Scalable workforce Workforce scalability refers to „the capacity of an organization to keep its human resources aligned on an ongoing basis by constantly transitioning from one human resource configuration to another and another, ad infinitum, on a timely basis and in a seamless way‟ (Dyer and Erickssen, 2006: 11). These human resource configurations comprise of four dimensions: headcount, competence mix, deployment pattern and employee contributions. Headcount refers to the number of full-time equivalents, competence mix to the distribution of employees‟ knowledge and skills and deployment pattern to employees‟ assignment across organizational and/or physical locations. Employee contribution refers to the organizational value of the tasks employees perform. Workforce scalability consists of organizational practices aimed at workforce alignment and workforce fluidity. Workforce alignment exists when an organization has the right number of people, with the right knowledge and skills in the right place at the right time doing the right things right. Workforce alignment is a steady state – although not for long. Workforce fluidity refers to „the speed and ease with transitions are made from one aligned human resource configuration to another…ad infinitum‟ (Dyer and Erickssen, 2006: 12). Thus workforce fluidity aids workforce alignment.
Workforce alignment is aimed at creating a temporary steady state. In this steady state the workforce is aligned with the goals and objectives of the organization. This requires organizational practices focused on strategy formulation and planning. In these processes, HR planning needs to be aligned with business planning. However, the dynamic environment forces strategy formulation and business planning to be adaptable, implementing fast decision-making. Faster decision making in Eisenhardt‟s (1989) study was associated with simultaneous consideration of multiple alternatives. Eisenhardt also shows that „the greater the integration among decisions, the greater the speed of the strategic decision process‟ (565). Considering multiple alternatives is a key feature of scenario planning. This requires business and HR plans to be open for adaptation, while
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