As Hawaiʻi organizations begin planning for 2027, conversations about headcount and conversations about budgets should be happening at the same time.

It is difficult to build an accurate workforce budget without first understanding which positions will need to be filled, where new capabilities may be needed, which roles could be difficult to recruit for, and whether current compensation aligns with the local talent market.

Waiting until the budget is approved to answer those questions can leave organizations with positions they are authorized to fill but are not realistically prepared to hire.

Start With the Workforce You Will Need, Not Just the Headcount You Have

A 2027 hiring plan should not simply carry today’s organizational chart into another year.

Before establishing next year’s headcount, leaders should consider what may actually change. Are new projects or services planned? Are departments taking on additional responsibilities? Are there employees whose retirement or departure would create a significant knowledge gap? Have certain positions become more difficult to fill? Does growth require skills that are not currently represented on the team?

These questions can reveal workforce needs that may not be obvious from current vacancies alone.

They can also help organizations distinguish between replacement hiring and true workforce growth.

Identify the Positions That Could Create the Most Risk

Not every vacancy has the same impact.

An administrative opening may require a very different recruiting strategy than a specialized IT position, HR leader, department head, or executive search. Some positions also have responsibilities or institutional knowledge that make an unexpected departure particularly disruptive.

As part of 2027 planning, identify the positions that would be hardest to leave vacant.

That gives leadership time to consider succession, internal development, recruiting timelines, compensation, and outside recruiting support before the need becomes urgent.

Make Sure Compensation Assumptions Match the Hawaiʻi Market

A position included in the budget is not necessarily a position an organization will be able to fill.

If the approved compensation does not align with what qualified local candidates expect, organizations may enter the new year with a hiring plan that works financially but not competitively.

Reviewing compensation before budgets are finalized gives HR, finance, and leadership an opportunity to address potential gaps early rather than discovering them after a search has already begun.

It is especially important when budgeting for specialized or leadership positions where the pool of qualified local candidates may be smaller.

Decide Where You Actually Need Permanent Headcount

Planning ahead also creates an opportunity to question whether every workforce need requires another permanent position.

Some 2027 needs may be tied to projects, seasonal workloads, employee leave, implementation work, backlogs, or temporary increases in demand. Others may justify a long-term hire.

Understanding the difference before setting the budget can give organizations more flexibility in how they allocate workforce dollars.

Temporary and contract staffing can be useful when the workload is real but the long-term headcount need is not yet clear. Direct hire recruiting may make more sense when the organization is building capabilities it expects to need for years.

The important decision is not simply how many people to hire. It is determining what kind of workforce support the organization actually needs.

Give Difficult Searches More Time

One of the advantages of connecting workforce planning with budgeting is time.

When leaders know that a critical position will likely need to be filled in 2027, they do not necessarily need to wait for the position to become vacant before thinking about the search.

That is particularly valuable in Hawaiʻi, where Bishop & Company focuses on connecting employers with qualified local professionals. For positions requiring a specific combination of experience, leadership ability, technical knowledge, or industry expertise, the relevant talent pool can be highly defined.

Earlier planning gives organizations more room to establish realistic requirements, evaluate the local market and determine the right recruiting strategy.

Bring HR, Finance and Leadership Into the Same Conversation

Workforce planning cannot sit entirely with HR, and budgeting cannot happen entirely within finance.

Department leaders understand where workloads and responsibilities are changing. HR understands recruiting and retention challenges. Finance understands what the organization can support. Executive leadership understands where the organization is going.

Bringing those perspectives together before the 2027 budget is finalized can produce a hiring plan based on what the organization will actually need, rather than what it needed last year.

Build a 2027 Hiring Plan That Can Actually Be Executed

Before approving next year’s workforce budget, organizations should be able to answer a few important questions:

  • Which positions are likely to be added or replaced?
  • Which roles would be most disruptive if they remained vacant?
  • Are compensation expectations realistic for Hawaiʻi’s local talent market?
  • Where could succession or knowledge transfer become an issue?
  • Which needs require permanent employees, and which could be supported through temporary or contract talent?
  • Which searches should begin earlier because the available local talent pool is more specialized?

A budget answers what an organization can spend. A workforce plan determines whether that investment can realistically become the team the organization needs.

Plan Your 2027 Workforce With Bishop & Company

Bishop & Company has spent more than 20 years helping Hawaiʻi organizations understand the local talent market and make informed hiring decisions.

If your organization is beginning its 2027 planning, now is the time to identify critical hiring needs, evaluate difficult-to-fill positions, and determine where direct hire, executive search, temporary, or contract staffing may fit into the plan.

Contact Bishop & Company to start planning for the people your organization will need next.