Workforce Management

Workforce management gets grouped with HR, and the two answer different questions.

HR asks who works here, on what terms, and what have we recorded about them.

Workforce management asks how many people with which skills do we need, at what times, in which locations, and what does that cost. It is a demand and supply problem before it is a people problem.

The distinction matters most in Australia because the answer is constrained by awards. Penalty rates, overtime, minimum engagement periods, breaks between shifts and notice of roster changes all shape what a roster can legally look like.

An HR system that holds records will not tell you a proposed roster breaches an award. That is a different capability, and it is worth knowing which of the two you actually bought.

The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes award conditions. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s workforce management software and labour management system.