Connecting the Dots to Workforce Planning
As we prepare for our upcoming Leadership Perspectives event, Workforce Planning for 2026: From Headcount to Capability, we’re reflecting on the real-world challenges and leadership decisions that turn workforce strategy into measurable business results.
At Advanced Resources, we’ve had the privilege of helping leading organizations move from planning to performance. One compelling example comes from our work with a 28,000-employee health system in Chicago, navigating large-scale change following a major merger.
The Challenge: Aligning People, Process, and Technology Post-Merger
Mergers often bring growing pains — and in this case, our client faced a common but complex challenge: aligning thousands of employees, inconsistent processes, and legacy systems into one cohesive structure.
With nine hospitals and over 3,500 unique job descriptions, the inconsistencies in job data created compliance risks and threatened the timeline for a major Workday implementation. Yet beyond systems, the organization recognized a need for clarity and connection as employees navigate change.
Our Approach: Turning Strategy into Execution
To support the integration journey, Advanced Resources delivered a set of interconnected HR solutions to bring structure, scale, and simplify the organization’s workforce planning efforts:
- Job Architecture & Data Integrity:
We consolidated and standardized 3,500+ job descriptions into a clean, auditable framework — enabling a smooth Workday launch and future-proofing data governance. - HR Service Center Build-Out:
We helped stand up a centralized Level 1 HR Service Center, reducing inquiry response times by over 35% while enhancing the employee experience at scale. - Preboarding & Onboarding Transformation:
We built a high-touch onboarding experience that increased new hire engagement, consistency, and satisfaction across the system.
The Impact: From Headcount to Capability
The success of this initiative wasn’t just about systems, it was about aligning people, process, and purpose.
By building clarity in job architecture, consistency in employee support, and care in onboarding, the organization laid the foundation for long-term growth and capability.
This is workforce planning in action — not theory, but real change that connects headcount to business capability.
Join the Conversation: October 16 at Willis Tower
We’ll be exploring this story and more at our Leadership Perspective event on October 16 at The Metropolitan, Willis Tower:
“Workforce Planning for 2026: From Headcount to Capability.”
Join us as four industry leaders — Cil Aquino Ross (Hilco Global), Libby Baker (Vistria Group), Valeria Gutowski (Norstella), and Julieta LaMalfa (Canela Media) — share how they align HR and Finance priorities to drive measurable workforce results.
📩 View the Official Invite Here
Let’s Build the Future of Work Together
At Advanced Resources, we help organizations bridge strategy and execution. If your team is planning for 2026 and beyond, let’s talk about how we can bring your workforce plans to life.
