The State of Workforce Planning in 2026 - Nick Kennedy - #182

Thanks to HRBench for powering this episode. To find out more about the company building the future of people intelligence, reach out to book a demo at hrbench.com/directionallycorrect! Check out this episode of the #1 people analytics podcast with special guest, Nick Kennedy, CEO of The Workforce Planning Institute! In this timely conversation, Cole Napper and Nick dive deep into the State of Workforce Planning Profession Report, revealing key insights on growth and challenges. The report shows massive variability in team sizes with no standard model—some 10,000-employee organizations run teams of six while smaller ones have just one or two. Job ads indicate strong expansion, post-COVID recovery, and 166% growth in APAC driven by aging workforce focus, local training, and Australian pioneers like Alicia Roach and Peter House. Nick explains why executive buy-in remains hard: SWP needs direct senior leader access, which layers dilute in massive firms. Midsize organizations around 50-100k employees often have larger median teams as they've matured the function longer, unlike giants still focused on operational planning. The episode explores centralized to federated models that build business accountability while keeping central guidance. It celebrates SWP Conference growth in Chicago, London, and Sydney, with anchored locations driving momentum and maturing content that closes practitioner gaps. Standout sessions from Target and McDonald's plus Five Eyes military collaboration highlight global relevance. Nick expanded the portfolio with interconnected events on people analytics, AI, talent, and capability under one ticket, embracing the golden triangle converging into workforce intelligence. Cole and Nick align on this convergence, discussing talent acquisition feeding market insights, analytics shifting to scenarios, and behavioral science for stakeholder influence. Regional differences reflect geopolitics and healthcare but common challenges like Workday foster global sharing via the Institute. Nick shares his entrepreneurial journey founding the Institute as a global body. From practitioner consulting, a botched tender prompted a pivot to community: collaborate over compete, democratize best practices, and support professionals thrust accidentally into roles. The Institute offers training, education, lifetime memberships, and a home for the profession without prescribing one right way. Personal touches include Nick's morning productivity, overcoming sleep paralysis by cutting alcohol, and Top Gear car passion. In Cole's Corner they discuss fears, rapid fire on careers and characters, plus BCG HR trends where SWP ranks high alongside rising talent and org design topics. AI workforce transformation gets optimistic treatment—break down roles, skill shifts, and buy/build plans. The Tampa Bay Rays Moneyball evolution sparks talk on variety, configuration, and AI-enabled experimentation for competitive chaos. This episode delivers practical wisdom for SWP maturity, convergence, and leading uncertainty. Nick's global trends and community insights offer a clear roadmap. If you like this episode, you’d also love exploring prior episodes—visit colenapper.com for the full archive and show links.