The Disadvantage of the Human Resource Planning Process - Coursework Example

Human Resource Planning “It is not enough to understand what we ought to be, unless we know what we are; and we do not understand what we are, unless we know what we ought to be”, once said TS Elliot. This line is most relevant in an understanding of the human resource management scenario in the corporate world today. A commercially viable and a successful venture needs to look into a strong and well-meaning human resources management functions (HRM). HRM is constituted by a number of important variables which act as stout foundations so as to enable the management to build and run the venture successfully. HRM plans that are developed thoughtfully keeping in view correct methodologies go a long way in establishing a quality business. In other words HR maintenance plans assure a quality outputs in organisations (Mitchell, 2001). Since a number of variables go into the making of HRM, the fields thereof are often complex in nature and overlap and intertwine with the management strategies that define the overall extent, implementation and reach of any venture. Needs pertaining to staffing, training and recruitment fall into this domain, as do retention of best employees, reduced attrition rates, value for money, and deliverance of high performances..  Not only that, it is also one of duties of HRM to look into issues that arise out of lack of employee performance. It is important for HRM to check whether or not management and personnel practices are conformed to various regulations within the business (McNamara, 2001). Personnel policies, employee compensation and benefits, and correct employee record keeping are the benchmarks of an effective HR strategy, which also decides and deliberates upon the approach to be adopted pertaining to these elements of a company. While large businesses have full-fledged HR divisions to handle such activities, small business – which maybe nonprofit or forprofit – have to accomplish these activities in the absence of established Hr divisions as having HR divisions on their own can be expensive propositions. That, however, does not absolve these small businesses from having set of their stipulated regulations to which personnel policies conform. This report looks at the issue of planning in the management of human resources. The point to be understood is that in modern times where organisations are faced with budgeting requirements that need advanced planning, it becomes essential that the organisation is able to streamline its personnel management function to the overall goals, opportunities and threats of the organisation. To this tune then the assignment will look at analysing the role of an integrative approach towards the human resource management in the overall organisational functions. Here the paper will look at the importance of human resource planning like planning for other departments like operations and marketing and how this helps in achieving the larger organisational role. The act of identifying and subsequently quantifying resources pertaining to personnel and thereby assessing the needs that could arise in future in an organisational forms one of integral processes of human resource planning. Deficiencies that arise from the pool of resources, from within or outside of the company, attributable to many reasons like shortage of staff or paucity of capable recruits, issues pertaining to employee salaries, lack of training in case of existing personnel need also to be looked into by HR. The responsibility of identifying the loose ends and finding solutions to the related problems rests on HR so that companies achieve realistic targets. A capable strategy pertaining to human is essential to achieve this (Barney, 1995). Human capital, which means the individuals working in the organisation, are pivotal to the positive or negative changes they can bring into the same, and it is important for HR to understand the causes and nature of contribution this human capital can or cannot bring to the organisation. Individuals in an organisation pass through a HR cycle, and HR is supposed to follow the transition. The process itself needs recruitment and selection of the right people, the induction and orientation, by which they are introduced to the team, providing job descriptions which clarify their role, coaching and training activities, performance appraisal, and finally promotion and outplacement (Barney, 1995). Human resource planning has to understand individuals that are at the forefront of an organisation in terms of building it; it has to understand and recognise their aspirations and needs in a practical manner and even address the same. In other words the depth and reach of HR has to be wide and open. At a higher level, it has to understand issues from and address the same at the level of divisions and departments. For example, it needs to take consider the fact that organisations have succession requirements which it requires for future growth and people that would drive the same. Such a growth is normally steered by young talent which has enormous potential and needs the right push in an organisation to reach its highest echelons of power and potential and capability to take strategic decisions. The role of the staff and the structure is very important thus ensuring that its functioning is carried out in an efficient manner.  On part of the company, it is bound to take decisions regarding HR that harbor a strategic approach, which are in line with the overall company culture and are far away from being isolated in nature. System of feedbacks delivers the desired results in this regard. Feedbacks need to be sought both to and from the employees and the same go a long way in proper alignment of the company with respect to its employees (Massy, 1994). One important component of the strategic approach is the assessment of human resource environment both within and outside of the company the precincts of which an organisation is supposed to function. To accomplish this organisations are supposed to have processes and systems in place that are capable analysing the human resource situations and forecasting the requirements that the organisation is likely to faced with in future. It implies that the organisation must have a system in practice that does a employee competency audit, identifies a requirement and is ready to address it strategically (Das and Waqar, 2007). In order to achieve this, the traditional HR functions must not be bypassed by the strategic approach used in HR programs. Normally, this includes adherence to certain basic tools like turning employees’ personal goals in sync with that of the organisation’s and vice versa, use selection techniques that are competency-based, and manage employees by motivational methods. This is termed as human resource alignment. In all this approach takes into account multiple duties that include global environment assessment, assess staff competencies and further requirements, and the impact they can have on the decisions taken by HR (Schuller and Jackson, 2007). In human resources alignment decisions regarding people are taken such that their orientation is in sync with the results that an organisation is attempting to achive (US Office of Personnel Management Report, 1999). This all rests on how good are bad have the decisions been that are taken by HR managers, who are supposed to have a perfect knack of integrating missions and goals set by the organisation with the potential contained in its individuals (Hendry, 1995). Large organisation understand the impact HR has on such a integration and thus find it important to invest in human resource planning so that it is able to streamline its personnel resources to the overall allocations of the organisation. Also this process would mean that there is in place a better definition of roles for every stakeholder including the management and the employees. Also the process of human resource planning means that the process of training and career advancement for the employee is put in place so that the employees have a better chance to grow. It also helps eliminate partiality, top-level hierarchy and confusion, and results in better output. In an environment where top-level hierarchy is dominant and is left to make all the decisions, there is no delegation of authority. Human resource planning enables the process to be diverse, democratic and interactive. This is normally achieved by a ‘bottoms up’ approach in management and decision making, which is considered to be an effective tool that ensures maximum employee interaction and participation which ultimately results in reduced attrition rate and increased employee job satisfaction. This requires that the managers be converted from being theory X managers to theory Y managers who work on the assumption that employees are hard working and motivated rather than on a belief that they are lazy and self-seeking individuals. The disadvantage of the human resource planning process is that it comes with baggage, and ends up being inflexible, not allowing the organisation to change shape and structure in accordance with the demands of the time. Also it is a time consuming and expensive process wherein it is assumed that the department has the skill set to allocate work to every individual. This, might not, in many cases be correct. Here then the process becomes a liability than an asset. References Mitchell D J B, 2001, IR journal and conference literature from the 1960s to the 1990s: What can HR learn from it? Where is it headed? Human Resource Management Issue, Vol.11 No.4, pp375-393  Das H and Wagar T, 2007, Canadian Human Resource Management: A Strategic Approach (8th Ed.). McGraw-Hill Ryerson: Toronto, pp31-48  Hendry C, 1995, Human resource management: a strategic approach to employment, Edition: illustrated, reprint, pub, Butterworth-Heinemann, pp62-68  Massy R, 1994, Taking a Strategic Approach to Human Resource Management, Pub, Journal of Health Manpower Management, Vol.20 Issue5, pp27-30  McNamara C, 2001, Human Resource Management. Retrieved February 1, 2012   Barney J, 1991, Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage, pub, Journal of Management, Vol.17 No.1, pp99-120 Read More