Human resource planning

Human resource planning

1. systematically identifies what must be done to guarantee the availability of the human resources required by an organisation to meet business objectives.

2. HR planning issues

   • Scarcity of talent
   • Balancing short and long-term needs
   • Globalisation
   • Multigenerational workforce
   • Women in the workforce
   • Academic standards

3. Forecasting

   • demand for human resources within the organisation
   • supply of external human resources to the organisation
   • supply of human resources available within the organisation

4. Approaches to HR planning

   • Quantitative methods
     • Use statistical and mathematical techniques Mainly used by theoreticians and professional HR planners in large organisations.
       • Trend analysis Also called Time Series Analysis. Makes predictions by projecting past and present trends into the future.
       • Econometric modelling and multiple predictive techniques Complex computer models which simulate future events based on probabilities and multiple assumptions.
       • Turnover analysis Detailed examination as to why people leave an organisation (for example: retirement, resignation, illness, retrenchment, termination).
       • Markov analysis A mathematical technique used to forecast the availability of internal job applicants.
   • Qualitative methods
     • Use expert opinion (usually a line manager) to predict future needs and actions Focus on evaluations of employee performance, promotability and development.
       • Expert opinion Usually the line manager.
       • Delphi technique Independent, anonymous decision making, followed by collation of results and redistribution of information until consensus is reached.
       • Nominal group technique Independent ideas generation, presentation to the group and ranking of options.
       • Skills inventory - Consolidates information about all employees to identify those suitable for opportunities and assess short and long-term organisational requirements.
       • Replacement charts Visual representations of present incumbents and potential replacements (or lack thereof) for given positions. See next slide.
       • Succession planning

5. external trends

   • The ageing population
   • Increase in female participation rates
   • Immigration changes
   • Casualisation of the workforce - Contingent worker = temporary or part-time

6. Outsourcing

   • Subcontracting work to an outside company that specialises in and is more efficient at doing that kind of work. International outsourcing is called offshoring.

7. Exit management

   • Procedural justice: Process must be perceived by the management, employees and unions as fair, acceptable
   • Distributive justice: Termination package must be perceived by all parties as fair and equitable
   • Interactional justice: Terminated employees must be treated with dignity and respect