The Need of Human Resource Planning in Achievement of Business Strategy - Coursework Example

HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING IN BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS Student’s Name Course Tutor Date Human Resource Planning Introduction Human resource planning (HRP) refers to the process of organizational analysis of the needs of human resource in regard to developing adequate plans, systems and policies so as to satisfy the fundamental needs of organizational growth. It should essentially be in tandem with the strategic mission and goals of an organization. Effective management of human resource in business organisations is a skill that calls for constant and continuous planning as well as development. Human resource planning is therefore concerned with the maximum achievement of organisational objectives and goals through proper management of human capital. Lunenburg and Ornstein (2011) showed that management of human resource is characterised by numerous strategies that calls for democracy, a range of control and independency. It is in this aspect that human resource planning practices cannot in any way be reduced to a single set of operating and managerial guidelines that can essentially work for a range of business organisations. However, all human resource executives face more or less the same set of challenges in relation to management of objectives, resources and time in order to make sure that task are accomplished and ideas implemented in good time. The essay therefore discusses how human resource planning (HRP) can help an organization achieve its strategic business objectives as well as the need of undertaking human resource planning in the wake of numerous challenges and uncertainty in the modern business world. The Need of human resource planning in achievement of business strategy Increased competition in the wake of globalization has profoundly transformed organisational human resource strategic planning as well as implementation from a more traditional sequential to a concurrent process. Owing to the fundamental need of formulation and implementation of strategic plans, it is becoming clearer that the platform for synthesis of information and competence that all managers brings to brings in regard to a specific role essentially determine the ways of assessment and implementation of organisational structure and corporate strategy. In fact structure and strategy follow people and that is the reason why there has been constant need of seeking instrumental managers whose competencies and perspectives are in perfect match with the future needs of an organization. It has hence is emerging as a vital aspect in human resource strategic planning. According to Deb (2006), human resource managers in their planning needs should have full awareness of the critical need for development of noble sets of skills in the wake of heightened business competition in the modern business world. If organisational change is not correctly handled, it can with no doubt be more devastating than imagined. High managerial performance is reflected in the assessment, performance, action and discovery. It is well understood that a new shift on connecting the working ability of employees in any business organisation is paramount. Most human resource executives have a good knowledge of what should be done, but quite often falter in doing it. They mostly prefer to put themselves in the caliber of communicators as opposed to personnel managers, which results in inefficiency in utilisation of the available resources in relation to human resource planning practice and management theory literature. The fundamental root of human resource planning problems is primarily found in implementation. They are required to professionally acquire skills on how to motivate the workforce in order to build a team characterised by efficiency. Human resource planning (HRP) is therefore an instrumental management function of any business organisation. It entails the process of critically examining what should be done. Planning is the process of determining the organization's goals and objectives and making the provisions for their achievement. It involves choosing a clear path of action from possible alternatives. Human resource planning therefore involves determination of business organization aims, selection of the path of action, initiation of activities that are essential for transformation of plans into action and evaluation of the outcome. The types of human resource planning that human resource leaders get engaged in mostly depend on size as well as the type of organisation. In that aspect, the main features of planning encompass contingency, strategy and managerial. Contingency planning takes into consideration possible changes or problems that may be experienced in the future and offers adequate preparation for solving them in the event of their occurrence. Strategic planning on the other hand involves determination of the goals of the organization in relation to how they can be achieved. At times, tactical planning which concerns implementation of strategic plans includes the services of middle and lower cadres of management and it is in this sense that human resource planning is generally considered as micro-level process of planning. It is critical in combining organisational resources for the fulfillment of the intended objectives (Pynes 2008). A needs assessment is the right starting point for the initiation of a need in the development of organisational human resource plan. The planning process starts with the crafting of organisational philosophy that significantly consist of well defined statements describing organisational beliefs, values and attitudes. Policies, which are prerequisite to organisational decision making as they are crucial in establishing benchmarks within which appropriate action may be taken are necessary. As mentioned by Bramham (2007), human resource is therefore associated with formation of policies in two aspects. First, it plays a critical role in the implementation of business organisation policies. It also creates noble policies within organisational departments as beneficial guides for team work. Procedures should be well stipulated as steps to be followed by employees when taking a specific course of action. In essence, rules and regulations are used in the provision of definite and final instruction. According to Bohlander and Snell (2009), human resource planning in its broader context involves designing the future, imagining organizational success and expectation of problems. In fact, human resource and other types of organisational planning are necessary for any organization that has the urge of surviving in the competitive commercial environment. The important business functions of leadership, organisation, employee welfare as well as budgeting are some of the ways of ensuring business success and continuity. As mentioned by Haines and McKinlay (2007), although every manager is a planner, when it comes to organizations, formal planning out rightly differentiates professional managers from non-managers. Formal planning is the formidable force that compels human resource management to seriously think about the future, thus embark on priorities setting, articulation of objectives, promotion of creativity and laying focus to the future of the business. The organisational strategy that mostly works for many companies is generally the basis for the process of adequate planning in building networks and structures of internal and external human resources that promotes the culture of sharing information, technology as well as tools needed for development agenda and human resource planning. Resources and tools should be integrated into a system of consistent strategy as discussed by Stone (2005). It is also important to make sure that the planning process is legitimate creation of the organisation plan. Human resource strategic planning therefore should take place within the wider context of organisation strategic model of planning. There should be timely consultations in order to achieve a high utilisation of resources and tools for the achievement of functional goals. Such goals encompass creation and implementation of employee forecasting and inventory tool designed for departments. It also includes creation and consulting human resource management planning strategies and tools for business success (Winfield, Bishop & Porter 2004). An integral component of human resource planning also includes inventory and employee planning. It forms the arena where substantial amount of energy is more often than not spent since it is the most quantitative aspect planning undertakings. There has been a lot of confusion in regard to workforce planning as solely being the work of human resource planning, thus a notion that planning for the organisation in order to have the right numbers of employees at the appropriate time. Necessary to the success of any business organisation are components, strategies and development tools. Human resource planning strategies that are critical in business organization to achieve some remarkable levels of success includes becoming part of the business operations process and analysis of the organisation’s performance quantitatively. It is obvious that the management of a business should employ credible and useful workforce planning that should largely depend on the effectiveness of human resource capability that allows full concentration on forecasting and qualitative aspects of business organization management. The main essential building pillars characterising human resource planning therefore must include a comprehensive business plan and human resource information system. Example of how human resource planning can meet the staffing strategic needs of an organization Implementation of different and more inclusive approaches to matters of staffing can adequately result in high-quality work that is needed as well as expected by business organizations. It definitely starts by comprehensive definition of the entire objective for staffing. The objective here is to build a sufficient context that can assist in making decisions as opposed to future prediction. Managers should not attempt to predict future needs of recruiting more employees with certainty. They should neither define actions that should be taken to clear the challenges that may occur in the future. Instead, managers should in essence consider strategy of staffing as a longer-term activity that forms an effective platform in which decisions related to matter of employee recruitment can be made. It is a more realistic and achievable objective because the shorter-term focus may only serve to get the attention of those immediate managers who are required to perform as per the set targets (Schuler & Jackson 2007). Management theories and their relevance in human resource planning In relation to classical and neoclassical theories of organizations, it has been proposed that a business organization can effectively evolve in meeting the strategic needs of its human resource. This is due to the fact that organizations are expected to fundamentally act in a sequential and rational, manner so as to be in line with the environmental changes. Effectiveness is therefore a function of the ability of management to achieve flexibility in the ever-changing business environment. It is important to give organizational managers the mandate to make decisions that relates to human resource management as this can help in getting issues and solutions to the prevailing circumstances. On the other hand, Systems theory which has gained popularity in terms of application most recently stresses the fact that the components of a business organization have a lot of interrelationship, thus changing of a single variable might affect many others. Organizations should then be viewed as perfect examples of open systems. In regards to the organizational theories, the effectiveness of a human resource planning largely depends on many aspects, thus significance of the quality of decision as well as its general acceptance (Wood 2009). Conclusion Poor human resource planning as well as lack of it in an organization may lead to huge loses both in terms of finance and other related costs. This may be witnessed in vacant positions taking longer than usual to be filled, thus hampering organisational performance as staff members may be compelled to work overtime hence low output due to fatigue. Human resource planning should therefore aim at overcoming resistance to change and ensure designing and implementation of efficient and innovative management systems to upheld integrity and quality performance. It is meant to improve the organizational outlook, which is ideally reflected in the workforce so as to steer an organization to proper management of skills and human capital in the ever changing business world. Bibliography Bohlander, G & Snell, S. 2009, Managing Human Resources. Cengage Learning. Bramham, J. 2007. Human Resource Planning. Beekman Books Inc. Deb, T. 2006, Strategic Approach to Human Resource Management. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. Haines, G.H & McKinlay, J. 2007 Reinventing Strategic Planning: The Systems Thinking Approach. Systems Thinking Press. Lunenburg, F.C & C. Ornstein. 2011, Educational Administration: Concepts and Practices. Cengage Learning. Pynes, E J. 2008, Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Strategic Approach. John Wiley and Sons. Schuler, S.R & Jackson, E.S. 2007, Strategic human resource management. Wiley-Blackwell. Stone, R.J. 2005, Human Resource Management (5th ed.). Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia. Organisational Behaviour: A global perspective (3rd ed.). Winfield, P, Bishop, R., & Porter, K. 2004, Core Management for HR Students and Practitioners. (2nd edn). Butterworth/Heinemann. Wood, G. 2009, Human resource management: a critical approach. Taylor & Francis. Read More