Whilst the principles of workforce planning have been around for a number of years, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in this HR practice as organisations have begun to realise that the need for planning is much greater than ever. A business climate of intense competition and increasing speed of delivery means that organisations need to plan ahead in order to survive. The fluctuating economy means that they need to be prepared for possible downturns as well as upturns. In addition, changing demography, in particular the ageing of the workforce, means that organisations need to make efforts to avert an impending loss of skills as a large portion of the workforce retires. The need for workforce planning is not exclusive to the private sector. The public sector faces a number of the same pressures, in addition to extra pressures of staff shortages and demands to modernise service delivery. Both in the US and here in the UK, government initiatives are requiring local government to demonstrate workforce planning capability and action. The benefits of conducting workforce planning are many and varied. Essentially it helps organisations to ‘get the right people in the right job at the right time’. It allows for a more effective and efficient use of workers and for organisations to prepare for restructuring, reducing or expanding their workforces. In addition to the practical benefits, the process of workforce planning aids organisations by providing objectives which integrate the various divisions and focus employees’ attention on common goals for the future. A number of models and techniques are available to help organisations conduct workforce planning. What is appropriate for an organisation to use depends on how easily it can be implemented and the ease with which it can be tailored to the situation at hand. Most models are broadly alike but there are some specific models that focus on particular organisations or types of work, or on short-term logistical planning. There are also sophisticated workforce planning software packages available. However, most organisations do not need a complicated approach and it is often better to take the simplest route than to try to do too much. Finally, workforce planning should not be too ambitious in its objectives. It cannot be expected to even out the peaks and troughs of the business world. Nonetheless, it is an important practice. It is much better to develop a clear understanding of the present situation, consider key future issues and manage the interplay between the two than to leave things entirely to chance.