{"id":29586,"date":"2023-06-01T23:38:58","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T13:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/guide-to-workforce-planning\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T06:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T06:48:14","slug":"guide-to-workforce-planning","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/guide-to-workforce-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"Workforce planning guide and template"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull resource-sticky-downloadable-template has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull blog-template-header has-light-violet-50-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div style=\"--bb--crumb-gap:.4em;\" class=\"blog-template-breadcrumb wp-block-employmentherocom2025-breadcrumb-block\"><nav role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb-items\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item breadcrumb-item--current breadcrumb-item--home\"><span class=\"breadcrumb-item-name\">Home<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"name\":\"Home\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/employmenthero.com\\\/nz\\\/\"}}]}<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-template-tags-row is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--9)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-template-tags is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" class=\"taxonomy-resource-type eh-resource-type wp-block-post-terms\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-post-terms-icon\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"icon-blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/Blog.png\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/guides-and-playbooks\/\" rel=\"tag\">Guides and Playbooks<\/a><\/div>\n\n<ul style=\"display: flex; gap: var(--wp--preset--spacing--2); padding-left: 0; flex-wrap: wrap;\"><li style=\"background-color: #e8e7e8;padding: var(--wp--preset--spacing--0-5) var(--wp--preset--spacing--3);border-radius: var(--wp--preset--spacing--8);margin: 0;display: inline-flex;align-self: center;\">\n                <span class=\"has-sm-font-size\" >\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/hiring-onboarding\" title=\"Hiring &amp; Onboarding\" style=\"font-weight: 500;\">Hiring &amp; Onboarding<\/a>\n                <\/span>\n                <\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group social-icons-mobile is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--2);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--2)\"><div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"facebook\" data-social-type=\"facebook\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24px\" height=\"24px\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"> <title>Group<\/title> <path d=\"M14.4446 6.47609H11.4173V4.40033C11.4173 3.62078 11.9115 3.43904 12.2596 3.43904C12.6068 3.43904 14.3958 3.43904 14.3958 3.43904V0.0120058L11.4537 0C8.18772 0 7.44447 2.55599 7.44447 4.19168V6.47609H5.55566V10.0075H7.44447C7.44447 14.5394 7.44447 20 7.44447 20H11.4173C11.4173 20 11.4173 14.4856 11.4173 10.0075H14.0981L14.4446 6.47609Z\"><\/path><\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"twitter\" data-social-type=\"twitter\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"> <g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_2187_1527)\"> <path d=\"M6.88269 10.3821L0.554058 18H2.05374L7.54889 11.3855L11.9379 18H17L10.363 7.99774L17 0.00924304H15.5002L9.69721 6.99436L5.06215 0.00924304H-5.51343e-07L6.88306 10.3821H6.88269ZM8.93683 7.90961L9.60929 8.90561L14.9598 16.8309H12.6563L8.33833 10.4349L7.66587 9.43894L2.05303 1.12518H4.35659L8.93683 7.90923V7.90961Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path> <\/g> <defs> <clipPath id=\"clip0_2187_1527\"> <rect width=\"17\" height=\"18\" fill=\"white\" transform=\"matrix(-1 0 0 -1 17 18)\"><\/rect> <\/clipPath> <\/defs> <\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"linkedin\" data-social-type=\"linkedin\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"17px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"> <title>Shape<\/title> <g id=\"Symbols\" stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"> <g id=\"Icons\/Social\" transform=\"translate(-74.000000, -2.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\" fill-rule=\"nonzero\"> <path d=\"M74.2155762,7.20409322 L77.8588786,7.20409322 L77.8588786,18 L74.2155762,18 L74.2155762,7.20409322 Z M76.0616143,2 C74.8146643,2 74,2.80609002 74,3.86411056 C74,4.90036967 74.7908238,5.72989508 76.0139333,5.72989508 L76.0371667,5.72989508 C77.3079571,5.72989508 78.0993476,4.90032981 78.0993476,3.86411056 C78.0755071,2.80609002 77.3079976,2 76.0616143,2 Z M86.8041976,6.95048874 C84.8702857,6.95048874 84.0038929,7.99790755 83.5205667,8.73245583 L83.5205667,7.20409322 L79.8761714,7.20409322 C79.924419,8.21687707 79.8761714,18 79.8761714,18 L83.5205667,18 L83.5205667,11.9708054 C83.5205667,11.6478911 83.5444071,11.3261725 83.6402952,11.0948476 C83.9041595,10.4502147 84.5037738,9.78266458 85.5095667,9.78266458 C86.8291714,9.78266458 87.3561714,10.773129 87.3561714,12.2237722 L87.3561714,18 L91,18 L91,11.8093881 C91,8.49339883 89.2027762,6.95048874 86.8041976,6.95048874 Z\" id=\"Shape\"><\/path> <\/g> <\/g> <\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"link\" data-social-type=\"copy\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"18px\" height=\"19px\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 19\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"> <title>Group 7<\/title> <defs> <polygon id=\"path-1\" points=\"0 0 11.3597146 0 11.3597146 13.250495 0 13.250495\"><\/polygon> <polygon id=\"path-3\" points=\"0 0 11.4438464 0 11.4438464 13.237235 0 13.237235\"><\/polygon> <\/defs> <g id=\"Symbols\" stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"> <g id=\"Icons\/Social\" transform=\"translate(-115.000000, 0.000000)\"> <g id=\"Group-7\" transform=\"translate(115.000000, 0.000000)\"> <g id=\"Group-3\" transform=\"translate(6.640285, 0.000000)\"> <mask id=\"mask-2\" fill=\"white\"> <use xlink:href=\"#path-1\"><\/use> <\/mask> <g id=\"Clip-2\"><\/g> <path d=\"M9.6365839,1.06427739 L9.6365839,1.06407143 C7.63313006,-0.581342526 4.71799441,-0.287025772 3.06469376,1.72767436 L1.68152847,3.42787366 C1.2637913,3.94153775 1.3305731,4.70585509 1.8305341,5.13486964 C2.33069565,5.56409016 3.0749216,5.4955055 3.49265877,4.98184141 L4.8760246,3.28143615 C5.71089731,2.25863908 7.1949372,2.1243532 8.19104884,2.98176443 C8.20769415,2.99597567 8.22413891,3.01059882 8.24038313,3.02522198 C9.18174573,3.92361924 9.26838157,5.42383144 8.43691815,6.43015171 L5.5610895,9.96627791 L5.53461744,9.99634806 C5.38079871,10.1792405 5.20090901,10.3370058 5.00076417,10.4640831 C4.04676718,11.0718709 2.80719278,10.901748 2.04211006,10.0579301 C1.59709864,9.56877523 0.850065046,9.54303024 0.374169553,10.0002613 C-0.100522665,10.4562566 -0.127195273,11.2205739 0.315008503,11.7099348 C1.3991598,12.9045024 2.99670869,13.4575049 4.56377459,13.1800768 C4.80503134,13.1364133 5.04287882,13.0742134 5.27470991,12.9934771 C6.09434113,12.7094584 6.82152068,12.1980598 7.37542854,11.5155086 L10.2440375,7.98947441 C11.0680808,6.96832503 11.4617524,5.65182909 11.3372134,4.33183184 C11.2235039,3.05137889 10.6100339,1.87267016 9.6365839,1.06427739\" id=\"Fill-1\" fill=\"#000000\" mask=\"url(#mask-2)\"><\/path> <\/g> <g id=\"Group-6\" transform=\"translate(0.000000, 5.762765)\"> <mask id=\"mask-4\" fill=\"white\"> <use xlink:href=\"#path-3\"><\/use> <\/mask> <g id=\"Clip-5\"><\/g> <path d=\"M7.78481199,8.39527139 L6.54864687,9.91484383 C5.73222439,10.9339336 4.27946967,11.1129128 3.25127068,10.3214088 C2.2300908,9.49612727 2.05361038,7.97696676 2.85719793,6.92821874 C2.87083505,6.91050619 2.88447217,6.89299959 2.89851039,6.87569896 L5.82387388,3.27984437 L5.84553284,3.25492322 C5.99915102,3.07203079 6.17924127,2.91447144 6.37938611,2.78739415 C7.23972815,2.23645131 8.34754387,2.31595185 9.12506044,2.98449782 C9.2157072,3.06235067 9.30073868,3.14700021 9.37915214,3.23782854 C9.60657122,3.50207514 9.93486491,3.6513961 10.2784001,3.64665902 C10.6175233,3.64171598 10.9377951,3.48498047 11.155588,3.21764447 L11.1696262,3.20034383 C11.5426416,2.74620216 11.5342187,2.07930388 11.1497722,1.63546021 C9.42768425,-0.367088286 6.45118155,-0.55698335 4.50107292,1.21159465 C4.32298813,1.37306725 4.15713665,1.54813319 4.00472174,1.73555674 L1.08738009,5.32173121 C-0.548874157,7.35084854 -0.312430505,10.3492133 1.62043117,12.0813364 C2.56821124,12.921447 3.80678291,13.3317192 5.05377751,13.2188532 C5.20097822,13.2064956 5.34697566,13.1875473 5.49176982,13.1613904 C6.61362375,12.9593437 7.63039162,12.3585585 8.36398864,11.4636626 L9.59594229,9.94923914 C10.0136795,9.43578101 9.94709821,8.67146367 9.44693666,8.24224316 C8.94677511,7.81302264 8.20254916,7.8816073 7.78481199,8.39527139\" id=\"Fill-4\" fill=\"#000000\" mask=\"url(#mask-4)\"><\/path> <\/g> <\/g> <\/g> <\/g> <\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n            <span class=\"eh-social-sharing-button__copied_text\">\n            URL copied for sharing!        <\/span>\n    <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title-mobile has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><h2 class=\"blog-template-title wp-block-post-title\">Workforce planning guide and template<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-sm-font-size\">Published<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date has-sm-font-size\"><time datetime=\"2023-06-01T23:38:58+00:00\">1 Jun 2023<\/time><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns content-flex is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:55%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sticky-downloadable-title has-light-violet-50-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-11 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--24)\"><h1 class=\"blog-template-title wp-block-post-title\">Workforce planning guide and template<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-10 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-custom-post-date has-sm-font-size\">\n    <span>Last Updated<\/span>&nbsp;<time datetime=\"2026-01-26T06:48:14+00:00\">Jan 26, 2026<\/time>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"content-wrapper\" class=\"wp-block-group content-wrapper has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-12 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">The New Zealand business landscape is shifting faster than ever. Between the rapid evolution of AI and a tightening talent pool, the &#8220;business as usual&#8221; approach to hiring is no longer enough to stay competitive. To thrive tomorrow, you need a strategy that turns today\u2019s disruption into a distinct advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Build a future-ready workforce for your business with our practical guide and template We\u2019ll go through how to analyse your business and choose impactful strategies that will tackle your biggest challenges. Once done, you\u2019ll have a clear roadmap for your team.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\"><strong>Download the guide and template by filling in the form on the right.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is workforce planning?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Workforce planning is the process of analysing your current team and forecasting your future people needs. It ensures you have the right people with the right skills, in the right roles at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Workforce planning involves looking at both immediate and future needs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Short-term planning<\/strong> addresses immediate staffing requirements, like covering seasonal peaks or filling urgent vacancies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term planning<\/strong> focuses on achieving strategic business goals over several years, such as developing future leaders or adapting to new technology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why workforce planning matters for New Zealand businesses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">A solid workforce plan helps you tackle common business challenges in New Zealand. These include skills shortages, loss of talent to businesses overseas, demographic shifts affecting labour supply and the ongoing need to improve productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">The benefits are clear. Workforce planning allows you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">\n<li>Align your workforce directly with your strategic goals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduce staff turnover and the high costs of recruitment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support your diversity and inclusion objectives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meet your compliance and reporting obligations more easily<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workforce planning vs succession planning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">While related, workforce planning and succession planning are not the same. They\u2019re complementary processes that both contribute to a strong people strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Workforce Planning<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Succession Planning<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Focuses on the entire organisation or specific departments.<\/td><td>Focuses on key leadership and critical roles.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Addresses overall talent needs, skills gaps and <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/blog\/headcount-planning\/\">headcount<\/a>.<\/td><td>Identifies and develops high-potential individuals for future roles.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>A broad strategic process to meet long-term business goals.<\/td><td>A targeted process to ensure leadership continuity.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<style>\nth{\ncolor: #fff !important;\n  background: var(--wp--preset--color--violet-500, #6D28D9) !important;\n  background-image: none !important;\n  border: 2px solid #000 !important;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workforce planning framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">A simple framework can guide your efforts, providing structure while allowing flexibility for your business needs. We recommend a five-step approach to keep the process manageable and effective. Each step builds a foundation for the next and together they form a continuous cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Understand your current workforce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Begin by auditing the team you have now. Go beyond counting staff to look at job roles, skill sets, length of service, age profile and any qualifications. For example, you may discover you have a concentration of experience in one department but a lack of digital skills elsewhere. Consider conducting a skills matrix or employee survey to gather this information. The goal is to identify strengths, gaps and areas where employees could develop further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Analyse future needs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Next, forecast the skills and roles your business will require to achieve its objectives. Factor in plans for growth, changes in products or services, shifts in technology and any known projects. For instance, moving into e-commerce could mean needing web developers or digital marketers. Regulatory requirements and industry changes from MBIE or other sector bodies may prompt additional workforce needs. If you expect <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/recruit-the-best-talent-during-peak-seasons\/\">seasonal fluctuations<\/a>, consider how those peaks and troughs will impact your resourcing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Identify the gaps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Once you know where you stand and where you&#8217;re headed, compare your current workforce with the forecast. Do you have a shortage of experienced managers? Are there emerging skills, like data analysis or compliance expertise, that you\u2019ll need but currently lack? This step can highlight both shortages and surpluses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Develop and implement strategies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Create an <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/blog\/workforce-optimisation-strategy\/\">action plan to bridge any gaps<\/a>. This often includes a mix of recruiting for new talent, upskilling or cross-training existing staff and planning for succession in key roles. For example, if you face a shortage of qualified tradespeople, you might launch an apprenticeship programme or partner with training providers. Where you have workforce surpluses, consider retraining or redeployment. Outline responsibilities, set measurable objectives and set timelines for each action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Monitor and adjust<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Regularly review your plan and adapt it as needed. Set up a schedule to monitor your progress, such as quarterly check-ins with your leadership team or HR. <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/hr-metrics-guide\/\">Track key workforce metrics<\/a>, like employee turnover, vacancy rates, training completions or achievement of diversity targets. If a new market opportunity emerges or there\u2019s a change in employment law, update your plan accordingly. This ongoing review process keeps your workforce planning aligned with changing business priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The workforce planning process: step-by-step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Here\u2019s how to put that framework into practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1 \u2013 Assess your current workforce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Gather data on your current team. Look at headcount skills,&nbsp; demographics, turnover rates and other key workforce metrics. This information gives you a clear baseline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2 \u2013 Forecast future needs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Look ahead at your business strategy and growth plans. What changes are on the horizon? Use external data from sources like MBIE, <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/insights\/jobs-report\/\">labour market reports<\/a> and Stats NZ projections to understand wider trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3 \u2013 Identify gaps and risks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Analyse your findings to pinpoint potential issues. You might find a critical skills shortage, a weak leadership pipeline or high turnover risk in a key department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4 \u2013 Develop your workforce plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Create strategies to address the gaps you&#8217;ve identified. Your plan might include targeted recruitment, internal upskilling programs, adopting automation or using contingent workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5 \u2013 Implement and monitor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Put your plan into action. Assign responsibilities, set timelines and define key metrics to track progress. Regular reviews will keep your plan on track and relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workforce planning examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Here are a few scenarios showing workforce planning in action in New Zealand industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">\n<li>A healthcare provider anticipates growing demand from an ageing population. Its workforce plan focuses on recruiting and training more aged-care nurses and allied health professionals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A tech company facing a shortage of specialised developers creates an internal training academy to upskill junior staff, addressing its skills gap from within.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A retail business uses workforce planning to scale its team effectively for the busy Christmas season, ensuring stores are well-staffed without over-hiring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common workforce planning challenges (and how to overcome them)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Even the best plans can face hurdles. Here are some common challenges and how to solve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> The plan isn\u2019t aligned with business strategy.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Integrate your workforce planning cycle with your overall business planning and budgeting cycles from the start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> You lack good data and visibility over your workforce.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Use a <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/products\/hr-software\/\">Human Resource Information System (HRIS)<\/a> to centralise your people data and generate insightful reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> You don&#8217;t have buy-in from senior leadership.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Link your workforce plan directly to business outcomes like revenue growth, cost savings and productivity gains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> The plan is too rigid for a dynamic market.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Build flexibility into your plan. Use scenario planning to prepare for different outcomes and review the plan regularly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How often should you review your workforce plan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Workforce planning is a continuous process, not a one-off task. We recommend reviewing your plan quarterly or at least annually. It\u2019s also wise to revisit it whenever a major trigger event occurs, such as a merger, an acquisition or a significant shift in your market. Tying these reviews to your regular business planning or budgeting cycles can help make it a consistent habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Download our workforce planning template<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-paragraph-2-m-font-size\">Ready to start planning? Download our free template to guide you. It includes practical worksheets and tables to help you structure your analysis and build your action plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-neutral-500-color has-text-color has-link-color has-xs-font-size wp-elements-1f8300dea9808f09055eb6e4f3cee0d4\"><em>The information in this article is current as at 30 December 2025, and has been prepared by 91±¬ΑΟ Pty Ltd (ABN 11 160 047 709) and its related bodies corporate (91±¬ΑΟ). The views expressed in this article are general information only, are provided in good faith to assist employers and their employees, and should not be relied on as professional advice. Some information is based on data supplied by third parties. While such data is believed to be accurate, it has not been independently verified and no warranties are given that it is complete, accurate, up to date or fit for the purpose for which it is required. 91±¬ΑΟ does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy in such data and is not liable for any loss or damages arising directly or indirectly as a result of reliance on, use of or inability to use any information provided in this article. You should undertake your own research and seek professional advice before making any decisions or relying on the information in this article.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column form-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div id=\"form\" class=\"wp-block-group form-v2-violet-box-shadow-pattern is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-employmentherocom2025-marketo-form-v2 is-layout-flow wp-block-marketo-form-v2-is-layout-flow\">\n                                                            <section class=\"eh_marketo_form-title-section eh_marketo_form-title-section--small\" aria-labelledby=\"marketo-form-title\">\n        <div class=\"eh_marketo_form-title-container\">\n                                        <h2 id=\"marketo-form-title\" class=\"eh_marketo_form-title\">Register for the guide<\/h2>\n                    <\/div>\n            <\/section>\n                            <div class=\"eh_marketo_form-container_v2\" data-marketo-form=\"{&quot;is_multi_steps&quot;:false,&quot;form_data&quot;:[{&quot;base_url&quot;:&quot;\/\/hr.employmenthero.io&quot;,&quot;munchkin_id&quot;:&quot;387-SZZ-170&quot;,&quot;form_id&quot;:&quot;1737&quot;,&quot;css_classes&quot;:&quot;&quot;}],&quot;submit_text&quot;:&quot;Download now&quot;,&quot;success_handling_method&quot;:&quot;thank_you_page&quot;,&quot;redirect_url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;thank_you_message&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;add_lead_linking_id&quot;:false,&quot;add_drift_campaign_id&quot;:false,&quot;drift_campaign_id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;thank_you_page_id&quot;:&quot;41811&quot;,&quot;thank_you_page_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/thank-you\/downloadable\/resources\/?origin=guide-to-workforce-planning&amp;origin_id=lrskC0RXhf20xOFwB8N%2BXEkbgICDCY8zi73qwoVp2sNTB6dFdcquCb2uWDrjb7wwA7WliW19%2FcjOhxQwa8zICA%3D%3D&quot;,&quot;progress_indicator_type&quot;:&quot;progress-bar&quot;,&quot;enable_revenue_hero&quot;:false,&quot;revenue_hero_router_id&quot;:&quot;4668&quot;,&quot;revenue_hero_thank_you_message&quot;:&quot;Thank you for booking!&quot;}\"><\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-14 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"facebook\" data-social-type=\"facebook\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24px\" height=\"24px\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"> <title>Group<\/title> <path d=\"M14.4446 6.47609H11.4173V4.40033C11.4173 3.62078 11.9115 3.43904 12.2596 3.43904C12.6068 3.43904 14.3958 3.43904 14.3958 3.43904V0.0120058L11.4537 0C8.18772 0 7.44447 2.55599 7.44447 4.19168V6.47609H5.55566V10.0075H7.44447C7.44447 14.5394 7.44447 20 7.44447 20H11.4173C11.4173 20 11.4173 14.4856 11.4173 10.0075H14.0981L14.4446 6.47609Z\"><\/path><\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"twitter\" data-social-type=\"twitter\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"> <g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_2187_1527)\"> <path d=\"M6.88269 10.3821L0.554058 18H2.05374L7.54889 11.3855L11.9379 18H17L10.363 7.99774L17 0.00924304H15.5002L9.69721 6.99436L5.06215 0.00924304H-5.51343e-07L6.88306 10.3821H6.88269ZM8.93683 7.90961L9.60929 8.90561L14.9598 16.8309H12.6563L8.33833 10.4349L7.66587 9.43894L2.05303 1.12518H4.35659L8.93683 7.90923V7.90961Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path> <\/g> <defs> <clipPath id=\"clip0_2187_1527\"> <rect width=\"17\" height=\"18\" fill=\"white\" transform=\"matrix(-1 0 0 -1 17 18)\"><\/rect> <\/clipPath> <\/defs> <\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"linkedin\" data-social-type=\"linkedin\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"17px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"> <title>Shape<\/title> <g id=\"Symbols\" stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"> <g id=\"Icons\/Social\" transform=\"translate(-74.000000, -2.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\" fill-rule=\"nonzero\"> <path d=\"M74.2155762,7.20409322 L77.8588786,7.20409322 L77.8588786,18 L74.2155762,18 L74.2155762,7.20409322 Z M76.0616143,2 C74.8146643,2 74,2.80609002 74,3.86411056 C74,4.90036967 74.7908238,5.72989508 76.0139333,5.72989508 L76.0371667,5.72989508 C77.3079571,5.72989508 78.0993476,4.90032981 78.0993476,3.86411056 C78.0755071,2.80609002 77.3079976,2 76.0616143,2 Z M86.8041976,6.95048874 C84.8702857,6.95048874 84.0038929,7.99790755 83.5205667,8.73245583 L83.5205667,7.20409322 L79.8761714,7.20409322 C79.924419,8.21687707 79.8761714,18 79.8761714,18 L83.5205667,18 L83.5205667,11.9708054 C83.5205667,11.6478911 83.5444071,11.3261725 83.6402952,11.0948476 C83.9041595,10.4502147 84.5037738,9.78266458 85.5095667,9.78266458 C86.8291714,9.78266458 87.3561714,10.773129 87.3561714,12.2237722 L87.3561714,18 L91,18 L91,11.8093881 C91,8.49339883 89.2027762,6.95048874 86.8041976,6.95048874 Z\" id=\"Shape\"><\/path> <\/g> <\/g> <\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div \n    class=\"eh-social-sharing-button wp-block-employmentherocom2025-eh-social-sharing-button\" data-icon=\"link\" data-social-type=\"copy\">\n    <span style=\"display: flex;\">\n        <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"18px\" height=\"19px\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 19\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"> <title>Group 7<\/title> <defs> <polygon id=\"path-1\" points=\"0 0 11.3597146 0 11.3597146 13.250495 0 13.250495\"><\/polygon> <polygon id=\"path-3\" points=\"0 0 11.4438464 0 11.4438464 13.237235 0 13.237235\"><\/polygon> <\/defs> <g id=\"Symbols\" stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"> <g id=\"Icons\/Social\" transform=\"translate(-115.000000, 0.000000)\"> <g id=\"Group-7\" transform=\"translate(115.000000, 0.000000)\"> <g id=\"Group-3\" transform=\"translate(6.640285, 0.000000)\"> <mask id=\"mask-2\" fill=\"white\"> <use xlink:href=\"#path-1\"><\/use> <\/mask> <g id=\"Clip-2\"><\/g> <path d=\"M9.6365839,1.06427739 L9.6365839,1.06407143 C7.63313006,-0.581342526 4.71799441,-0.287025772 3.06469376,1.72767436 L1.68152847,3.42787366 C1.2637913,3.94153775 1.3305731,4.70585509 1.8305341,5.13486964 C2.33069565,5.56409016 3.0749216,5.4955055 3.49265877,4.98184141 L4.8760246,3.28143615 C5.71089731,2.25863908 7.1949372,2.1243532 8.19104884,2.98176443 C8.20769415,2.99597567 8.22413891,3.01059882 8.24038313,3.02522198 C9.18174573,3.92361924 9.26838157,5.42383144 8.43691815,6.43015171 L5.5610895,9.96627791 L5.53461744,9.99634806 C5.38079871,10.1792405 5.20090901,10.3370058 5.00076417,10.4640831 C4.04676718,11.0718709 2.80719278,10.901748 2.04211006,10.0579301 C1.59709864,9.56877523 0.850065046,9.54303024 0.374169553,10.0002613 C-0.100522665,10.4562566 -0.127195273,11.2205739 0.315008503,11.7099348 C1.3991598,12.9045024 2.99670869,13.4575049 4.56377459,13.1800768 C4.80503134,13.1364133 5.04287882,13.0742134 5.27470991,12.9934771 C6.09434113,12.7094584 6.82152068,12.1980598 7.37542854,11.5155086 L10.2440375,7.98947441 C11.0680808,6.96832503 11.4617524,5.65182909 11.3372134,4.33183184 C11.2235039,3.05137889 10.6100339,1.87267016 9.6365839,1.06427739\" id=\"Fill-1\" fill=\"#000000\" mask=\"url(#mask-2)\"><\/path> <\/g> <g id=\"Group-6\" transform=\"translate(0.000000, 5.762765)\"> <mask id=\"mask-4\" fill=\"white\"> <use xlink:href=\"#path-3\"><\/use> <\/mask> <g id=\"Clip-5\"><\/g> <path d=\"M7.78481199,8.39527139 L6.54864687,9.91484383 C5.73222439,10.9339336 4.27946967,11.1129128 3.25127068,10.3214088 C2.2300908,9.49612727 2.05361038,7.97696676 2.85719793,6.92821874 C2.87083505,6.91050619 2.88447217,6.89299959 2.89851039,6.87569896 L5.82387388,3.27984437 L5.84553284,3.25492322 C5.99915102,3.07203079 6.17924127,2.91447144 6.37938611,2.78739415 C7.23972815,2.23645131 8.34754387,2.31595185 9.12506044,2.98449782 C9.2157072,3.06235067 9.30073868,3.14700021 9.37915214,3.23782854 C9.60657122,3.50207514 9.93486491,3.6513961 10.2784001,3.64665902 C10.6175233,3.64171598 10.9377951,3.48498047 11.155588,3.21764447 L11.1696262,3.20034383 C11.5426416,2.74620216 11.5342187,2.07930388 11.1497722,1.63546021 C9.42768425,-0.367088286 6.45118155,-0.55698335 4.50107292,1.21159465 C4.32298813,1.37306725 4.15713665,1.54813319 4.00472174,1.73555674 L1.08738009,5.32173121 C-0.548874157,7.35084854 -0.312430505,10.3492133 1.62043117,12.0813364 C2.56821124,12.921447 3.80678291,13.3317192 5.05377751,13.2188532 C5.20097822,13.2064956 5.34697566,13.1875473 5.49176982,13.1613904 C6.61362375,12.9593437 7.63039162,12.3585585 8.36398864,11.4636626 L9.59594229,9.94923914 C10.0136795,9.43578101 9.94709821,8.67146367 9.44693666,8.24224316 C8.94677511,7.81302264 8.20254916,7.8816073 7.78481199,8.39527139\" id=\"Fill-4\" fill=\"#000000\" mask=\"url(#mask-4)\"><\/path> <\/g> <\/g> <\/g> <\/g> <\/svg> \n    <\/span>\n            <span class=\"eh-social-sharing-button__copied_text\">\n            URL copied for sharing!        <\/span>\n    <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull eh-single-resource-whitepapers-layout has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-light-violet-50-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div id=\"stop-el\" class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-16 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-link-arrow is-style-link-arrow--2\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-btn-brand-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"\/resources\/\">View all<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-query blog-3-col-query-loop is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"columns-3 alignfull wp-block-post-template is-layout-grid wp-container-core-post-template-is-layout-1 wp-block-post-template-is-layout-grid\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-57097 resources type-resources status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry resource-type-guides-and-playbooks\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-neutral-100-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-19 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:1px;min-height:100%\"><figure style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;width:100%;height:100%; padding-bottom:0;padding-top:0;margin-bottom:0;\" class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/executive-faq-new-technology-leadership-questions\/\" target=\"_self\"  style=\"height:100%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/exec-faqs-thumbnail-NZ.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"How to secure executive sign-off on new people technology\" style=\"width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/exec-faqs-thumbnail-NZ.webp 1600w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/exec-faqs-thumbnail-NZ-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/exec-faqs-thumbnail-NZ-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/exec-faqs-thumbnail-NZ-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/exec-faqs-thumbnail-NZ-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/exec-faqs-thumbnail-NZ-440x248.webp 440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-3-col-details wp-container-content-3 is-vertical is-content-justification-left is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-18 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-17 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" class=\"taxonomy-resource-type eh-resource-type wp-block-post-terms\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-post-terms-icon\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"icon-blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/Blog.png\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/guides-and-playbooks\/\" rel=\"tag\">Guides and Playbooks<\/a><\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/executive-faq-new-technology-leadership-questions\/\" target=\"_self\" >How to secure executive sign-off on new people technology<\/a><\/h3>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt has-text-color has-contrast-2-color has-small-font-size wp-container-content-2\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Get clear, confident answers to leadership\u2019s toughest questions about bringing in new technology. Address risk, strategy, cost, and workforce decisions. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<a style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600;\" class=\"wp-elements-9dfcbcb7662772ecb2d671e8976a6c51 wp-block-read-more has-text-color has-violet-500-color\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/executive-faq-new-technology-leadership-questions\/\" target=\"_self\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">: How to secure executive sign-off on new people technology<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/executive-faq-new-technology-leadership-questions\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"group-block-link\"><\/a>\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-57080 resources type-resources status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry resource-type-templates\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-neutral-100-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-22 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:1px;min-height:100%\"><figure style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;width:100%;height:100%; padding-bottom:0;padding-top:0;margin-bottom:0;\" class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-template\/\" target=\"_self\"  style=\"height:100%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/ai-policy-thumbnail.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"AI policy template and guide\" style=\"width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/ai-policy-thumbnail.webp 1600w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/ai-policy-thumbnail-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/ai-policy-thumbnail-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/ai-policy-thumbnail-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/ai-policy-thumbnail-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/ai-policy-thumbnail-440x248.webp 440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-3-col-details wp-container-content-6 is-vertical is-content-justification-left is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-21 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-20 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" class=\"taxonomy-resource-type eh-resource-type wp-block-post-terms\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-post-terms-icon\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"icon-blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/Blog.png\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/templates\/\" rel=\"tag\">Templates<\/a><\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-template\/\" target=\"_self\" >AI policy template and guide<\/a><\/h3>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt has-text-color has-contrast-2-color has-small-font-size wp-container-content-5\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Discover the essential components of an AI policy template to ensure effective governance. Download the template. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<a style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600;\" class=\"wp-elements-9dfcbcb7662772ecb2d671e8976a6c51 wp-block-read-more has-text-color has-violet-500-color\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-template\/\" target=\"_self\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">: AI policy template and guide<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-template\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"group-block-link\"><\/a>\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-57047 resources type-resources status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry resource-type-guides-and-playbooks\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-neutral-100-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-25 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:1px;min-height:100%\"><figure style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;width:100%;height:100%; padding-bottom:0;padding-top:0;margin-bottom:0;\" class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-guide\/\" target=\"_self\"  style=\"height:100%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/NZ-thumbnail-ai-policy.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Building a corporate AI policy that actually works\" style=\"width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/NZ-thumbnail-ai-policy.webp 1600w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/NZ-thumbnail-ai-policy-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/NZ-thumbnail-ai-policy-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/NZ-thumbnail-ai-policy-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/NZ-thumbnail-ai-policy-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/05\/NZ-thumbnail-ai-policy-440x248.webp 440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-3-col-details wp-container-content-9 is-vertical is-content-justification-left is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-24 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-23 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" class=\"taxonomy-resource-type eh-resource-type wp-block-post-terms\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-post-terms-icon\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"icon-blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/Blog.png\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/guides-and-playbooks\/\" rel=\"tag\">Guides and Playbooks<\/a><\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-guide\/\" target=\"_self\" >Building a corporate AI policy that actually works<\/a><\/h3>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt has-text-color has-contrast-2-color has-small-font-size wp-container-content-8\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Most corporate AI policies fail in practice. Learn what actually makes an AI policy work in real organisations, and how&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<a style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600;\" class=\"wp-elements-9dfcbcb7662772ecb2d671e8976a6c51 wp-block-read-more has-text-color has-violet-500-color\" href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-guide\/\" target=\"_self\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">: Building a corporate AI policy that actually works<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/resources\/ai-policy-guide\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"group-block-link\"><\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get ahead with strategic workforce planning. Align talent, goals, and growth for success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":29588,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_lite_auth_enabled":false,"_lite_auth_trigger_method":"scroll","_lite_auth_scroll_percent":25,"_lite_auth_click_element_query":"","exclude_from_algolia":false,"reading_time":"6 min read","display_reading_time":false,"registration_open_datetime":"","registration_close_datetime":"","event_start_datetime":"","event_end_datetime":"","time_zone":"","location":"","link_video":"","video_type":"","file_video":"","download_content_type":"file","download_file":"54440","download_url":"","download_cta_label":"","footnotes":""},"resource-type":[161],"topic":[88],"industry":[61,38,54,57,53,28,50,39,66,40,41,62,44,43,42,64,56,45,46,51,63,47,48,52,49,70,73,58,65,69,68,75,67,74,55],"search-tags":[],"audience":[],"business-size":[],"product-tag":[],"funnel-stage":[],"region":[],"pain-point":[],"persona":[],"post_features":[],"class_list":["post-29586","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource-type-guides-and-playbooks","topic-hiring-onboarding","industry-agriculture","industry-automotive","industry-business-consulting","industry-childcare","industry-colleges-and-sporting-clubs","industry-construction","industry-consumer-services","industry-customer-service","industry-early-education","industry-ecommerce","industry-education","industry-entertainment","industry-finance","industry-financial-services","industry-franchises","industry-health-and-fitness","industry-health-services","industry-healthcare","industry-hospitality","industry-it-and-technology","industry-legal","industry-logistics-manufacturing","industry-media-communications","industry-not-for-profit","industry-professional-services","industry-public-relations","industry-real-estate","industry-real-estate-and-strata-management","industry-recruitment","industry-retail","industry-stem","industry-technology","industry-utilities-public-services","industry-veterinary-services","industry-youth-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/29586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resources"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/29586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54514,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/29586\/revisions\/54514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"search-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/search-tags?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"business-size","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/business-size?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"product-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-tag?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"funnel-stage","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/funnel-stage?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"pain-point","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pain-point?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=29586"},{"taxonomy":"post_features","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_features?post=29586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}