Identify FIVE factors that should be taken into account when forecasting an organisation's need for additional staff.

Future Operations/demand

Future planned levels of organisational activity and operations. This may be by reference to other functional strategies and may be expressed as (for instance) output or sales projections.

IT and systems to be used to improve productivity

Likely future methods of operating and technology used, particularly where it decreases a need for staffing levels.

Corporate initiatives

The organisation's corporate strategy and its desire to (for instance) offshore and/or outsource, introduce quality control calculates, employ more flexible employment models, etc. 

Historic trends of capacity

Past levels of staff retention, employee turnover, leave of absence, overtime working, etc. Also projections of numbers of staff retiring based on age profiles of the existing workforce and historic trends.

Potential use of contractors, etc. 

Current outsourcing options commercially available for some non-core activities and the likely duduction in staffing as a result.