The National Academies Press

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From page 127... ... 4-1 Chapter 4: Planning for Future Workforce Needs Planning for future workforce needs is crucial for airports because it helps to ensure that airports will have the right people in the right jobs. This will enable airports to better achieve strategic goals and operate effectively, even in a changing environment. Read the entire page →
From page 128... ... 4-2 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Description of the Workforce Capacity Challenge Workforce sustainability and continuity of operations are critical to airports amidst significant industry fluctuations. To adequately prepare for the known and unknown futures of the industry, airports should focus on identifying and nurturing their high-potential employees, so they are ready to assume new, higher level positions as needed. Read the entire page →
From page 129... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-3 extent to which the community is able to provide employees to meet future workforce needs. The following infographics present highlights of the insights and data contained in ACRP WebOnly Document 28 regarding the challenge of planning for future workforce needs. Read the entire page →
From page 130... ... 4-4 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Read the entire page →
From page 131... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-5 Action Plans for Planning for Future Workforce Needs This section presents four action plans that airports can implement as they begin to plan for future workforce needs. Each action plan provides an overview of a strategy, implementation steps, resource requirements, and alternate approaches. Read the entire page →
From page 132... ... 4-6 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity One way airports can do this is through the development and promotion of career pathways. Career pathways demonstrate the possible ways that a career can progress as well as the different jobs an employee may consider as his or her career develops. Read the entire page →
From page 133... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-7 Airport Development Target Audience(s) • Job seekers • Entry-level through mid-level staff Action Plan Lead(s) Read the entire page →
From page 134... ... 4-8 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Implementation Lead(s) • Human resources personnel 1. Read the entire page →
From page 135... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-9 Obstacles & Considerations Key Success Factors • Support from executive leadership • Dedicated staff to develop, implement, and promote career paths • Career pathways aligned with in-demand and growing occupations, to ensure realistic advancement opportunities • Significant dedication of resources required • Compliance with civil service regulations may be required Action Plan 9 Cont'd: Create Career Pathways Sustain Quantifiable Outcomes/Measures of Impact 1. Decreased turnover and increased retention rates 2. Read the entire page →
From page 136... ... 4-10 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Strategy Highlights • Allows airports to retain critical institutional knowledge and expertise that may otherwise be lost when employees retire or leave the airport for other employment • Provides opportunities for retirement-eligible employees to directly pass knowledge down to replacements, especially "know how" knowledge or information that is not contained in any organizational records To offset some of the consequences of a high volume of retirements, airports should leverage the expertise of retirement-eligible employees before they depart. By investing in efforts to sustain institutional knowledge, airports will ensure that employees are equipped to take on new roles as soon as needed and maintain continuity at a time of increasing departures. Read the entire page →
From page 137... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-11 Real-World Example Jacksonville International Airport developed a workforce profile to highlight the large number of retirement-eligible employees, in order to raise awareness of operational risks and gaps that could potentially occur as a result of vacancies, and prompt managers to take action to mitigate these risks. There are various strategies airports can implement to leverage the expertise of retirement-eligible employees. Read the entire page →
From page 138... ... 4-12 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity K-12 Comm College 4-Year College Graduate School Early Career Mid-Career Late Career Retirees Key Stakeholder(s) • Airport leadership (e.g., CEO; director; executive team) Read the entire page →
From page 139... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-13 Resources Needed: • Intranet or internal database that can be used to house knowledge and information (e.g., SharePoint) • Dedicated steering committee or working group to develop and implement program(s) Read the entire page →
From page 140... ... 4-14 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Obstacles & Considerations Key Success Factors • Include the strategy or strategies being implemented as part of the airport's strategic plan • Prepare and develop employees internally to fulfill roles at risk for vacancy • Create a "win-win" retention strategy that provides retirement-eligible employees with the employment flexibility they desire while retaining their presence and knowledge within the organization Exit Interviews/Expertise Inventories 1. Develop exit interview protocol/expertise inventory to gather knowledge and expertise of retirement-eligible employees, regardless of whether or not they will participate in the phased retirement program or return in an advisory capacity. Read the entire page →
From page 141... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-15 Action Plan 10 Cont'd: Leverage Expertise of Retirement-Eligible Employees Alternative Approaches • Exit interviews and expertise inventories can be a more cost-effective strategy for airports with few retirement-eligible employees and/or limited resources. • An airport anticipating a large number of retirements and many potential vacancies may find it more effective to implement mentoring and job shadowing programs, in order to act proactively and prepare high-potential employees for advancement. Read the entire page →
From page 142... ... 4-16 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Supporting development of the local labor force is above all about ensuring that the competencies and skill sets the airport will require in the future can be found in the local community when the time comes. When community members have the relevant skills and are able to fill airport jobs, hiring is more cost efficient, open jobs are filled more quickly, and new hires from the community are more likely to be successful at the airport. Read the entire page →
From page 143... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-17 Real-World Example An executive officer at Jacksonville International Airport described the importance of creating and examining a workforce profile to better understand current employees by position and function. This includes learning which jobs are at most risk for mass retirements or where skill gaps exist. Read the entire page →
From page 144... ... 4-18 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity K-12 Comm College 4-Year College Graduate School Early Career Mid-Career Late Career Retirees Other Key Stakeholders • Airport senior leadership • Internal workforce development experts Action Plan Lead(s) • HR personnel or steering committee • Training and development leads • Recruitment and hiring employees Resources Needed: • Staff or consultant to identify key jobs or promising career paths • Information to develop a profile of the current workforce • Data regarding local workforce and economy • Commitment to collaboration from local education providers and community partners 1. Read the entire page →
From page 145... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-19 Implementation Lead(s) • Designated HR personnel • Steering committee for workforce development 1. Read the entire page →
From page 146... ... 4-20 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity 3. Conduct labor market analysis to understand key occupations. Read the entire page →
From page 147... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-21 7. Hold regularly scheduled meetings with educational and community partners to collaborate, discuss needs, and develop solutions. Read the entire page →
From page 148... ... 4-22 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Action Plan 11 Cont'd: Support Economic Development via Workforce Planning Alternative Approaches • Smaller airports may not have the resources to fully tailor training courses to their needs. In this case, they could focus on identifying existing courses that teach relevant topics and skills. Read the entire page →
From page 149... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-23 Description. Airports are facing large numbers of departures within the next 5–10 years as baby boomers begin to retire. Read the entire page →
From page 150... ... 4-24 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Real-World Example Columbus Regional Airport Authority launched a succession planning program that includes formal learning through universities, conferences, mentoring, and certifications. Participants also work towards goals outlined in individual development plans (Young et al., 2013) Read the entire page →
From page 151... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-25 Airport Development Target Audience(s) • Mid-level staff • Executive leadership Action Plan Lead(s) Read the entire page →
From page 152... ... 4-26 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Implementation Factors 1. Identify critical positions at risk for vacancy. Read the entire page →
From page 153... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-27 Action Plan 12 Cont'd: Implement Strategic Succession Planning 5. Provide developmental opportunities and activities to close gaps and prepare employees for advancement. Read the entire page →
From page 154... ... 4-28 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Action Plan 12 Cont'd: Implement Strategic Succession Planning Sustain Quantifiable Outcomes/Measures of Impact 1. Reduced time to fill senior-level technical and managerial positions 2. Read the entire page →
From page 155... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-29 Practical Tools and Resources for Planning for Future Workforce Needs As a way to help airports implement the action plans described in this chapter, four tools have been developed to guide implementation efforts. Additionally, several links to publicly available resources that provide further information or effective practices for implementing each action plan have been identified. Read the entire page →
From page 156... ... 4-30 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity • This tool can be used to document information about job responsibilities, processes and procedures, necessary resources and their locations, and other information that is important to a job, but may only be known to a few employees. Before employees leave the organization, this type of information can be captured to reduce institutional knowledge loss and better prepare their successors to step into their roles. Read the entire page →
From page 157... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-31 Source Resource Description and Link National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) Career Path Planning Management Toolbox The NAED provides this toolbox that can be used to guide organizations though the definition, design, evaluation, and launch of career paths. Read the entire page →
From page 158... ... 4-32 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Source Resource Description and Link Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Capturing the Wisdom of Four Generations This article from SHRM focuses on generational differences between employees. Read the entire page →
From page 159... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-33 Source Resource Description and Link University of Washington Succession Planning Toolkit This document details a process for conducting succession planning within a university setting, including worksheets to complete and questions to ask during the process. It can provide airports with an overview of how to complete a detailed succession planning process. Read the entire page →
From page 160... ... 4-34 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity [Occupational Group] Career Pathway Guide Template I Read the entire page →
From page 161... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-35 3. Key Duties and Responsibilities [This is a general, high-level description of duties and responsibilities that applies across all career levels. Read the entire page →
From page 162... ... 4-36 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity • [Example: Recommended: AAAE Airport Safety and Operations Specialists (ASOS) School] Read the entire page →
From page 163... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-37 3. [Senior-Level Job Title] Read the entire page →
From page 164... ... 4-38 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Overview: An individual development plan (IDP) is a document created by an employee. Read the entire page →
From page 165... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-39 Goal-Setting Guidance Your short- and long-term goals are broad, yet focused goals that you will create to guide your career. Short-term goals are those that you would like to achieve in the next 6–12 months, while long-term goals are those that will take longer than a year to achieve, but should be achievable in the next 3–5 years. Read the entire page →
From page 166... ... 4-40 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity 2. Within the next year, I will work toward the Airport Project Planner position by taking on greater project management responsibilities and shadowing current managers on planning projects of up to X dollar amount. Read the entire page →
From page 167... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-41 Developmental Activities Below is a list of potential developmental activities to consider for inclusion in your IDP. These activities may be completed formally through an established program or on a more informal basis. Read the entire page →
From page 168... ... 4-42 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity IDP Plan of Action Instructions: Based on goals and related areas for improvement and/or development, determine specific actions you can take to improve upon the KSAs that will help you move closer to accomplishing your goal. When identifying and selecting developmental activities, consider the 70-20-10 learning and development model. Read the entire page →
From page 169... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-43 Instructions: Consider what a new employee entering your position would need to know. In particular, focus on information that may be difficult for a new employee to discover on his/her own. Read the entire page →
From page 170... ... 4-44 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Process or Procedure: Purpose: When Scheduled: Steps/Activities Involved: Additional Information: Process or Procedure: Purpose: When Scheduled: Steps/Activities Involved: Additional Information: Essential Resources Instructions: List the resources that are essential for completing your job responsibilities. Resources can include policies, documents, website addresses, books, reports, and other materials that you would want your successor to be familiar with. Read the entire page →
From page 171... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-45 Resource Purpose/Additional Information Where Found Training and Developmental Activities Instructions: List training that you recommend for a new employee entering your position. Training Purpose Offered By Instructions: List developmental activities that you recommend for a new employee entering your position. Read the entire page →
From page 172... ... 4-46 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Meetings, Committees, and Other Functions Instructions: List essential meetings that you attend. Indicate the purpose, your role, and the frequency of the meetings. Read the entire page →
From page 173... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-47 Calendar of Events Instructions: List significant events, milestones, and deadlines that must be attended to at certain times of the year. Consider events that your successor may need to prepare for in advance. Read the entire page →
From page 174... ... 4-48 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity 4. Name: Phone: Email: Title: Office: Why is this person a key POC? Read the entire page →
From page 175... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-49 Instructions: Use this checklist with Action Plan 10: Leverage Expertise of Retirement-Eligible Employees to ensure a smooth transition for newly retired employees who are moving into a new role at the airport (e.g., advisor, consultant, mentor) Read the entire page →
From page 176... ... 4-50 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Case Studies Related to Planning for Future Workforce Needs The three case studies in the following table present examples of creative ways airports are implementing strategies to plan for future workforce needs. Case Studies Airport Characteristics Page Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) Read the entire page →
From page 177... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-51 Program: Implementing Career Paths Strategy in Action Case Study 6: Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Columbia, SC Size Large Mid-size Small Additional Characteristics • Approximately 1 million passengers annually Governance Model Board of Commissioners from Lexington County, Richland County, and City of Columbia Strategy Highlights • Created career paths with 30 pay grades to ensure fair compensation • Updated job descriptions to align with new business model Airport Features Summary of Strategy: Executive leaders at Columbia Metropolitan Airport reorganized the airport under a new business model with a substantially different organizational structure. They developed new career paths to support employee development and enable the workforce to perform more effectively under this new model. Read the entire page →
From page 178... ... 4-52 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Solutions Challenges Encountered • As part of the realignment that spurred development of new career paths, the Operations Department duties were absorbed into CAE's newly created Public Safety Department. During this transitional period, the Operations Department was disbanded, leaving the airport without dedicated operations staff. Read the entire page →
From page 179... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-53 Program: Performance Management for Employee Development Strategy Highlights • Enabling employees to track training and progress in a new performance system • Providing greater support for career growth and development • Aligning jobs with the airport's mission to better support operations Summary of Strategy: Southwest Florida International Airport is revamping its performance management system and job descriptions to better support employee career growth and development. The performance management system will move from a paper-based system where employees receive ratings on a scale of 1–6 to a cloud-based system, Cornerstone on Demand. Read the entire page →
From page 180... ... 4-54 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity Solutions Challenges Encountered • Slow moving process to gain buy-in and develop and implement strategies • Work directly with senior management to gain buy-in and make headway • Start at the ground level – gather input from employees at different levels across the airport regarding what their needs are in terms of support for career development and what features they would find beneficial and useful in a performance management system. Lessons Learned Read the entire page →
From page 181... ... Planning for Future Workforce Needs 4-55 Program: Talent Planning Process Summary of Strategy: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport developed a talent planning process currently focused on developing high-potential individuals in middle management and above. As part of the annual talent review process, leaders at the VP and Assistant VP level each identified two key challenges they faced. Read the entire page →
From page 182... ... 4-56 Guidebook on Building Airport Workforce Capacity The talent planning process used a top-down approach, in which high-potential individuals were selected based on information gathered during their talent review meetings and analyzed using a nine-box talent matrix. The current group of high-potential individuals represents approximately 12% of the middle management and above population. Read the entire page →

From page 127...

... 4-1 Chapter 4: Planning for Future Workforce Needs Planning for future workforce needs is crucial for airports because it helps to ensure that airports will have the right people in the right jobs. This will enable airports to better achieve strategic goals and operate effectively, even in a changing environment.