HR Planning and Staffing: How are they connected?
We hear the statement: “HR Planning is the foundation of staffing under the new PSEA”.
But what does this mean and how do we make it happen?
Background
HR planning is a generic term that can have many different meanings. For the purposes
of this discussion, we mean the following:
HR planning is a process that identifies current and future human resources needs for an
organization to achieve its goals. It means forecasting an organization’s future demand
and supply for employees, based on its business needs; and subsequently developing and
employing the strategies required to meet these needs. It involves a gap analysis between
current HR supply and future demand. Strategies are then developed to address the gap
and may involve recruitment, internal staffing, development, training, contracting and
partnering, and activities relating to downsizing. “Forecasting future needs” implies
understanding the future business directions of the organization so that the HR needs can
be appropriately identified. HR planning can be conducted at the organization level or at
any component level but a key to success is always understanding and linking to business
direction.
HR Planning always starts with understanding the business needs of the
organization.
There may also be a need to further develop and refine plans for the strategies that are
going to be employed and this may result in separate, or integrated, staffing plans,
training plans etc.
But HR planning is more than just a numbers game: it also involves identifying the
organization’s HR management goals and expected results, identifying strategies and
activities to achieve those goals, and measuring organizational progress towards their
achievement. Organizations that engage in this level of planning do so because they are
aware of and want to profit from the direct, positive link between certain “good” human
resources management practices and overall organizational business performance.
HR management is more than just having the “right people in the right place at the
right time”. Its about instituting the people-related practices and activities that will
help the organization achieve, and improve, its business results. HR planning
identifies the needs and strategies in this regard.
We hear the statement: “HR Planning is the foundation of staffing under the new PSEA”.
But what does this mean and how do we make it happen?
Background
HR planning is a generic term that can have many different meanings. For the purposes
of this discussion, we mean the following:
HR planning is a process that identifies current and future human resources needs for an
organization to achieve its goals. It means forecasting an organization’s future demand
and supply for employees, based on its business needs; and subsequently developing and
employing the strategies required to meet these needs. It involves a gap analysis between
current HR supply and future demand. Strategies are then developed to address the gap
and may involve recruitment, internal staffing, development, training, contracting and
partnering, and activities relating to downsizing. “Forecasting future needs” implies
understanding the future business directions of the organization so that the HR needs can
be appropriately identified. HR planning can be conducted at the organization level or at
any component level but a key to success is always understanding and linking to business
direction.
HR Planning always starts with understanding the business needs of the
organization.
There may also be a need to further develop and refine plans for the strategies that are
going to be employed and this may result in separate, or integrated, staffing plans,
training plans etc.
But HR planning is more than just a numbers game: it also involves identifying the
organization’s HR management goals and expected results, identifying strategies and
activities to achieve those goals, and measuring organizational progress towards their
achievement. Organizations that engage in this level of planning do so because they are
aware of and want to profit from the direct, positive link between certain “good” human
resources management practices and overall organizational business performance.
HR management is more than just having the “right people in the right place at the
right time”. Its about instituting the people-related practices and activities that will
help the organization achieve, and improve, its business results. HR planning
identifies the needs and strategies in this regard.