Workforce planning has undergone a significant transformation over the past few years. What was once a reactive process—focused primarily on filling open roles—has evolved into a forward-looking strategy that anticipates skill gaps, business needs, and market shifts before they become urgent. Organizations are no longer just hiring faster; they are rethinking how talent is identified, developed, and retained to ensure long-term workforce resilience.
So, how do talent acquisition and workforce planning leaders develop strategies that truly address gaps? That was the key focus of our latest discussion on this topic, and it revealed three critical components: balancing build vs. buy approaches, leveraging AI and automation to reshape talent needs, and refining the mix of build, buy, borrow (and bot) strategies to create a more agile workforce.
We are pleased to co-facilitate this CareerXroads research discussion with @David Wilkins, Chief Product & Strategy Officer at TalentNeuron, who has sponsored this research project and works alongside me and the CXR team to foster the discussion and survey our members directly.
Balancing Build and Buy: The Long-Term vs. Immediate Approach
As organizations shift from reactive hiring to proactive workforce planning, one of the first challenges they face is deciding how to address talent gaps. Do they invest in developing talent internally, or do they seek external hires who can make an immediate impact? The answer often lies in striking the right balance between building and buying talent.
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A highly targeted approach to passive candidate pipelining for critical roles, ensuring organizations have talent ready when the need arises.
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The necessity of “playing the long game,” noting that for highly skilled trade positions, organizations must re-engage talent pipelines much earlier than before—before individuals even enter trade schools or make career decisions.
There was also a robust discussion around skills-based planning, where the focus is on closing skill gaps rather than filling traditional job roles. This shift removes the focus from job titles and instead prioritizes the capabilities that will drive business success.
“There is a fascinating shift in how organizations are looking at this topic now vs. in the past. The discussion is now shifting to skills gaps vs. a role/open position gap. We remove the "person/employee" from the equation and allow the discussion & decision-making to connect directly to the difficulty level & critical nature of the skill impact to the overall achievement of business strategy.” @Jessica Lappe, Senior Manager Talent Acquisition, Land O'Lakes, Inc.
The Role of AI & Automation in Workforce Strategy
While balancing build and buy strategies is critical, the equation is shifting as AI and automation redefine how work gets done. Rather than replacing jobs outright, AI is transforming workforce planning—not by replacing jobs outright, but by redefining how they are performed and who is needed to perform them. Our panel noted that AI is already enabling more efficient training, sourcing, and internal development, rather than simply automating roles out of existence.
This shift has accelerated training and apprenticeship programs, reducing ramp-up time for new hires. Strategic use of AI & automation has also allowed TA professionals to focus on strategic initiatives rather than tactical tasks. In effect, recruiting automation & AI can act as a “force multiplier” for lean teams, providing data-driven insights and automation that allow HR and TA professionals to be more efficient.
Blending Build, Buy, Borrow, and Bot for a More Agile Workforce
As AI and automation reshape workforce strategies, organizations are moving beyond the traditional build vs. buy framework. The most effective workforce plans now incorporate a blend of four key strategies: Build, Buy, Borrow, and Bot—each serving a distinct role in creating a flexible, resilient workforce.
Building talent is critical in fields where skills are scarce, while buying talent helps fill specialized roles quickly. Borrowing talent through contingent or gig workers adds flexibility, though some organizations are now integrating contingent hiring into their broader talent strategy.
A newer addition to workforce planning is botting—using AI and automation to enhance or replace certain tasks. While full automation isn’t always the goal, companies are increasingly redesigning roles to integrate AI where it improves efficiency without sacrificing human capabilities.
Success comes from deliberate planning and alignment with business needs. Organizations that strategically blend these approaches can adapt faster to workforce challenges while maintaining agility and engagement.
Conclusion: Workforce Planning as a Business Strategy
Developing a strong workforce plan requires more than just reacting to hiring needs—it demands a proactive, data-driven approach that integrates business strategy, technology, and evolving workforce models. Successful organizations are balancing build vs. buy, leveraging AI to enhance—not replace—human skills, and integrating flexible workforce models to remain resilient in an ever-changing labor market.
The question for talent leaders is no longer just "How do we hire?" but rather, "How do we design our workforce to thrive?"
More to Come
As we wrap up this research panel, we move on to a broader publication that synthesizes the knowledge shared by these seasoned professionals, ensuring that you have the tools and strategies needed to stay ahead in the ever-changing landscape of talent acquisition.
It is worth noting that the full CXR Community—over 6,000 leaders, practitioners, and experts in the recruiting industry—are also weighing in on these topics during the course of the research panel. This is just one example of the conversations happening regularly in our Community.
You are invited to participate, follow along, and express your interest in future panels at https://cxr.works/research where you can also download previous research publications.