Evaluate the importance of workforce planning to the success of PGC's proposed new cafés.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. Knowledge: Explanation of workforce planning – comparison of current staffing levels and skills with future requirements
2. Knowledge: Identification of numbers, skills and experience required for different tasks/roles.
3. Knowledge: Timescales for recruitment and selection of appropriate employees.
4. Knowledge: Use of different types of contracts to make business flexible and save labour costs, part-time, short-term, zero hours.
5. Knowledge: Identify training needs of employees to meet future requirements
6. Application: Different roles for sales staff managing/selling coffee and cakes in cafes.
7. Application: Baristas
8. Application: Waiting staff
9. Application: Kitchen employees to make cakes
10. Application: Supervisors and management
11. Application: 'new set of skills' (line 83) and Force Field Analysis
12. Application: Expansion plans will involve doubling the number of employees.
13. Application: WP to overcome the force against change given a relatively high weighting of 3
14. Application: Organisational restructure required as a restraining force requiring a WP
15. Application: Reference to decision tree analysis, investment appraisal as these include information on employment costings.
16. Analysis: WP ensures right number of employees with the right skills in the right place at the right time to deliver the services sold.
17. Analysis: Necessity of recruiting and selecting more employees with appropriate skills for the new tasks.
18. Analysis: Setting up cafes requires significantly different roles to be identified.
19. Analysis: Comparison of forecast requirements with current employee numbers and skills will enable recruitment and selection plans to be drawn up with a timescale.
20. Analysis: Training needs for existing employees can be determined and resources allocated to enable training.
21. Analysis: Workforce planning enables contribution to overall corporate budgets.
22. Evaluation: Assessment of level of importance
23. Evaluation: Comparison of importance in relation to a timescale linked to production and marketing plans.
24. Evaluation: What if? E.g. no workforce planning is done and the impact of this on success of plans.
25. Evaluation: Success relies on accurate forecasts – demand, number of jobs, success in recruiting, cost estimates, etc.
26. Evaluation: Forecasts derived from marketing forecasts – require good communications with marketing department.
27. Evaluation: Do PGC managers have ability to carry out workforce planning?