Critical Evaluation for Adoption of Human Resource Planning in Organizations - Coursework Example

Introduction Human resource (HR) planning is primarily the process of identifying the appropriate personnel for the organizational opportunities at the proper time (Ulferts, Wirtz, & Peterson, 2009, p. 1). The planning process entails estimating the future human resource requirements of an organization and subsequently accomplishing the needs via providing the manpower available with it. This process is often the first to be handled in the recruitment and section process after job analysis. The HR planning process is often adopted in organizations because it helps to attract, develop and retain efficient employees (Richards, 2008, p. 446). The application of strategic human resource planning has a positive influence on the cost-effectiveness of personnel, employee productivity and the development of management resources. In Human resource planning, an organization identifies present and upcoming human resources that are needed for the organization to achieve its goals. This process serves as a link between the management of resources and the organization’s strategic plan. The arguments for and against organizations adopting HR planning are critically evaluated. Discussion Critical Evaluation for Adoption of Human Resource Planning in Organizations According to Reddy (2005, p. 45), human resource planning brings a positive impact on the performance of an organization. The process anticipates the number and kind of employees and the action plan that necessitates the operations of personnel management. Owing to its numerous benefits, human resource management is a necessity to all organizations. Operational areas of an organization such as diversification, technological change and expansion are supported by the availability of human resources. However, these fields are modified incase manpower is not available. According to Turner (2002, p. 161), human resource planning offsets change and uncertainty. Organizations are sometimes faced by a situation whereby they have money and machines but their productions are not effective due to lack of human resources. Such a scenario elucidates the fact that all organizations should strive to embrace human resource planning in their daily operations. Furthermore, through human resource planning the organization has the right manpower at the right place and time. Bandt & Haines (2004, p. 7) indicate that human resource planning provides the scope for development and advancement of employees through development and training. In development, the focus is on hiring, training and retaining the employees with the intent of achieving strategic objectives. The development process in human resource planning entails analyzing the present workforce and making a comparison with the employment needs of the future. Through future plans, human resources of an organization are able to prepare for action plans that satisfy the goals of the organization. Moreover, through focus on protocols and safety systems, development in human resource planning reduces the jeopardy of future employees. Safety programs ensure that workers are safe and costs emanating from absenteeism are ameliorated (Clardy, 2007, p. 341). According to Deb (2006, p. 28), human resource planning is a vital aspect of every organization. Human resource planning helps to assess the organization’s present and future plans. Human resource inventory and a forecast for the future demands of an organization’s human resources are provided through human resource planning. Training is an important aspect of any organization as it necessitates maintenance of a steady growth of productivity and lowers the cost of hiring fresh employees. Moreover, training is critical in maintaining the satisfaction levels of employees and fulfilling their ambitions of professional and personal growth. Human resource planning helps anticipate for costs such as salaries and the benefits. Through human resource planning, human resources’ costs that facilitate formulation of budgets in a society are considered. Moreover, human resource planning enhances forecasting for reorganizing and hiring needs in the short and long run. The forecasting methods employed in human resource planning include the use of past data to predict future staff. Moreover, organizations use survey, modeling and benchmarking techniques to estimate workforce numbers (Deb, 2006, p. 275). Døving & Nordhaug (2010, p.294) indicate that human resource planning is important in an organization’s staffing. It is through human resource planning that an organization manages to enhance the efficiency of its staff. Given that human resource planning entails analyzing the pressing needs in the business and the workforce trends of the future, the staff is usually put into consideration in every aspect. Through a thorough analysis of the organization’s staff, it becomes easier to project the skill level that is required to facilitate the organization’s operations. Moreover, another importance of human resource planning in an organization stems from the fact that it helps in providing a gap analysis, which reveals the kind of employees that are required by the organization and when these employees are to be hired. In absence of human resource planning, there are delays in optimizing on the right talents to fill the important positions. Subsequently, morale and productivity in an organization suffers greatly (Wei, Liu, Zhang, & Chiu, 2008, p. 782). Human resource planning helps to leverage technology. Recruitment of talented employees is not the only consideration that an organization should take but it should also turn human resources into a profit center requiring technology to manage people and processes. Using technology in human resource planning, an organization is able to use software programs, which greatly enhance the ability to manage compensation, benefits, recruitment and performance management. Contemporary technology is evolving to an extent that it can cut costs for payroll and facilitate project management. Moreover, technology has increased data collection, recordkeeping, information flow and reporting. The failure to adopt technology tools that are core in forecasting in human resource planning may lead to emergence of planning pitfalls (Ulferts, Wirtz, & Peterson, 2009, p. 2). Human resource planning helps in managing change. Although human resource professionals face a significant challenge in managing change, there is a direct relationship between change management and success in an organization’s operations. Every organization has to adequately plan for change and this is achieved through a communication strategy that is carefully crafted. Communication breakdowns result from employee disengagement, which is caused by poor human resource planning skills. An organization can suffer incase its employee’s morale decline because of confusion, frustration and betrayal from within the organization. Subsequently, the thriving of a disgruntled culture in an organization may result in a huge blow incase such news reach the public. This is because such organizations lose the talented employees to their competitors. Moreover, the remaining employees exhibit complacency, which causes a further decline in the company’s productivity (Lee, Lee, & Wu, 2010, p. 1354). Human resource planning minimizes risks in most of an organization’s operations. The human resource department carefully plans and executes employment audits hence avoiding government and lawsuits fines, which can heavily affect the organization’s undertakings. Planning for the aforementioned risks, helps to ameliorate the company’s exposure since the lack of regular audits may lead to proliferation of existing problems. In case an organization neglects to review its practices, government audits may reveal flaws and the consequences may affect the company’s public relations (Lee, Lee, & Wu, 2010, p. 1356). Critical Evaluation against Organizations Adopting Human Resource Planning Insufficient Realization of the HR Plans Even though several organizations across the world have demonstrated interest in adopting the HR planning, critical problems still exist within the organizations and the planning process, thereby seeking credence from the opponents of the HR planning process. The presence of the challenges and the issues hindering effective implementation of the HR planning affects its success. Multiple organizations have failed to realize sufficiently the significance of adopting HR plans. The top management in such organizations does not have a cohesive approach towards HR planning. Such organizations continually rely on the conventional HR practices in managing their HR (Durai, 2010, p. 125). As a result, they fail to realize the benefits of HR planning necessitated by the modern HR practices. These organizations are, therefore, against the adoption of HR planning citing lack of sufficient benefits and ineffectiveness of such processes. In addition, most of the medium and small organizations lack the commitment and concern for their future HR requirements. Consequently, these organizations are more concerned about their immediate business issues and challenges as opposed to their future HR needs (Durai, 2010, p. 125). Surplus Production of Workforce in the Labor Market Certain institutions and organizations are against the adoption of the HR plans because of the glut in the labor market. The surplus condition of human resource in the labor market renders the objective of HR planning to be ineffective. The excess supply of the workforce in the labor market has made some organizations prefer adopting short-term necessity-based approach in HR management instead of the long-term strategic approach that requires the HR planning process (Durai, 2010, p. 125). Ratnam and Srivastava (2004) argue that effective HR planning is affected by the chronic issue of surplus manpower, mainly in public sector (p. 65). The Union Resistance In certain areas, the workers and the labor unions perceive HR planning as an anti-labor mechanism. HR planning is viewed as an attempt by organizational management to overburden the employees and their respective unions with increased workload. Organizational employees in such areas increasingly perceive HR planning as a preface to subsequent undesirable actions, including lay offs and downsizing. Employees, thus, fail to support the efforts to realize the benefits of HR planning in their organizations, leading to a negative perception against the adoption of HR planning (Durai, 2010, p. 126). Misconceptions of Cost-Benefit Several employers are against the adoption of the HR planning in their organizations because of high labor costs related to the HR forecasting besides implementation of the plan, which are parts of the HR planning process. HR planning requires increased training needs, translating into higher costs, as a part of the plan. These requirements often increase the labor costs in organizations (Durai, 2010, p. 126). HR planning requires the adopting organization to conduct improvements and educational plans for its personnel by identifying the important and existing proficiencies (Barzoki, Esfahani, & Ahmad, 2012, p. 719). According to Døving and Nordhaug (2010) resource constraints hinder the adoption of HR planning in organizations because of the competition of scarce organizational resources by other functional areas (p. 295). Lack of Proper Coordination The desired effectiveness of the HR planning process is often not achieved or realized in organizations because of absence of coordination and proper support from the line managers. Nonetheless, HR planning is an integrated and organizational activity requiring complete cooperation as well as support and involvement from the organizational line managers. In contrast, the line managers in certain organizations against the adoption of HR planning consider the panning process a distraction and a responsibility of the HR managers (Durai, 2010, p. 126). The line managers are very fundamental to the realization of the HR processes and practices in an organization because they are tasked with implementing the practices, strategies and policies developed by the HR managers (Farnham, 2010, p. 12). There ought to be close working relations between the line managers and the HR practitioners to ensure efficacy and consistency. Uncertainty in the Future of Certain Organizations Uncertainty in organizations is an attribute related to the future. The HR plans are predominantly made for the future of the organizations, making the accuracy of the HR plans to be affected by the changes in organizational environment. The immediate relevance, besides the correctness of the HR plans, is affected by the regulations of the government, shifts in economic conditions and the technological environments. The majority of the HR practices and activities are decided based on the HR plans. A faulty and effective HR plans can lead to serious problems for the organizations. Generally, the uncertainties on the future of organizations make critics of HR plan to fail to adopt it because of the possibility of the objectives desired being met by these organizations (Durai, 2010, p. 126). The changing conditions need extensive forecast modifications, which some organizations do not adhere to due to the continual nature of the process and uncertainties (Fahed-Sreih, 2012, p. 30). Conclusion In summary, human resource planning has numerous benefits to an organization. Effective application of human resource planning influences employee productivity and leads to development of management resources. Through human resource planning, an organization is able to identify the present and upcoming human resources that are necessary for the future operations of the company. The arguments leveled against adopting HR planning in certain organizations include insufficient realization of the HR plans significance and the surplus production of workforce in labor market. In addition, organizations that are against the HR plan adoption cite the resistance of labor unions, misconceptions on the cost-benefit of the process, lack of proper coordination among the organizational line managers and the future uncertainty as the factors that hinder effectiveness of the plans. References Bandt, A. & Haines, S.G. (2004). Successful Strategic Human Resource Planning, Systems Thinking Press, San Diego. Barzoki, A.S., Esfahani, A.N. & Ahmad, R.Z. (2012). Studying Application Of Succession Planning Processes Components In Isfahan Melli Bank. Interdisciplinary Journal Of Contemporary Research In Business, Vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 718-734. Clardy, A. (2007). Strategy, Core Competencies and Human Resource Development. 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