Workforce Planning and Organizational Performance in Selected SMEs in Akwa Ibom State

The study focused on the impact of workforce planning and organizational performance in Selected SMEs in Akwa Ibom State. It assessed the impact of demand forecasting and assessment, ascertained the effect of contingent workforce on organizational efficiency, examined the influence of succession planning on employee performance and determined the relationship between workforce planning and organizational performance in selected SMEs in Akwa Ibom State. The study made use of a survey design and adopted both primary and secondary sources of data to collect information from respondents. The target population was 170 respondents from eight selected SMEs in Akwa Ibom State, while the sample size was 119 respondents. Thus, a total of one hundred and nineteen (119) copies of the structured questionnaire were administered to eight selected SMEs in Akwa Ibom State, while ninety of them (90) were retrieved. These translated to a response rate of 75.6%. A regression model was used to test the hypotheses of the study. The study found that succession planning has a significant influence on the employee performance of selected SMEs in Akwa Ibom State and that there is a positive relationship between workforce planning and the organizational performance of selected SMEs in Akwa Ibom State. The study recommended that Organizations should adopt a workforce plan that will enable them to design the most appropriate organizational structure, acquire and maintain a sustainable pool of employees with the requisite skills and develop a blueprint that will help them adapt easily to ever-changing government policies.