In this episode of #HRTechChat, Nicole Roberts (Senior Analyst & Advisor, 3Sixty Insights) is joined by David Edwards—strategic workforce planning practitioner, advisor, and author of The Strategic Workforce Planning Handbook—for a candid conversation about the gap between SWP theory and the messy reality of execution.

David explains why strategic workforce planning still suffers from an identity crisis (too many definitions, too many expectations), and why organizations keep getting trapped in short-term thinking that freezes out long-term capability building. Together, they unpack why chasing “perfect data” can be just as risky as oversimplifying, and why the real skill leaders need—especially as AI accelerates planning inputs—is judgment: knowing what’s decision-grade, what matters most, and what to do next.

The conversation also tackles the evolving role of managers, the incentives that discourage reskilling and redeployment, and why SWP should focus less on planning the entire workforce and more on the truly strategic segments that determine future business performance. David offers a clear challenge to HR tech providers too: analytics aren’t enough—leaders need help walking the “last mile” from dashboards to decisions, in the language of risk, outcomes, and action.

Resources mentioned (including books, discount code, and links):

The Book of Heroic Failures (Stephen Pile):

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Heroic-Failures-Official-Handbook/dp/0708819087

The Strategic Workforce Planning Handbook (David Edwards):

Kogan Page: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/the-strategic-workforce-planning-handbook-9781398623590

Discount code: KoganPage25

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Workforce-Planning-Handbook-Implement/dp/1398623598/

HR Conference Cruise:

https://hrcruise.com/