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Kirti had bootstrapped her software start-up. In the early days, it was her and a core team of co-founders and employees. They onboarded in an ad hoc manner, and for a couple of years, this strategy worked fine. However, once their product got off the ground, they needed more people in various roles. She didn’t have the bandwidth to oversee the process nor the skills to interview candidates for all the positions. That’s when the firm decided to start the process of human resource planning.
The human resource planning process is an organization’s strategic approach to building its workforce. There are many steps in human resource planning, depending on the size of the organization. Let’s examine some of these.
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The Human Resource Planning Process
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Steps In Human Resource Planning
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Benefits Of The Process Of Human Resource Planning
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Problems With Human Resource Planning
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Tools For Human Resource Planning
The Human Resource Planning Process
What is the human resource planning process? Human resources, or HR, is a business function responsible for developing and implementing human resource policies and programs that support the organization’s mission. This includes hiring and firing, but in an increasingly competitive business environment that demands high levels of quality service at a reasonable cost, organizations must also provide employees with training, information and encouragement to perform their jobs effectively. Employees must be motivated to improve their performance, and this is part of the HR function.
The human resource planning process involves a few key steps. The first step in the human resource planning process is to identify the positions existing in the organization, who currently fills them, their specific roles and what skill set they need to do their jobs properly. The second part of HRP is to identify what positions are expected to be open in the coming months or years.
Steps In Human Resource Planning
To assess and forecast the people needs in an organization, the process of human resource planning needs to be systematic. Here are a few steps it’ll take:
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Identify Business Requirements
The first step in the human resource planning process is to determine the business needs to be addressed by human resource planning. What is the current scope of work, and what are the plans for the organization? How will these plans affect the workforce?
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Assessing Teams
Keeping in mind the organization’s vision, the process of human resource planning then assesses the current scope of work and the employees currently on board. Are they all fulfilling their roles efficiently? Are new people needed or is training necessary? At this stage, the needs for upcoming projects will also be considered. A plan is needed to achieve these goals.
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Role Definition
Before any hiring takes place, the HR department needs to identify the roles that need to be filled by potential employees. The skills required for each role will define who is hired to fill them. These steps in human resource planning should be conducted with the help of both the managers heading the projects and HR leadership.
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Selection Process
The selection process for candidates starts with putting out a call for applicants or campus recruitment. Existing employees can also fill new roles with internal recruitment. The process should be flexible enough to allow for changes if necessary.
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Development And Training
This step involves developing existing employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities and providing training to those hired. It also includes continually evaluating new employee knowledge, skills, and abilities to make sure they’re optimal.
From the first step in the human resource planning process to the last, the benefits of a well-laid-out human resource plan can be significant. By ensuring all employees receive the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their jobs, organizations can ensure that they remain competitive in their industries and are on track to achieve their objectives.
Benefits Of The Process Of Human Resource Planning
Human resource planning is an ongoing process that requires knowledge of business objectives and employee skills for best results. Taking the steps involved in human resource planning has many benefits for an organization. Let’s examine some of these:
- Human resource planning provides stakeholders with greater insight into the functioning of the organization. It helps create balanced, high-performing teams with the skills they need for success.
- The process of human resource planning helps improve customer service. By ensuring the teams are staffed with well-trained personnel, an organization can improve its relationship with stakeholders, improving profits, reputation and conversion rates.
- It lowers turnover rates. Retention of talent is vital to an organization’s long-term success because it reduces the costs of hiring and retraining. It also improves a brand’s reputation as an employer, which will help attract better talent in the long run.
- It ensures greater employee satisfaction. If the staff is happy with their benefits and compensation packages, it’ll improve productivity and reduce turnover rates.
- It makes the most of the existing workforce. As technology changes, organizations face the challenge of either conducting layoffs or reskilling workers. Providing employees with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to do their jobs effectively allows them to retain workers – reducing hiring costs and providing a valuable social benefit.
- A robust human resources team will add to employee experience by identifying problems before they escalate to conflicts. Employers can do this by listening to employee feedback and making sure they’re responding accordingly.
- Human resource planning is a continuous process that requires the leadership and staff who implement it to be aware of cultural changes in an organization. A strong human resource process will help build a more cohesive workforce.
- Today’s workers are looking for roles that are meaningful, engaging, and fulfilling. An HR plan will ensure that an organization succeeds in providing this.
These are just a few of the processes made better by following the steps involved in human resource planning within an organization. Next, we’ll look at some of the problems that arise when things go wrong.
Problems With Human Resource Planning
Human resource planning can give businesses the knowledge they need to keep their workforce qualified and happy. However, human resource plans can also cause problems if they’re not implemented properly. There are four main problems when it comes to human resources:
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Poor Buy-In From Employees
When there is a lack of participation and motivation from employees, it’s a sign something is lacking in the human resource planning process. HR must be able to share information and problem-solve so that potential issues can be averted before they arise. Training can help employees gain new skills and grow in the organization, boosting morale and revitalizing teams.
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Conflicting Information
Having conflicting views on business goals only leads to confusion and further problems. If employees have clarity on the future business goals and projects they’re working on, it’ll help them advance through the organization and work in alignment with the vision.
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Lack Of Management Engagement
Human resource planning is cross-functional. It involves the entire organization, including the management of other departments, and should not be limited to HR professionals exclusively. If it’s helmed only by human resources, there’s a high chance that the needs of the teams won’t be met.
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Problems with human resources need to be addressed before they lead to deeper organizational issues. Some tools and support agencies can be incorporated into an organization’s steps involved in human resource planning for better results.
Tools For Human Resource Planning
Depending on the needs of the organization, the human resource team may need outside support. Say, for instance, it’s going through a period of extreme growth or that it’s expanding to new geographical territories. Here are some ways to support the team:
- Consulting or recruiting services can be very helpful for finding new workers. Staffing agencies can help employers identify qualified candidates. This is especially helpful when recruiting senior personnel or hiring for many roles.
- A human resource plan should also address employee development needs by supporting the adoption of new technologies, methods and techniques. Once again, this is where the need for cross-functionality comes in. (Zolpidem) Trainers can help improve employee uptake of these new skills.
- Technology can ease the human resource process. There are advanced human resource management tools that help with performance evaluation and other tracking needs. Particularly with remote work becoming more common in recent years, cloud-based systems can help keep track of payroll and performance data.
Understanding the first step in the human resource planning process is crucial. Without identifying the organizational goals, nothing else can follow. Once this vision is in place, businesses can build the team to help it thrive.
The key to effective human resource planning is empathy. Harappa’s Lead With Empathy program can help managers, leaders and professionals in any phase of their careers to navigate conflict, work in teams and demonstrate an empathetic approach to work. Learners will develop skills of active listening, enhance their emotional intelligence and understand how to build trust.
Empathy is the soft skill needed for every aspect of life. Empower your teams today with Harappa!
