7 Best Workforce Planning Software in 2024 (Free vs Paid)
Are you trying to manage your team more efficiently?
Workforce planning software is now a must for businesses looking to remain flexible and in line in the fast-paced business world.
These strategic workforce planning tools go beyond basic HR tasks, offering insights that help predict future staffing needs and align talent with strategic goals.
Workforce planning technology gives HR teams and leaders the ability to make informed decisions that increase productivity and efficiency by utilizing advanced workforce planning analytics and user-friendly interfaces.
Choosing the right workforce planning solution isn’t just about improving HR operations—it’s about transforming how your entire organization approaches workforce management.
In this article, I shared the 7 best Workforce Planning software, from their best features, ease of use, benefits, pricing, and other every aspect to help you choose the best.
What is The Best Workforce Planning Software?
Here is the list of my top 7 Workforce planning software tools…
- Workday- Best for Enterprises
- Hibob HRIS- Best for small to mid-sized businesses
- Aanplan- Best for Large scale cross-functional workforce planning
- Planful- Best for mid-sized finance focused Workforce planning
- Planday- Best for employee scheduling and Shift management businesses
- Board- Best for strategic planning and performance management.
- Activtrak- Best for businesses looking to enhance productivity
1. Workday- Best for Enterprises
Workday Adaptive Planning software is a strategic workforce planning tool that helps organizations manage their workforce effectively.
It’s not just another software; it’s a game-changer for HR professionals and managers alike.
Workday combines robust workforce planning analytics with user-friendly interfaces to help you forecast, plan, and execute your workforce strategies seamlessly.
Imagine having a workforce planning platform that not only simplifies complex data but also provides real-time insights to make informed decisions on the fly.
Top Features
- Advanced Analytics: Utilizes robust analytics to provide insights into workforce trends, performance metrics, and future workforce needs.
- Headcount Planning: Helps plan and manage staff headcount in accordance with organizational goals and projections, making it an effective headcount planning tool.
- Skills Gap Analysis: Helps identify gaps in skills within the workforce and provides recommendations for training and development programs.
- Strategic workforce planning: Using integrated workforce planning, you may align your future staff composition with your business ambitions and strategic goals.
- Workforce capacity planning: By assigning the right people to projects and operating units at the right moments, you may maximize your human resources to fulfill the demands of your organization.
Pros and Cons of Workday Workforce Planning Software
Pros
- Total scalability
- Flexibility to pivot
- Unmatched ease of use
Cons
- Pricing may not be suitable for small businesses.
- Complex Implementation
Workday Pricing
It has custom pricing, needed to contact for the pricing.
Workday User Rating and Reviews
G2- 4.5/5, 1527+ reviews
Capterra- 4.4/5 /5, 1378+ reviews
Get Started with Workday Workforce Planning Software
2 . Hibob HRIS- Best for small to mid-sized businesses
Hibob HRIS (Human Resources Information System) is another flexible workforce planning system that helps businesses manage their workforce more effectively by streamlining HR procedures.
It creates a single workforce planning platform that integrates key HR operations including payroll, benefits administration, employee data management, and performance tracking.
Specifically, it helps HR teams forecast future staffing requirements, analyze current workforce dynamics, and strategize for optimal employee deployment and productivity.
Top Features
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Enables HR teams to forecast and plan for future workforce needs based on company goals and market trends.
- Scenario Modeling: Allows HR to create and compare different staffing scenarios to anticipate and plan for various business conditions.
- Talent Acquisition Integration: Streamlines recruitment processes by aligning hiring plans with workforce needs and business objectives.
- Collaboration Tools: Facilitates collaboration between HR, finance, and business leaders to align workforce planning with overall business strategy.
Pros and Cons Of Hibob HRIS Workforce Planning Software
Pros
- User-Friendly Interface
- Position Management
- Comprehensive People Analytics
Cons
- Complex Setup
- Learning Curve
Hibob HRIS Pricing
Hibob HRIS has custom Pricing, you need to contact for the pricing.
User Rating And Reviews
G2- 4.5/5, 1000+ reviews
Capterra- 4.6/5, 146+reviews
Get Started with Hibob HRIS Workforce Planning Software
3 . Aanplan- Best for Large scale cross-functional workforce planning
When it comes to workforce planning, Anaplan is a game-changer.
This intuitive workforce planning platform seamlessly connects your people strategy with your overall business strategy, giving you a comprehensive view of workforce needs, skills gaps, and future demands.
Imagine having a clear view of your workforce needs, skills gaps, and future demands, all in one place.
With Anaplan, you can plan for the unexpected and ensure you have the right people in the right roles at the right time.
This workforce planning software is ideal for businesses that want to remain adaptable and proactive in their workforce planning, making it an excellent solution for those serious about optimizing their human resources.
Top Features
- Integrated Planning: You can connect workforce plans with financial and operational plans for a unified strategy.
- Talent Management: Easily align workforce capabilities with business needs and identify skill gaps.
- Advanced Analytics: Utilize real-time data and predictive analytics to make informed workforce decisions.
- Forecast workforce need: To precisely determine the demand for your labor, model various scenarios, and take into account multiple drivers. Add labor data from other sources to your models.
Pros and Cons of Anaplan Workforce Planning Software
Pros
- Collaborative Platform
- Enables Workforce Planning Flexibility
- Provides Complete Transparency into Headcount
Cons
- Pricing can be expensive for small businesses
- Can require significant time and resources to implement.
Anaplan Pricing
Anaplan has custom pricing, you need to contact to get a custom quote.
Users Rating And Reviews Of Anaplan
G2- 4.6/5, 345+ reviews
Capterra- 4.5 /5, 26+ reviews
Get Started with the Anaplan Workforce Planning Software
4. Planful- Best for mid-sized finance focused Workforce planning
Planful simplifies workforce planning with its user-friendly, cloud-based workforce planning platform that integrates real-time data for better budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
It’s ideal for businesses aiming to streamline operations and make informed decisions, regardless of size or complexity.
Whether managing a small team or a large organization, Planful’s automation and collaboration tools for workforce planning ensure efficient workforce management.
Top Features
- You can shift business conditions with accurate workforce forecasting and real-time comparisons of plans versus actuals.
- Go deeper to track and evaluate expenses, inform choices, and further your productivity and productivity goals.
- To plan for an uncertain future and consider possible courses of action, it is simple to construct and modify various what-if scenarios.
- Align the business, finance, and HR departments with a strategic workforce planning tool by utilizing the combined insights from the budget and people.
Planful Pricing
Request plan quote for pricing to get started.
User Rating And Reviews of Planful
G2- 4.3/5, 420+ reviews
Capterra- 4.6 /5, 45+ reviews
Get Started with the Planful Workforce Planning tool
5. Planday- Best for employee scheduling and Shift management businesses
Planday is a workforce planning software designed to streamline employee scheduling, communication, and payroll processes for businesses in various industries.
It’s workforce planning & scheduling software gives you greater flexibility and efficiency for better workforce management within your business.
It is designed to help businesses efficiently handle shifts, track work hours, and ensure compliance with labor regulations.
Top Features
- Time tracking and scheduling: Planday provides managers with powerful scheduling tools that make it simple to build and modify work schedules. It has timekeeping tools built in for precise payroll processing.
- Communication Tools: It comes with communication tools that make it easier for teams to work together and make sure employees are informed of any changes to the schedule or other relevant information.
- Performance Monitoring: It has tools for tracking attendance, keeping tabs on worker performance, and examining patterns in productivity.
Planday Pricing
Planday offers a 30-day Free trial for Free.
However, it has three different pricing plans…
- Starter Plan: costs $2.99/user per month
- Plus Plan: costs $4.99/user per month
- Pro Plan: custom pricing, need to contact.
User Rating and Reviews Of Planday
G2- 4.5/5, 85+ reviews
Capterra- 4.3/5, 55+ reviews
Get Started with the Planday workforce planning software tool
6. Board- Best for strategic planning and performance management.
The board’s intelligent planning platform facilitates the workforce planning process from start to finish by combining employee data from all business divisions.
This allows you to make better decisions and plan more intelligently so that you can fully manage your performance.
The Board enables leading businesses to gain critical insights that drive business choices and unify strategy, finance, and operations to achieve complete performance control.
Top Features
- Align strategic planning with business goals
- Support operational workforce planning, budgeting, and forecasting
- Monitor and control your entire workforce plan
- Enhance labor planning practice
Board Pricing
Custom Pricing, request for demo and pricing.
User Rating And Reviews of Board
G2- 4.4/5 , 290+ reviews
Capterra– 4.5/5, 135+ reviews
Get Started with the Board Workforce Planning Software
7. Activtrak- Best for businesses looking to enhance productivity
ActivTrak distinguishes itself in workforce planning by providing extensive visibility into employee productivity and behavior via detailed monitoring of device and application usage.
It offers practical insights that help businesses find inefficiencies, streamline processes, and boost output all around.
ActivTrak’s user-friendly interface and robust workforce planning analytics empower businesses to make informed decisions, fostering a more efficient and engaged workforce.
Top Features
- You can Monitor license consumption trends to forecast future demands and appropriately distribute resources based on team roles and responsibilities.
- In order to improve employee performance, generate comprehensive reports on productivity measures.
- To evaluate the balance of work and pinpoint the best practices of high achievers, consider the productivity and availability of the team.
Activtrak Pricing
Activtrak offers a Free trial for 14-Day.
However, it has three different premium pricing plans…
- Essential Plan: costs $10/per user/ per month
- Professional Plan: costs $19/per user/ per month
- Enterprise Plan: custom pricing plan
User Rating and Reviews Of Activtrak
G2- 4.4/5 , 240+reviews
Capterra- 4.6/5 , 540+ reviews
Get Started with Activtrak Workforce Planning Software
What is Workforce Planning Software?
Workforce planning software helps businesses manage their employees better.
It lets companies predict how many staff they’ll need, schedule work shifts, and plan for future hiring. This workforce planning technology uses data to analyze current workforce skills and predict future needs. It also helps create strategies to fill any gaps in staffing.
With features like real-time data, reporting, and scenario planning, workforce planning tools ensure businesses have the right people in the right roles at the right time.
How Does Workforce Planning Software?
Workforce planning software works by helping businesses manage their employees effectively through the collection and analysis of data.
It gathers information from various sources, such as HR systems, payroll, and performance records.
By analyzing this data, the software understands current workforce capabilities, identifies gaps, and predicts future needs. It can forecast workforce requirements based on business goals, market trends, and historical data.
The software also allows businesses to create different scenarios to see the impact of changes, like new projects or market conditions.
Additionally, it helps create efficient schedules, ensuring the right number of employees with the right skills are available when needed.
By using workforce planning tools, businesses can optimize staffing levels, reduce costs, and improve overall productivity.
What are the benefits of using Workforce Planning Software?
Workforce planning software offers a bunch of benefits that can really make managing your team’s needs a lot easier. Here’s what it can do
- Right Staffing Levels: It Ensures you have the perfect number of employees to meet your business needs, avoiding both overstaffing and understaffing.
- Cost Savings: It helps find ways to save money by optimizing how you use your workforce and cutting down on unnecessary overtime.
- Increased Productivity: Ensures that everyone is working efficiently to reach your objectives by aligning employee schedules with business needs.
- Making Informed Decisions: Offers insightful information and useful facts to assist managers in choosing more wisely when it comes to hiring, development, and training.
- Accurate Forecasting: Predicts future employment requirements based on historical data and company patterns, allowing you to prepare ahead.
- Scenario Planning: Allows you to test multiple scenarios to evaluate how changes in the business or workforce will affect you.
What are the Limitations of Workforce Planning Software?
While workforce planning software offers numerous benefits, it does have some limitations:
- Initial Cost: The costs of purchasing, setting up, and training staff members must be covered up front when implementing workforce planning software.
- Complexity: Setting up and using certain software can be complicated, needing experience and patience to fully understand and take advantage of all of its capabilities.
- Maintenance: To keep the software operating correctly, regular updates and upkeep are needed, which might raise the program’s total cost over time.
FAQs
What are the key features of workforce planning software?
A: Key features typically include forecasting tools, scenario planning capabilities, workforce planning analytics and reporting, integration with HR systems, and collaboration functionalities.
How does workforce planning software benefit organizations?
A: It helps organizations ensure they have the right talent in the right place at the right time, improves workforce productivity, enhances employee engagement, and reduces operational costs.
Who uses workforce planning software?
A: Organizations of all sizes and industries can benefit, particularly HR departments, strategic planners, and senior management involved in workforce management and strategic decision-making.
How does workforce planning software differ from workforce management software?
A: Workforce planning software focuses on strategic forecasting and aligning workforce strategy with business goals, while workforce management software typically focuses on day-to-day scheduling, timekeeping, and operational HR tasks.
How can workforce planning software help with compliance and regulatory requirements?
A: It can assist in ensuring compliance with labor laws, regulations, and industry standards by providing accurate workforce data and facilitating strategic workforce planning aligned with regulatory requirements.
Wrapping Up
Having the right workforce planning software is essential for optimizing operations and enhancing productivity.
Software that meets your organization’s specific needs, ensures data security, complies with regulations, and offers reliable customer support.
By doing so, you can streamline processes, make informed decisions, and empower your team for long-term success.
Hope this article helped you with what you came for!
You can also check out other software you may need with Funnel Builders…
