HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING:

by R. H. Kent

The purpose of Human Resource Planning is to ensure that in the foreseeable future, for your business;

• the right people,
• with the right skills,
• are doing the right things,
• in the right place,
• at the right time.

Note that the result of HRP may not necessarily include additions or deletions to your workforce. Your business may very well stay the same size, and even with the same people. However, you should still anticipate that your changing markets and business environment will require changes in the skills, knowledge and activity of all your employees, including yourself.

HRP is the process of answering many questions about your business and your business environment, and then, based upon your best judgement, developing and implementing action plans.

Consider the following questions.

[1] For my business,what changes can I anticipate in:

• technology?
• procedures?
• the way jobs are done?
• new job activities?
• volume of product made or service rendered?
• how I must spend my time?

[2] For my business, can I identify:

• things I won't have the time to do?
• new things for me to do?
• current activities which should be purged or phased out?
• current activities or expenses not needed at all, or needed much less?

[3] Will I need to recruit, hire and train new employees:

• for new jobs?
• to replace current employees going to new jobs?
• to replace current employees leaving the business?

[4] What is the necessary lead time to recruit, hire and train these employees?

[5] How will the addition or deletion of staff impact the following?

For all Jobs:

• job descriptions
• procedures
• performance standards
• new interrelationships
• employee benefits
• job priorities
• availability of trained people
• training programs for new skills
• trainers for new skills

Legal and accounting costs

Policies related to:

• employee selection
• training
• replacement
• promotion
• relocation

New Facilities:

• office space
• desks and chairs
• storage
• equipment
• telephones
• furniture
• parking

New Location:

• zoning
• relocation costs

Change Issues:

• new customer relationships
• employee resistance to change
• change implementation schedule
• advertising the "change"

Cash Flow

Back to Table of Show Themes