Strengthening the people strategy of a leading public body to build workforce resilience

Introduction

This well-known public body is committed to fostering a high performing, engaged, and resilient workforce, whilst operating in a complex landscape. From the beginning it was evident that the client sees their people as the foundation of their success. By strategically investing in their workforce, they cultivate the expertise, commitment, and drive meaningful progress for a more sustainable future.

The need

To build on the progress already made, the client commissioned The Workforce Development Trust to conduct an independent review of their revised People Strategy.

The client’s strategy is built around eight core objectives, each designed to address critical aspects of workforce development and organisational effectiveness, whilst at the same time creating a culture of continuous improvement, excellence, and high performance.

Despite these aspirations, the client was experiencing recruitment challenges and recognised that retention and succession planning present potential risks. Retaining high-performing staff is vital to safeguarding institutional knowledge and organisational continuity.

Therefore, the client sought an external review of their revised people strategies and plans, to be able to build on the existing foundations, strengthen their people strategies and proactively combat recruitment and retention challenges.

The solution

The Workforce Development Trust conducted an independent review of the client’s people strategies with the aim of identifying strengths and areas for improvement. The review provided valuable insights into the effectiveness of the existing approach. These included:

• A review of the client’s latest organisational strategy.
• An external audit of the existing People Strategy.
• A review of external sources of information.

The current People Strategy is built on a strong foundation, with a very clear ambition to create an engaged, high-performing workforce. It aligns well with the organisation’s overarching values and commitment to excellence, recognising that people are at the heart of delivering strategic objectives. The emphasis on nurturing, developing, and retaining talent is apparent and reflects a clear commitment to supporting employees in their careers.

Several key areas and detailed recommendations were presented to the client; to enhance the effectiveness of the People Strategy and ensure it delivers real benefits.

1. Expand the strategy’s content to address key workforce priorities.
2. Strengthen governance and oversight mechanisms.
3. Integrate workforce metrics.
4. Establish a clear implementation plan with defined deliverables.
5. Develop a communication plan.

Whilst the People Strategy reflects positive intent, some areas require sharpening to translate ambition into meaningful impact.

The impact

By acting on these recommendations, the client is now positioned to unlock the full potential of its People Strategy and embed sustainable improvements across the organisation. Our recommendations have provided the client with a clear, actionable pathway to strengthen their existing People Strategy, turning aspirations into actions with a tangible impact. By sharpening focus, reinforcing governance, and embedding metrics, the organisation is now better equipped to future-proof its workforce and accelerate progress against its strategic mission.

We are confident of the positive, lasting impact these improvements will make, not only for the organisation, but for the dedicated people at its heart.