Digital HR Leaders with David Green How to Influence Business Strategy Through Workforce Planning (an Interview with Ross Sparkman)
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Oct 21, 2025 In this discussion, Ross Sparkman, Global Head of Workforce Planning at Nutrien and author with over 20 years’ experience at firms like Meta and GE, dives into the evolution of workforce planning. He reveals why traditional methods fall short today and how AI can be integrated effectively. Ross emphasizes the need for executive buy-in and the critical partnership between people analytics and strategic workforce planning. He also explores future-proofing the workforce and the importance of adaptability and skills development in this rapidly changing landscape.
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Career Journey From Navy To SWP Leader
- Ross Sparkman transitioned from a decade in the US Navy to Deloitte, then into roles at GE, Meta, LinkedIn, Nike, and Walmart.
- His career path informed his focus on embedding strategic workforce planning across varied industries.
SWP Has Evolved Into Continuous Skills-Based Planning
- Strategic workforce planning has shifted from episodic headcount plans to proactive, data-driven, skills-focused, continuous planning.
- Ross Sparkman argues this change makes plans more defensible and aligned to business strategy rather than arbitrary requests.
Get Executive Buy-In First
- Secure executive sponsorship to align SWP with enterprise priorities and get actionable outcomes.
- Without C-suite buy-in planning becomes fragmented and fails to resolve tensions between finance, HR, and leaders.
