The GPEC approach, or how to anticipate and plan human resources for success
The GPEC approach is, in a way, the magic process that ensures companies have the right talent, at the right time. At the same time, it promotes employee well-being by taking into account their wishes in terms of career development.
So it would be a shame to do without it! Not to mention the fact that legislation sometimes imposes certain obligations in this area.
But what is the Gestion Prévisionnelle des Emplois et des Compétences? What are its objectives? How do you set up an effective GPEC plan ?
Here's how 💡.
Definition of the GPEC approach
What is Gestion Prévisionnelle des Emplois et des Compétences?
The GPEC approach, for Gestion Prévisionnelle des Emplois et Compétences, refers to an activity primarily the responsibility of the HR department. It is used to proactively manage a company's human resources in order to meet its strategic requirements.
👉 To achieve this, the GPEC approach involves anticipating and planning talent requirements, aligning available skills with long-term objectives.
Basically, it's a matter of making sure you have the right people, with the right qualifications, in the right numbers, to carry out a given mission.
For example, does your company want to make greater use of artificial intelligence to differentiate itself from its competitors? Thanks to GPEC, you can identify which employees need to be trained in these technologies, or determine whether recruitment is necessary.
💡 Please note: GPEC differs from GEPP, or Gestion des Emplois et des Parcours Professionnels. While the two notions are closely linked, the latter focuses more than the former on the development and management of employees' careers within the organization.
Example: diagram of the GPEC approach
Is GPEC compulsory?
GPEC is a legal obligation for :
- organizations with more than 300 employees;
- Community-scale groups with at least one entity of 150 employees or more.
More specifically, the law requires them to negotiate on the management of jobs and career paths every 3 years.
☝️ This negotiation covers, among other things, the implementation of a GPEC process, with the aim of meeting the new challenges of ecological transition and putting in place the necessary support measures.
GPEC objectives
Adopting a GPEC approach means meeting the company's needs in terms of quantity and quality of human resources.
It has several objectives 🎯 :
- to promote the organization's long-term viability and overall performance, enabling it to respond in good time to market expectations and effectively face up to the competition;
- skilfully accompany change, by aligning skills and needs, and by anticipating (rushing aggravates the phenomenon of resistance to change);
- optimize staffing levels, to avoid understaffing (which is detrimental to the smooth running of the business) and overstaffing (which is costly!);
- encourage the employability of human resources and employee development;
- retain talent, and thus reduce recruitment needs, especially at a time when finding the rare pearl can be an uphill battle;
- identify training needs, so as to develop plans tailored to both employees and the organization;
- observe the age pyramid to determine, for example, the number of upcoming retirements;
- simplify internal mobility processes;
- encourage employee commitment and involvement in the life of the company;
- promote a positive employer brand for recruitment purposes.
What are the 4 stages of GPEC?
Step 1: Analyze existing jobs and skills within the organization
This first step consists in taking stock of the current situation. It involves assessing the know-how present in the company and categorizing jobs.
👉 We recommend that you map the main jobs. In this way, you will document in detail the various positions as well as the associated missions and skills.
To do this, use :
- job descriptions: detailing the responsibilities and skills expected of each position;
- the organization chart: this provides an overview of the organizational structure. Useful for identifying potential bridges between different professions in the context of internal mobility;
- individual and professional interview reports: these provide key information on employee performance and aspirations.
Step 2: Anticipate the company's needs
Based on the information gathered in the first stage, it's time to forecast the company's short-, medium- and long-term human resources needs. This should take into account the company's objectives.
☝️ In particular, this is the time to draw up your skills repository, in order to detect any gaps between requirements and the actual situation.
This work requires you to work closely with management and the various department managers. By communicating with them, you'll find it easier to determine needs in the light of future strategy.
But you need to go beyond that, to be able to look at the big picture and perceive trends specific to your market. Are they :
- technical innovations?
- changes in legislation?
- changing consumer aspirations?
Finally, consider the structural reality of your business. For example, drawing up an age pyramid is a good way of anticipating future retirements, and thus preparing for the recruitment that will follow.
Step 3: Plan and implement an action plan
At this stage, draw up an action plan to close the gaps identified above.
It should include components such as :
- training of existing staff ;
- recruitment;
- internal mobility;
- recourse to external experts or service providers;
- setting up collaborations or partnerships, etc.
All that remains is to implement this plan, monitor it and adjust it as necessary.
Step 4: Evaluate your GPEC approach
Finally, it's vital to evaluate the success of your GPEC procedure and the ROI obtained. In this way, you can gauge its effectiveness in relation to the initial objectives, and identify potential adjustments.
To do this, simply observe the KPIs you've selected. For example, you can check
- the rate of reduction in skills gaps ;
- talent retention rate
- number of transfers ;
- number of training courses;
- cost per skill gap bridged, etc.
☝️ Beyond the figures, it's important to get in touch with the key stakeholders: employees and managers. Gathering their feedback is a good way of taking the temperature and seeing how the GPEC approach is perceived within the company.
GPEC tools
GPEC is a highly specialized task, to be carried out on an ongoing basis, since a company is always on the move! To avoid forgetting or spending too much time on it, we recommend that you equip yourself with a tool that simplifies and even automates your process.
But what kind of software should you use 🤔?
HRIS software
The first thing we think of is HRIS, the global application suites used to streamline all HR processes.
While these platforms include numerous modules (payroll, time management, recruitment, etc.), they very often include a brick dedicated to the Gestion Prévisionnelle des Emplois et des Compétences.
HCM tools
HCM (Human Capital Management) tools centralize data on employee life-cycles and qualifications. They integrate functionalities dedicated to career management, hiring and training. They also include dashboards and other reports, useful for assessing the effectiveness of action plans.
👉 Cegid Talentsoft, for example, offers HCM software that helps organizations attract and retain talent. Its GPEC module maps employees to identify gaps between the company's needs and actual skills. Cegid Talentsoft also handles the training and recruitment required to close these gaps. All this while taking into account employees' aspirations, with the aim of developing them while complying with strategic requirements.
GPEC: final tips for the road
To become a real GPEC pro, here are a few last smart tips to follow 💡 :
- Be patient and rigorous. Setting up a GPEC procedure takes time, and it's a long-term process!
- Get management's active support. In this way, you reinforce its commitment to GPEC, and avoid the withholding of information harmful to your approach (you need to know what the company's future will be made of!).
- Include employees in the process, too, for greater buy-in and more relevant feedback.
- Make the most of all your HR data. We're thinking in particular of data from annual appraisals. That's why you need software capable of centralizing all this information!
- Be agile! In other words, constantly adapt to changes in your company and the market.
- Communicate the objectives and results of your Employment and Skills Planning in a transparent way. At all levels of the organization.
- Keep abreast of trends and best practices in the field of GPEC. Why not subscribe to blogs, forums or specialized accounts on social networks?
GPEC approach: in a nutshell!
You now know what the general GPEC approach is , and how to implement it in just four steps: analyze the existing situation, forecast future needs, deploy an action plan and evaluate and then improve the procedure.
Seemingly simple steps, they nevertheless require a certain amount of rigor and hard work. That's why it's a good idea to use specialized software that can streamline much of the process.
In any case, whatever method you choose, don't miss out on GPEC. Over and above your company's obligations, it's a real way of engaging your employees, writing with them a story that continues over time, to the benefit of your competitiveness and profitability.
Article translated from French