over Time using a small set of metrics that demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of your workforce planning model.
4. Build Internal Visibility to share your wins and new approach across all key stakeholders in the process.
5. Keep up with Workforce Planning Project Updates for a summary of findings, tools, and benchmarks.

 

Workforce Planning as a Leadership Advantage

Strategic workforce planning helps UR leaders shift from reactive support to strategic architects of early career talent strategy. It empowers UR leaders to anticipate needs, advocate with confidence, and position early career talent as critical to the future of the organization. As the world of work changes, UR leaders who plan well today will be best positioned to lead tomorrow.