Optimize the Workforce Mix for Strategic Impact

As AI accelerates change, skill gaps widen, and workforce demographics shift, the assumptions underpinning traditional workforce models no longer hold. To remain agile, organizations must adopt a different approach to their workforce mix.
Due to internal pressures, such as the urgency to fill roles quickly, or external pressures, such as a competitive labor market, organizations are often reactive in build, buy, borrow, and automate decisions.
Only 42% of organizations are substantially/extremely effective in defining build, buy, borrow, automate strategies (APQC, 2026).

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

The right workforce mix doesn’t happen by accident. Organizations that move beyond reactive hiring and make clear trade‑offs across role context, resources, and risk are better positioned to control headcount, strengthen talent readiness, and evolve with changing work and technology.

Impact and Result

Optimize talent costs while strengthening workforce decisions through clearer trade-offs across build, buy, borrow, and automate options (IMD).
Enhance workforce agility to provide a competitive advantage to switch between workforce approaches depending on the situation (Conference Board).
Influence greater innovation by bringing together different talent, skills, and perspectives to accelerate the creation of new ideas and solutions.

Optimize the Workforce Mix for Strategic Impact Research & Tools

1. Uncover workforce needs and identify talent gaps

Define the scope, assess workforce needs, and identify talent gaps.

2. Evaluate workforce mix options

Examine factors that drive workforce mix and validate the proposed workforce mix.

3. Implement the workforce mix decision

Create an implementation plan.

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive multiple touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Uncover workforce needs and identify talent gaps

Call 1: Uncover the driving need and determine the scope of work
Call 2: Identify key players
Call 3: Analyze the internal and external factors shaping workforce needs
Call 4: Assess the talent demand and supply to uncover any talent gaps
Call 5: Set trending metrics to monitor workforce mix outcomes

Guided Implementation 2: Evaluate workforce mix options

Call 1: Explore build, buy, borrow, and automate
Call 2: Identify role criticality
Call 3: Assess the urgency and time horizon for each role
Call 4: Validate the proposed workforce mix
Call 5: Confirm workforce mix with the final decision-maker

Guided Implementation 3: Implement the workforce mix decision

Call 1: Identify downstream impacts across HR programs
Call 2: Create an implementation plan
Call 3: Prepare managers and employees for change
Call 4: Review and adjust approaches as needed

Contributors

Doug Hamor, Learning Product Lead, BMO
Brian Chupp, Clinical Associate Professor, OBHR Academic Director - MSHRM programs, Mitch Daniels School of Business Purdue University
Leah Zadel Martuscelli, HR Thought Leader and Former CHRO Joseph Brant Hospital
Steve Ransone, VP of Talent and Organizational Capability, White Lodging
Tyrone Smith Jr., Adjunct Professor | HR Organizational design, People Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Southern California
Rhonda McGinnis, Chief Human Resources Officer supporting the Economy Sector, BC Public Service
Sharon Jobity, Former VP, HR, OCI
Michael Manning, VP HR Innovation & Organizational Effectiveness, FM
Martin J. Short, Manager of Recruitment, Dumas Mining
3 Anonymous Contributors