Introduction
Value creation activities that support a business’s strategy are what Human Resources concentrate on these days [1]. As a result, it is essential for business to recognise the contribution HR makes to maintaining competitive advantage (Upadhyay et al. 2016).
Human Resource Planning
Human resource planning is one of the processes that ensures a business gains and maintains its competitive edge. Chakraborty and Biswas [2] argue that HRP is essential to ensuring that every employee contributes to the goals of the organisation. Nankervis et al. ([3], p. 123) states that “HRP is organisations taking the steps to have the right people in the right place, with the right skills, at the right time and at the right price”.
Human Resource Planning is also called Workforce Planning
“Essentially, HRP is concerned with matching labour demand and labour supply projections within the internal and external contexts of organisations. Increasingly, astute human resource planners, rather than devising their plans in isolation, are involving organisational managers, employees, customers and suppliers in the formulation of their HR plans.” Nankervis [3] Pg 125.
My question in response to this quote is but where is the evidence for this and how do they go about involving all these other people?
Human Resource Planning usually involves a couple of key components including an Environmental Scan and a Labour Demand Forecast. The Environmental Scan uses a technique known as PESTEL analysis that considers six macro-environmental factors – political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. The Labour Demand Forecast estimates the number of employees will be required together with the skills required.
The HRP Process
This will vary according to the nature of internal and external labour markets and also the size and type of organisation, its products and services. It will also be dependent on the they types of work that people perform and how many employees exist in the organisation. A further consideration will be future trends in the potential use of new technology.
Diverse Workforce
All developed countries are demonstrating clear diversity in their workforces. Women are showing greater levels of participation as are different ethnic groups and migrants. Despite women making up the bulk of the workforce at 61.4%, hours worked was much less than men. The statistics are available for all levels of diversity.
With the increase in the retirement age in several nations, the aged workforce will also increase in its demographic representation of the total workforce. It is expected to rise from 13.5% in 2010 to 28% in 2050.
Diversity in the workforce is a frequent topic in Australian society. Studies suggest that diversity brings new ideas, new perspectives and skills, stronger links with local communities and increased creativity, innovation and entrepreneurism.
Talent Attraction
The “War for Talent” is a term coined by McKinsey and Company. There is an extreme shortage of top talent in some areas. HR needs to find ways to compete for the best and this shouldn’t always be about pay. It’s more about packages in my view. Talented human beings possess two characteristics. The first is their current work performance which includes their qualifications and skills. The second is their future potential.
Talent assessment and selection process
Although there a wide range of tools to select successful applicants, none are perfect according to Nankervis et al. [3]. All have strengths and weaknesses. AI is more widespread in the selection process these days. Standard procedures are also essential in assessing applicants so that there is equity and consistency in the process. How would you feel being interviewed by a robot for a job?
Although the interview is probably the most common of all selection tools, most interviewers are not trained in interview techniques around job selection. They will allow their subjective selves to be influenced by such things as dress, appearance, race, colour and even connection. People applying are not asked to perform the skill relating to the job for which they are applying. They just talk about it and their experience [3].
Conclusion
There is no doubt that we are seeing considerable disruption in workforces at present in this post Covid period. Terms coined include the “Great Resignation”, the “Great Re-evaluation” and the “Great Rethink”. Covid has certainly sat people and organisations back on their haunches and forced them the rethink the employment model. As with any strategic rethink, only good can eventually come of this for all parties involved. The potential here is for people and organisations to become more productive and people to lead happier and more fulfilling lives.
References- Biswas, W & Chakraborty, D 2019, ‘Impact of organizational values, compassion, and well-being on industrial disputes: An empirical study’, Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 36-51, DOI:10.17010/pijom/2019/v12i1/141427.[↩]
- Chakraborty, D & Biswas, W 2019, ‘Evaluating the impact of human resource planning programs in addressing the strategic goal of the firm: An organizational perspective’, Journal of Advances in Management Research, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 659-682, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-01-2019-0007.[↩]
- Nankervis, A, Baird, M, Coffey, J & Shields, J 2020, Human resource management: Strategy and practice, 10th edn, Cengage, South Melbourne.[↩][↩][↩][↩]
