Resource and Talent Planning in Human Resource Management - Essay Example

Question 2

Workforce planning, succession planning and career development planning are important concepts in Human Resource Management that help in developing an effective HR management strategy to achieve organisational objectives. They are related to each other because they involve managing people to achieve results. Furthermore, these activities help organisations in deploying a downsizing plan that will not affect employee performance negatively.

Workforce planning involves the process of recruiting, retaining and developing talented employees in the job market. It involves identifying the skills and human resource gap in the organisation and establishing appropriate mechanisms to select and develop the best talents to fill that gap. Workforce planning has also been defined as the systematic process of identifying and analysing organisational needs in terms of experience, type, size, quality, knowledge and skills of employees. From these definitions, it is clear that workforce planning core activity of human resource management that covers all areas concerning organisation’s workforce.

Workforce planning also involves the use of Human Resource Information Systems that enable the organisation to share information about talented people and develop career paths and opportunities for current employees (Mathis & Jackson, 2008). This activity enables an organisation to create business intelligence framework needed to identify the current and future effects of external and internal environment of the organisation allowing it to adapt to changes in the business environment to remain competitive in the market.

It is also essential to consider a strategic approach to workforce planning because strategic human resource planning of organisations are nowadays aligned to the overall strategic planning of the organisation to achieve overall objectives of the organisation. Strategic workforce planning could involve a forecast of up to five years aligned to business needs and outcomes. Operational workforce planning may cover a period of up to 18 months, and is aligned with the business planning cycle of the organisation.

Succession planning is also an important concept in human resource planning and management which refers to the process of identifying and developing potential managers and future leaders of the organisation. It also entails identifying and nurturing talented individuals in the organisation to fill critical positions in the organisation both in the short term and long term (Mathis & Jackson, 2008). Succession planning is also concerned with training and development and practical work experience.

From the definitions, it is clear that succession planning is related to workforce planning because they both involve training and development of employees to meet the business needs of the organization. However, succession planning promotes training and development for the purpose of preparing employees for future leadership and managerial positions. On the other hand, training and development in workforce planning targets improved skills, knowledge and experience at the workplace to improve overall performance and productivity of the workforce (Bradfield Group, 2014). Therefore, succession planning looks into the future and focuses on future leadership while workforce planning focuses on current and future performance of the entire workforce including leaders and employees.

Another unique aspect of succession planning is that it targets key positions or a pool of positions that require similar skills. Succession planning also covers senior positions and the successors of those positions (Bradfield Group, 2014). Therefore, only a few people in the organisation are involved in the succession planning process. On the other hand, workforce planning and career development planning involves everyone in the organisation and all positions regardless of the department or management level. ADCO Company uses succession planning to identify people with the right skills to fill top positions in the organisation. As part of the human resource management process, the company calls people to work on specific projects in groups where they are developed and potential leaders are identified to succeed top leaders.

Career development planning also relates to both succession planning and workforce planning as part of human resource management activities. One of the major success factors of organisations is the ability to develop talents to meet the business needs of the organisation and the changing demands of the current world economy (Mathis and Jackson, 2008). Career development planning involves aligning the organisation’s needs with individual career goals and interests. It is a continuous process of acquiring knowledge and improving skills of employees to grow professionally and advance their career. In this process, employees are trained to meet organisational needs while improving their potential and trying to pursue their personal career paths.

Fig 1: Career Development (Sarantinos, 2007).

The figure shows that career development planning is used by organisations to reconcile the overlap between the organisation needs and individual interests. Organisation needs may arise from gaps in competencies, new strategic activities, and opportunities to fill gaps arising in the organisation. The need to fill open positions is related to succession planning because it allows the company to develop talents that can succeed leaders and managers in those positions (Bradfield Group, 2014). However it differs from workforce planning and succession planning because it focuses on individual career goals of employees rather than organisational roles, needs and interests. Organisation needs should be aligned with individual career interests and annual goals through development planning.

The three activities of workforce planning, succession planning and career development planning are used together to achieve organisational goals and provide opportunities for individual growth among employees. Each of these three HR activities could be relevant for an organisation that is anticipating downsize over the coming three years. For instance, workforce planning enables an organisation to identify the employees who are performing poorly and contribute more costs than productivity to the organisation (Cannon and McGee, 2007). For example, ADCO’s value of people development requires employees to be highly competent to improve the image and performance of the company. This standard can be used to determining performing and non-performing employees who will be affected by downsizing.

Succession planning can also be used in developing a downsizing plan because it allows the company to prepare managers to take up positions that are affected by downsizing, and allow them to cope with the changes that may affect their business lines during downsizing. For example, a marketing line manager may be identified as a non-performing manager so he could be affected by the downsizing plan (Bradfield Group, 2014). Other employees in the HR department could be trained to develop leadership skills to take up that role. Furthermore, career development allows the company to align individual career roles with the needs of the organisation to prepare employees for future roles. For example, if employees are expected to be downsized in the marketing department, other marketers will be developed to align their career goals with the competencies and roles required in the positions left by the outgoing employees.

Question 4: best practice in the field of recruitment and selection

Best practice in the field of recruitment and selection refers to the effective HR activities and strategies used by organisations to attract and retain the most effective and best qualified employees. Modern organisations operate in competitive markets where skills and talent of employees are essential for developing good business ideas, operations, processes and strategies to promote competitive advantage and profitability (Bradfield Group, 2014). Therefore, it is important to use appropriate approaches to identify and select the best talents that fit the organisational culture and business needs of the organisation.

One of the ways to identify the right talent is to identify the external and internal factors that may affect the recruitment and selection process. For example, an organization like ADCO Company should examine consumer behaviours to identify the drivers of good relationship between the employees and consumers. In ADCO company, communication is essential to meet create the right corporate image with external stakeholders. Therefore, it is necessary for the company to recruit employees with good communication skills to fit into the corporate culture of the company. From this example, it is clear that companies should understand the needs of the external environment before hiring employees so that the employees hired can meet those needs. The internal factors such as business objectives, open positions and competences required should also be considered before hiring an employee (Bradfield Group, 2014). The attitudes, interests, academic qualifications and experiences of employees should match the specific needs of the position to be filled and the overall objectives of the organisation. Therefore, analysing the external and internal environment of the business is an essential best practice in recruitment and selection that can lead to the attraction and retention of best talents and effective employees.

Secondly, a company should use both internal and external sourcing as selection methods. It is through these methods that the best talents can be recruited to deliver results for a particular organization. By doing internal sourcing, a vacant position can be advertised to the existing employees. This is a cost effective method because no training programs will be required as the candidates are conversant with the duties and responsibilities of the advertised position (Sarantinos, 2007). Advertising expenses and running of background checks will not also be necessary. Through external sourcing, candidates can be searched via reliable external tools for recruitment such as trade publications, job boards and advertisements via newspapers. This method is common in the scenario where the existing organization’s employees do not have the credentials that are relevant enough to fill the vacant position. It is the responsibility of the company’s management to determine the scenarios on when to apply any of the aforementioned methods. Choosing the appropriate method would foster best practice (Mathis, 2008).

Furthermore, an organisation should develop a competency framework that will enable it to recruit employees who can demonstrate high levels of performance outputs to boost productivity and achieve the organisation’s objectives. Competency framework refers to the process of setting and defining competencies required by individuals in an organisation to perform their duties and represent the vision and mission of the organisation effectively (Bradfield Group, 2014). A competency framework would establish the levels of competencies such as problem-solving, communication skills, time management, people management, customer service and team skills. The organisation should identify competency gaps to determine which kind of employees to recruit and how to train new and existing employees to bridge those competency gaps.

ADCO Company does not have a competency framework but it is committed to developing employee competencies through its focus on people development and technology approach in its management and operations. As part of its values, ADCO Company states that it is committed to excellent performance. This commitment is implemented through the use of technologies, teams and training at the workplace. The company would improve its focus building key competencies by developing a competency framework that identifying current competencies required in the organisation and rating each employee’s performance in terms of those competencies (Bradfield Group, 2014).

Best-practice in short listing candidates may also be used by organisations to attract the best talent. One of the best-practice techniques of short listing candidates is to use a standard application form. The format of the application form and the information collected from candidates should be standardised to reduce subjectivity in the recruitment process and give equal opportunity for all candidates to demonstrate and exercise their abilities to meet the needs and objectives of the organisation (Bradfield Group, 2014). For example, ADCO Company uses a standard application form to capture the abilities of employees in terms of integrity and honesty, performance potential, IT knowledge and commitment at work. All candidates with a potential of meeting this criterion are shortlisted without bias to allow them defend their abilities, hence the company can select the best candidate who fits into the culture and needs of the organisation.

Best practice recruitment and selection process should also include a proper selection process that focuses on merit and other employment process. The selection process involves interviewing and assessment tests used to determine whether a candidate is suitable for the organisation and whether he or she can fit into the culture of the organisation (Cannon and McGee, 2007). For example, ADCO Company may conduct an interview to determine the right candidate who can promote the values of honesty and integrity and excellent performance. Best practice selection process should focus on behaviourally oriented interviews in which the interview questions are asked to allow the candidate to demonstrate his or her past behaviour and determine whether they meet the key success factors of the organisation.

Best practice in selection also entails developing a job analysis that follows systematic steps such as understanding the task, understanding the job, developing selection criteria, and reviewing the description of the position (Sarantinos, 2007). A company like ADCO should identify tasks that could be performed on a job by interviewing experts or using internet databases. These tasks should then be assessed by focusing on key success factors to understand the job position that needs to be advertised. In step three, the company should develop clear key success factors to determine the employees who possess the required skills and capabilities to meet those key success factors. Lastly, the job description needs to be reviewed to reflect the key success factors. These four steps of job analysis are relevant for ADCO because the company is committed to excellent performance and employee development, which are important human resource practices in selecting employees to meet the needs of the organisation.

Question 6: Legal requirements and good practice in the management of dismissals, redundancies and retirements

ADCO Company is concerned with the wellbeing of its employees so much that redundancies and dismissals are avoided and handled with great care. This approach is consistent with the legal requirements and good practice in the management of dismissals, redundancies and retirements in the UK. Dismissal of employees occurs when an employer terminates the employment contract or when a fixed term of contract comes to an end.

According to CIPD (2014), the redundancy process begins when an employee job disappears or when he or she is made redundant. In most cases, the major reason why most employees are made redundant by their employees is because the organization may be trying to adopt some policies that are aimed at cutting cost, closing the business or relocating to another place (Sarantinos, 2007). However, there are other redundancy processes that are constructive in nature. For instance, in a case where employer uses fair means in deciding on whom to lose their jobs through disciplinary records or job experience.

Dismissal may also occur when an employee decides to leave willingly with or without giving notice to the employer. The main reason for fair dismissal is when an employer dismisses his or her employee due to grounds of personal conduct (Dessler, 2011). As long as an employer has followed the above reasons to dismiss an employee, the dismissal is always considered to be fair (Sarantinos, 2007). However, wrongful or unfair dismissal may occur when the employer terminates the employment contract in a way that breaches the contract. The main reason for unfair dismissal is related to employee practising his or her personal rights like representation or attending family matters. In the UK, unfair dismissal law recognizes the fact that employees have the right to be treated fairly by their employers (Bradfield Group, 2014). Employees can make successful claims of unfair dismissal by demonstrating that they have been dismissed unfairly for a specific reason. There are five valid reasons for dismissals before the end of an employment contract: capability or qualifications, illegality, conduct, redundancy and other substantial reason. ADCO Company has rules and regulations that guide the operations of employees at the workplace in order to improve performance and productivity. Failure to follow such regulations may lead to dismissal based on illegal reason.

Laws governing retirement age can also affect the human resource management practices of ADCO Company. The UK law under the Employment Equality Regulations of 2011 provides employers with the opportunity to impose a compulsory retirement age as long as it can be justified objectively (Bradfield Group, 2014). For example, air traffic controllers and police officers are critical professional positions that would require employers to set a compulsory retirement age. For the case of ADCO Company, the operations oil mines could be dangerous beyond certain ages because they would accelerate old age illnesses and conditions; hence hindering employee performance. In this regard, the company can lawfully provide a compulsory retirement age as required under the Employment Equality Regulations 2011.

The law suggests that employers should demonstrate a legitimate aim for compulsory retirement. The legitimate aim of ADCO Company is that the retirement age is a health issue. This claim is based on the company’s focus on the wellbeing of employees. The company complies with the UK law because it provides a legitimate aim of associating health with old age and protecting the welfare of employees. The UK law also requires that the retirement should be a proportionate means of achieving that aim (Gov.UK, 2016). Employers are required to provide evidence that older age is related to health problems, and that retirement is a proportionate means of solving the problem. Indeed, ADCO Company shows that it is concerned with happy and healthy living among its employees, and that retirement helps old-aged people to rest and avoid exposure to risky environment.

A proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim includes the actions of an employer that helps to fulfill the aims defined by the employer (CIPD, 2016). Employer’s actions on such situations are necessary because there no other alternative reasons to achieve the aim. For old age people, retirement is the best action because there is no other way to avoid health issues that come with old age in a critical work environment like oil mining. Therefore, the company is compliant with the UK law on retirement.

Employers are also allowed legally to decide retirements individually rather than setting a compulsory retirement age. However, the reason for individualized retirement should be justified objectively by the employer. The employer should provide a proper, systematic, fair and just mechanism of deciding retirements for individuals under existing rules. ADCO currently provides a standardised method of retirement rather than individually retiring employees. This HR practice allows the company to provide a fair and just way of retiring employees, hence boosting employee satisfaction and performance at the workplace (Gov.UK, 2016). Before retiring an individual, the company needs to follow the right procedure and ensure that there is a potentially good reason – one of the five reasons provided by the Employment Rights Act of UK 1996.

ADCO does not clearly show how it manages redundancies because there are practically little issues of redundancies in the company. However, it uses best practices in HR management to ensure that employees are motivated and retained in the long term. According to CIPD (2016), companies should use best practices to determine who to retain, who to dismiss and how to develop existing talents to meet the needs of the company. The UK laws also require proper planning whereby the company is required to identify the needs and rationale for change in the company to promote openness and transparency throughout the redundancy process. Sufficient time should also be provided for the HR managers to make consultations with individuals and conduct job evaluations to ensure that the redundancy is justifiable and fair (Gov.UK 2016). ADCO Company has an employee development programme that ensures that employees are trained and motivated to meet the organisation needs and meet their career goals. This programme is intended to develop employees who show excellent performance in all their work. This process reduces redundancies and enables employees to appreciate issues of redundancies and support the company in case of a redundancy.