Five common challenges HR and finance face in practicing workforce planning

The pace and granularity of workforce planning today looks nothing like it did just a few years ago. Rapid market shifts, hybrid work, and rising costs have changed the rules, expectations, and have redefined what you need to get out of your planning processes. Yet many HR and finance teams still rely on outdated tools and fragmented systems.

Without a real-time, unified view of your workforce, it’s very difficult to keep pace with change or plan confidently. To stay ahead, you need a strategy built on transparency, cross-functional collaboration, connected data, and the flexibility to adapt quickly.

Here are five common challenges that could be holding your workforce planning — and your business — back, and how to solve them.

1. Disconnected data and disparate systems

If your HR, finance, and business teams work in separate tools and spreadsheets based on point-in-time data extracts, you're missing the big and most current picture. Without a single version of the truth, data gets stale, duplicated, or misaligned and requires ongoing reconciliation, all of which delays decisions and erodes trust across functions and data.

2. Inflexible tools that can’t keep up

Rigid systems and spreadsheet-based processes often lack the ability to scale or adjust quickly. You need tools that can model different scenarios based on evolving headcount needs, hiring delays, or shifting business demands without requiring a complete overhaul.

3. Limited visibility into workforce costs and drivers

When HR tracks workforce dynamics including internal and external movements, hiring and turnover against the supervisory hierarchy/management organization, while finance tracks headcount and budget according to the cost center hierarchy and it’s difficult or impossible to reconcile between the two functions, no one sees the complete picture. Without visibility into total workforce mobility and costs, productivity drivers, or ROI, you're left guessing whether your talent investments are delivering results.

4. Misalignment between strategic goals and workforce plans

Even well-designed workforce plans can fall short when disconnected from business strategy. If your people plans aren’t synced with operational priorities, business strategies and initiatives, you risk investing in roles, jobs, and skills that don’t move the business forward.

5. Lack of agility during change or disruption

Reorgs, hiring freezes and reduction in force, and shifting business needs are inevitable. But if you're relying on rigid and annual planning cycles or manual updates, you are responding too slowly and not keeping up with the pace of your business — and missing important opportunities.

How Anaplan helps you tackle common workforce planning challenges

The Anaplan Operational Workforce Planning application brings HR, finance, and business data together in one flexible, AI-infused planning platform. It gives you the insights and agility to stay ahead of evolving workforce demands and supply. Here’s how:

Disconnected systems 
Unify workforce, finance, and operations data through streamlined integrations with your HCM, ATS, ERP, and other systems. With real-time visibility into jobs, positions, requisitions, and costs, you can eliminate manual reconciliation and foster alignment across teams.

Inflexible tools 
Swap outdated spreadsheets and disparate, custom-built systems for a dynamic, purpose-built workforce planning solution that supports continuous position-level planning. Automated workflows simplify approvals and keep your “plan to hire” process on track, even as business priorities evolve.

Lack of visibility 
Get a clear view of your workforce: current roles, filled, open, and planned positions, hiring and turnover trends, and internal mobility. Drill into costs by cost center or management/supervisory org to uncover issues early and improve forecast accuracy.

Strategic misalignment 
Align business goals with position and hiring plans by using shared assumptions across HR, finance, and recruiting. This keeps your workforce strategy rooted in operational reality and financial discipline.

Limited agility 
Anaplan makes it easy to run dynamic “what-if” scenarios. Test the impact of a hiring surge, market expansion, or budget cut, and see how it affects your headcount, costs, and business impact.

Eliminate roadblocks, get results

Modern workforce planning is all about transparency into real-time numbers. It’s also about helping your organization collaborate, make smarter, faster talent and business decisions. When your systems are connected and your plans are adaptable, HR and finance can both ensure that workforce planning becomes a strategic advantage.

Anaplan helps you remove the roadblocks of disconnected tools and rigid processes so you can move forward with confidence. Explore how our Operational Workforce Planning application helps you plan with precision and connect strategy to execution.