Human Resource Planning

     Human resource planning is the process by which managers ensure that they have the right number and kinds of capable people in the right places and at the right times.  Through planning, organizations avoid sudden people shortages and surpluses.  Human resource planning entails two steps, including assessing current human resources and meeting future human resource needs.  In current assessment, managers begin HR planning by taking inventory of the current employees.  An important part of a current assessment is job analysis, an assessment that defines a job and the behaviors necessary to perform it.  By using the information from job analysis, managers develop or revise job descriptions and job specification.  A job description is a written statement that describes a job, typically job content, environment, and conditions of employment.  A job specification states the minimum qualifications that a person must possess to successfully perform a given job. Both of the job description and job specification are important documents when managers recruit and select employees.  On the other hand, future HR needs are determined by the organization’s mission, goals, and strategies.  Demand for employees results from the demand for the organization’s products or services.

     Recruitment is a process of locating, identifying and attracting capable applicants.  Some organizations have interesting approaches to finding employees.  Although online recruiting is popular and allows organizations to identify applicants inexpensively and quickly, applicant quality may not be as good as that found using other sources.  Employee referrals generally produce the best candidates because current employees know both the job and the person being recommended, they tend to refer applicants who are well qualified.  In contrast, if HR planning shows a surplus of employees, managers may want to reduce the organization’s workforce through decruitment.

     Selection is screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired.  It involves predicting which applicants will be successful if hired.  A decision is correct when the applicant was predicted to be successful and proved to be successful on the job, or when the applicant was predicted to be unsuccessful and was not hired.  A valid selection device is characterized by a proven relationship between the selection device and some relevant criterion.  A reliable selection device indicates that it measures the same thing consistently. Realistic Job Previewer is a preview of a job that provides both positive and negative information about the job and the company.

     Orientation is introducing a new employee to his or her job and the organization.  There are two types of orientation.  Work unit orientation familiarizes an employee with the goals of the work unit, clarifies how his or her job contributes to the unit’s goals, and includes an introduction to his or her new coworkers.  Organization orientation informs a new employee about the company’s goals, history, philosophy, procedures, and rules.  It should also include relevant HR policies and maybe even a tour of the facilities.

     Employee training is an important HRM activity.  As job demands change, employee skills have to change.  There are two major types of training that organizations provide.  The general training includes communication skills, computer systems application and programming, customer service, executive development, management skills and development, personal growth, sales, supervisor skills, and technological skills and knowledge.  On the contrary, specific training includes basic life-work skills, creativity, customer education, diversity, cultural awareness, remedial writing, managing change, leadership, product knowledge, public speaking, safety, ethics, sexual harassment, team building, wellness and others.  Although employee training can be done in traditional ways, many organizations are increasingly relying on technology-based training methods because of their accessibility, cost, and ability to deliver information.