A workforce review helps organisations take a step back and look at their people from a broader, strategic perspective. What talent do you have in-house? Where are the gaps? And how well is your workforce prepared for the future? By conducting a workforce review, HR gains insight into strengths, risks, potential and development needs across the organisation. These insights support better decision-making and help align people, roles and strategy.
Why a workforce review is valuable
A workforce review helps you place the right talent in the right roles, both now and in the future. Based on the outcomes, you can make informed decisions about recruitment, reorganisation, redeployment, succession planning and learning and development.
A workforce review provides clear insight into:
- Roles that are difficult to fill and where critical knowledge may be at risk
- Employees’ development needs and growth opportunities
- Which employees are able to take over critical or key roles
- The competencies, performance levels and potential within your organisation
6 steps to a workforce review
A clear structure makes a workforce review more effective, especially if you plan to repeat it on a regular basis.
1. Define the objective
What do you want to achieve, and how will you use the insights? Is the focus on talent development, succession planning, reorganisation or a combination of these? A clear objective determines which data you collect and how you interpret the results.
2. Collect the right data
Identify roles, competencies, performance and potential. Use HR systems, performance reviews, assessments and, where appropriate, self-assessments. The more complete the data, the stronger your insights and decisions will be.
3. Evaluate and analyse
Review performance and potential objectively. Identify talent gaps, critical positions and employees with growth potential. This is the moment to determine who is ready for the next step and where additional support is required.
4. Create a clear overview
Visualise the results so trends, risks and opportunities become immediately visible. This may take the form of summary tables, dashboards or graphical representations. Clear visualisation supports decision-making and helps involve management.
5. Define concrete actions
Translate insights into action. Decide who needs development or training, who can progress into new roles and where additional recruitment is necessary. This ensures the workforce review leads to real improvement rather than remaining a static exercise.
6. Communicate and monitor
Share the outcomes with management and employees where appropriate. Engage people in their development paths and monitor progress over time. Repeating the workforce review regularly helps track change and measure success.
Using the 9-box grid
A commonly used tool in workforce reviews is the 9-box grid. This is a three by three matrix that positions employees based on current performance and future potential. It provides an immediate overview of:
- Employees who excel and are ready for their next step, including leadership roles
- Employees who require support or further development
- Areas that need attention in strategic workforce planning, particularly critical roles
When combined with broader workforce review data, the 9-box grid supports objective and strategic decision-making around talent development, succession and redeployment. The 9-box grid is not a goal in itself, but a practical tool to make workforce reviews more actionable.
A well-executed workforce review not only shows where people currently stand within the organisation, but also provides direction for the future. By translating insights into concrete actions such as targeted development initiatives and succession planning, you ensure your workforce remains agile, resilient and prepared for what lies ahead.