Subject: HRM Assignment Topic: Process of Human Resource Planning

Process of Human Resource Planning/Assessing Human Resource Requirements: The major stages involved in human resource planning are given below:

Environmental Scanning: Environmental scanning is used by HR planners to identify and anticipate sources of problems, threats and opportunities. It helps in conducting HR planning for the organization by providing an understanding of its context. The context involves both external and internal environment, which must be scanned for effective HR planning. The scanning provides information, which can be used to change the problem into an opportunity by reducing, or even eliminating, the ambiguity facing the organization. While the scanning of external environment provides information relating to competitors and labor market regulations, the scanning of internal environment enables HR planners to understand the company's strategy, technology and culture. The understanding of national as well as global labor market for the search of low cost but high quality work force is also important. Analyzing Organizational Plans: First of all, the objectives and strategic plans of the company are analyzed. Plans concerning technology, production, marketing, finance, expansion and diversification give an idea about the volume of future work activity. Each plan can further be analyzed into sub-plans and detailed programmes. It is also necessary to decide the time horizon for which human resource plans are to be prepared. The future organization structure and job design should be made clear and changes in the organizational structure should be examined so as to anticipate its HR requirements. It is necessary to study business plans because all HR plans stem from business plans relating to nature, level and organization of activity. A company's plans are based on economic forecast, company's sales and expansion forecast, and the labor market forecast. Forecasting Demand for Human Resources: On the basis of corporate and functional plans, and future activity levels, the future needs for human resources in the organization are anticipated. The number of people and the skill levels needed in future depend on the production and sales budgets I a manufacturing enterprise. But the human resource requirements for a given level of operations vary depending upon the production technology, process, make or buy decisions, job contents, behaviour patterns, and control systems. It is necessary to make projections for new positions to be created and the vacancies arising in current HR. Job analysis and forecasts of future activity levels help in human resource forecasting. Techniques employed in HR forecasting are as follows: Managerial Judgment: Under this method experienced managers estimate the HR requirements for their respective departments on the basis of their knowledge of expected future workload and employee efficiency. These departmental estimates are then aggregated and approved by top management. This is very simple and time-saving method. But it quite subjective and is, therefore, suitable only for small firms. The estimates based on experience can be refined to some extent with the assistance of work study, O & M and personnel experts. This method helps in judging the influence of informal group norms on HR needs. Work-study Method: In this method, time and motion study are used to analyze and measure the work being done. With the help of such studies standard time required per unit of work is decided. Ratio-Trend Analysis: Under this method ratios (e.g., total output/number of workers, total sales volume/number of sales persons, direct workers/indirect workers), are calculated on the basis of past data. Future rations are calculated on the basis of time series

analysis/extrapolation, after making allowances for expected changes in organization, methods and jobs. Extrapolation or projections is mathematical extensions of past data into the future time period. Moving averages and exponential smoothing can be used for projections. ON the basis of established ratios, the demand for human resources is estimated. Mathematical Models: A mathematical model expresses the relationship between independent variables (e.g., investment, production, sales, etc.) and dependent variable (e.g., number of employees required). In other words, various factors influencing HR needs are expressed in the form of a formula. Several types of models, e.g., regression, optimization models, problabilistic models can be used. These are complex and appropriate only for large organizations. Future demand for human resources depends on several factors, some of which are given below. Employment Trends. Trends in the company's HR can be judges by comparing and analyzing the staff during the past five years. Replacement Needs. These depend on death, retirement, resignation, and termination of employees. These can be assessed on the basis of past experience and retirement situation in future. Productivity. Improvements in productivity influence HR requirements. Better utilization of existing HR is one method of securing gains in productivity. Work study techniques can be used to judge HR utilization and improvements therein. Automation and computerization is another method of productivity improvement. It will influence both the quantity and quality of HR required in future. Matching of skills with job requirements is the third method; Job analysis techniques are helpful in such matching. Absenteeism: While estimating demand for HR, the prevailing rte of absenteeism in the company should be considered. The rate of absenteeism can be calculated as follows. Absenteeism = Man days lost due to absenteeism ___________________________________________ Man days worked + Man days lost In case the rate of absenteeism is considered unduly high, steps should be taken to reduce it. Expansion and Growth. The company's growth plans and expansion programme should be carefully analyzed to judge their impact on HR requirements in future. Steps must be taken in time for procuring and developing the talent required to implement expansion and growth plans with out delay. (e) Delphi Technique: Named after the ancient Greek oracle at the city of Delphi, the Delphi technique is a method of forecasting personnel needs. It solicits estimates of personnel needs from a group of experts, usually managers. The HR Department act as intermediaries, summarize the varied responses and report the findings back to the experts. The experts are surveyed again after they receive this feedback. Summaries and surveys are repeated until the experts' opinions begin to agree. The agreement reached is the forecast of the personnel needs. The distinguishing feature of the Delphi technique is the absence of interaction among experts.

(f) Flow Models: Flow models are very frequently associated with forecasting personnel needs. The simplest one is called the Markov model. In this technique, the forecasters will: 1. Determine the time that should be covered. Shorter lengths of time are generally more accurate than longer ones. However, the time horizon depends on the length of the HR plan which, in turn, is determined by the strategic plan of the organization. 2. Establish categories, also called states, to which employees can be assigned. These categories must not overlap and must take into account every possible category to which an individual can be assigned. The number of states can neither be too large nor too small. 3. Count annual movements (also called 'flows') among states for several time periods. These states are defined as absorbing (gains or losses) or non-absorbing (no change in position levels or employment status). Losses include death or disability, absences, resignations, and retirements. Gains include hiring, rehiring, transfer and movement by position level. 4. Estimate the probability of transitions from one state to another based on past trends. Demand is a function of replacing those who make a transition; There are alternatives to the simple Markov model. One, called the semi_Markow, takes into account not just the category but also the tenure of individuals in each category. After all, likelihood of movement increases with tenure. Another method is called the vacancy model, which predicts probabilities of movement and number of vacancies. While semi-Markow model helps estimate movement among those whose situations and tenure are similar, the vacancy model produces the best results for an organization. Markov analysis is advantageous because it makes sense to decision makers. They can easily understand its underlying assumptions. They are, therefore, likely to accept results. The disadvantages include (i) heavy reliance on past-oriented data, which may not be accurate in periods of turbulent changes, and (ii) accuracy in forecasts about individuals is sacrificed to achieve accuracy across groups. Forecasting demand in HRP has two aspects quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative Aspects: Quantitative aspect is concerned with determining the number of employees required in a future period of time. Work load analysis and work force analysis are helpful in estimating the quantity of HR. Work Load Analysis: Under this analysis, the total work load of each department is estimated on the basis of sales forecasts, work schedules, growth rates, expansion plans, etc. As far as the workload of each department should be estimated in tangible units, so that it can be translated into HR. Work study technique is used to estimate how long a time an operation would take and the HR required per unit of output factors such as availability of raw materials and power, breakdown of machinery, strikes and lockouts, etc influence the factory operations. Workforce Analysis: All the existing workers are not likely to be available for work throughout the year, due to absenteeism and turnover. It is therefore necessary to make a provision for loss of current HR due to these factors. In order to estimate accurately the loss of current HR, analysis of the present work force is made. Such analysis will involve a

detailed study of past behavior, performance, and retirement date of each and every employee. This analysis is called workforce analysis. Qualitative Aspects: Skills Analysis. The quality of HR required varies from job to job. Therefore, the quality of employees required for a job can be determined only after determining the job requirements. To know the requirements of a particular job, a job analysis is made. Job analysis is the process of analyzing a job so as to collect all pertinent facts bt he job in terms of duties and responsibilities and qualifications needed for the successful performance of a job. Forecasting Supply of Human Resources: Every organization has two sources of supply of human resources internal and external. Internally, human resources can be obtained for certain posts through promotions and transfers. Human resources flow in an out of organization due to several reasons. Polices relating to these aspects need to be reviewed regularly to judge their impact on the internal supply of human resources. In order to judge the inside supply of human resources in future, human resources inventory/Human resource audit is necessary. This contains data about the current or present human resources. Its main components are as follows: Head counts, i.e., total number of people employed, department wise, skirl wise, payroll wise, sex wise., etc. Job family inventory, i.e., number of employees in each job e.g. clerks, typists, cashiers, etc. Age inventory i.e. age wise classification of employee Skill inventory containing data about the education, skills, experience, past performance, work preference and potential/fitness for promotion. HR inventory helps in determining and evaluating the quantity and quality of the internal human resources, it reveals what exists in stock of HR and what can be expected in future. It also indicates the possible shortfalls I comparison with expansion requirements and the future organization structure. Detailed bio-data of every employee provides the foundation for a program of individual development. Some organizations maintain a Manning tale which is a job wise list of employee. Expected Loss of HR. Once the present human resources arc assessed the changes likely to occur therein can be estimated. Potential issues of human resources can arise in the form of resignations, dismissals, deaths retrenchments/lay offs, terminations, promotions, demotion, transfers, etc. Thus, future HR needs of an organization depend on the number of employees required due to loss of current HR and the additional staff needed due to anticipated expansion of the organization. 5. Estimating HR Gaps. Net human resources requirements or HR gaps can be identified by comparing demand forecasts and supply forecasts. Such comparison will reveal either deficit or surplus of human resource in future. Employees estimated to be

deficient can be trained whereas employees with higher skills may be given more enriched jobs. 6. Action Planning. Once the HR gaps are identified, plans are prepared to bridge these gaps. Plans to meet surplus HR may be redeployment in other departments/units and retrenchment in consultation with the trade unions. Deficit can be met through recruitment, selection, transfer, promotion, and training plans. All the action plans are summarized below: 1. Recruitment Plan (a) Number and types of persons required. (b) Time Periods when required. (c) Possible sources of recruitment. (d) Selection techniques to be used. (e) Any special problems anticipated and how they are. 2. REployment Plan (a) Transferring to other units. (b)Retraining for new jobs. 3. Redundancy Plan (a) Number and names of the redundants. (b) Departments/units where redundancy exist. (c) Time of redundancy. (d) Retraining whenever possible. (e) Voluntary separation. (f) Retrenchment and layoff. 4. Promotion Plan (a) Ration of promotion to external recruits. (b) Basis of promotion. (c) Reservations, if any, in promotion. 5. Transfer Plan. a) Transfer policy and rules. b) Channels of transfer. 6. Training and Development Plan a) Number of people to be trained. b) Existing employees to be retrained. c) Skill areas for training. d) Availability of trainers. e) Methods of training. f) Training period g) New course to be developed and changes to be made in existing courses.

7. Productivity Plan (a) Work simplication (b) Mechanization and automation (c) Job redesign. (d) Training and refresher training (e) Incentives and profit-sharing schemes. (f) Participation. (g) Productivity bargaining. 8. Retention Plan (a) Improving compensation levels. (b) Providing opportunities for career development. (c) Changes in work requirements. (d) Opportunity for participation. 7. Monitoring and control and evaluation: This final step is undertaken to monitor the effectiveness of HR Plans over a time span. It involves identification of deviations from the once the actions plans are implemented, the human resource structure and system need to be reviewed and regulated. Monitoring and control phase involves allocation and utilization of human resources over time. Review of HR plans and programmes helps to reveal deficiencies. Corrective actions should be taken at the right time to remove the deficiencies. Conclusion Adherence to the above 7 steps may enable the company to place the right employees in the right job at the right time and at the lowest possible cost. It will provide the company with the means to pursue its competitive strategy and accomplish its mission. It will improve its ability to create and sustain competitive advantage and to cope with the problems, threats, and opportunities stemming from varied technological, social, political and environmental changes