How Workforce Planning May Contribute to Improving Organisational Outcomes - Essay Example

Workforce Planning) (Name) (Course) (Lecturer) (Date) Introduction Globally, workforce planning has continued to evolve through various levels of maturity in various organizations. Traditionally, workforce planning was primarily driven by budgets and finance which effectively resulted to budget-driven planning. Due to the need to gain clarity in different levels of workforce; to have a clear understanding of external and internal labour, workforce supply and mobility and market dynamics, the budget-driven planning developed into workforce analytics. As such, it has now evolved to become more developed and strategic in form of human capital planning a strategic workforce planning. In relation to the above, it is important to understand the term workforce planning as used in organizations. The term is said to describe all the planning procedures that are undertaken to ensure that a particular organization has acquired the right people, equipped with the right skills and at the right time (Baron et al. 2010). Simply put, workforce planning is primarily a methodical process that states or documents a particular direction that a certain area in the organization is expected to head therefore, providing managers with effective tools for making the right human resources and needs decisions; not only for now but also in the future. Indeed, many critiques agree to the fact that planning human resources needs is one the of the greatest challenge for most organizations as it takes into account various factors including budget and financial considerations, strategic plans, human resources, legislative governance and requirements, and environmental issues. As such, one may agree to the fact that workforce planning activities is simply a snapshot of exactly the place the human resource is at a given time and the kind of staffing that is required in the future. Indeed, it is quite hard to meet the set objectives of the organization if the talent and human resources needed in the future are not available. In regard to the above the paper seeks to critically analyze the contribution made by workforce planning in improving the organizational outcomes in the context of winning an Olympic gold. The paper will analyze this by focusing on managing the athletes which is an activity that will contribute to the achievement. This will be undertaken through people management and workforce planning lens. The paper will analyze the above having an understanding that workforce planning is all about predicting the future demands putting into place the right factors. Discussion Indeed, having an understanding that any organization working with sports in a particular country is set to win in the Olympic Games, it is important for such as organization to consider workforce planning. This is attributed to the fact that the organizational targets an Olympic gold as a future need. As such, it is required to analyze the imaginary gap between what an organization has and the future need. Of important to note is the fact that while analyzing the impact of workforce planning on the outcome of an organization, one cannot fail to mention the steps of analysis which are required in accomplishing the future functional requirements. It is also referred to as the demand forecast; and it has played a major role in ensuring that an organization is able to examine not only how the process will be carried out in future but also analyze the performance. This include assessing how the results will be as a result of introducing some changes such as technology advancement or other conditions including the social, political and economic ones. After the analysis, an organization is able to work on the skills, knowledge and abilities it has in order to carry out the task successfully. Under this, the workforce planning has had a significant impact in that it help an organization to be in a position to reveal the requirements, offering the management and personnel (athlete) with an understanding of the behaviors and important skills that are significant in the organization. This finally results to supply projection which basically depicts the actions that are significant in developing the athletes. Precisely, it is important to consider why the organizations indulge in workforce planning which include the fact that workforce in a critical concern in the current global economy; there is an increased challenge for organizations to have the right requirements in order to achieve not only the specific short term gains but also long term organizational objectives (Warren 2000). It is obvious that workforce planning has played a major role in ensuring that countries are able to attain gold medals in the Olympic Games. As perceived, most organizations under the Ministry of Sports in these countries have continued to employ factors that will result to obtaining the set objectives. According to Capelli (2009) workforce planning has assisted the organizational in various processes which are aimed at identifying, developing and retaining athletes who meet the requirement of the organizations. For example, the Australian Sports Commission, a statutory authority in Sports portfolio has maintained this by delivering key programs that are significant in support Australian Government policy’s in relation to excelling in sports and bagging gold medals in the Olympics. However Newswire (2010) notes that in doing so, there is a need for the organization to have a clear articulated mission, vision cooperative and strategic objectives. Indeed, this may be argued to be true given that it has been perceived in most organizations that have successful applied workforce planning; that is, enough human resources in required to accomplish a mission (Hain-Cole 2009). As Smith et al (2010) assert, organizations have varying situations in a given period of time. For instance, in relation to the issue being discussed, there may be some long term objectives such as opening new training facilities or reducing the cost incurred in rehabilitating old stadiums. Still, the organizations may experience abrupt changes such as withdraw of sponsors for an upcoming sport events. With the above situations, the organization clearly set some objectives and goals and it is expected that the manager envision the different steps that are expected to be taken to bring the goals into a reality. Under this, workforce planning has provided a useful means of aligning the programs and organizational priority with the human and budgetary resources required to fulfill them. This has been perceived, in Kenya where programs related to management program and sports governance have been launched (CMD 2011). With these programs in place, it is expected that the organization in charge of this will indeed ensure the gold are bagged. Of importance to note, however, is the fact that most successful organizations have continually began with planning the processes through identifying strategic objectives as they understand that plans offer a excellent platform for justifying the budgets and other resources required that will ensure a clear connection between the goals, human resources and the budget (Syedain 2010). In relation to the above, workforce planning has enable organizations to be in excellent shape while dealing with unexpected and expected outcomes. Indeed, as Hertz et al. (2010) assert many organizations are having challenges in aligning financial performance, people requirements and business strategy. Still, it is not a surprise to discover that the initial main concern established by a changing environment is construction of a responsiveness that will primarily deal with the conditions which are competitive. According to Smith et al (2010) most employers assert that unpredictable economic environment is a growing workforce planning concern. It is obvious that workforce planning to some extent has enabled organizations to ‘shape’; that is, get better analytical and workforce information that are required to identify optimal shape. This ‘shape’ has permitted linear progression that is against objectives and is based on accurate forecast on the environment. Still, it has enabled organizations to be agile adaptable and flexible in coping with a crisis or discontinuity, or/ and unexpected opportunity. Dean (2010) agrees to the above and states that workforce plan indeed facilitate the growth of such thinking. Still, it has proven to have the capacity to address both a longer period development and brief period resourcing. It is important to note that the new workforce plan has introduced HR information which is said to be beyond the old complex one. As such, it has enabled organizations to strike balances between the long and short term shape. This is attributed to the fact that the organization is able to rely on this information. All organization related to sports; seek to control their costs without tainting their goals or competitiveness. This is tricky given that control of costs is parallel to increase in competitiveness. Nevertheless, it has been established that by offering workforce requirements, trends and patterns, workforce plan has informed the primary choices that a particular organization is expected to make. As such Warren (2000) correctly analyzes, a workforce plan has become a balance sheet whereby it balances the needs of the organizations with the available resources. Still, it offers a snapshot of the current position of the organization, human assets and their deployed. In addition, it provides dynamic between income and costs of labour; plotting them against the requirements for future performance of the organization. Using the above information, the workforce planning has enabled the organizations in creating and making selective and strategic decisions on where to invest so as to meet the future needs or attain the set objectives (Leavitt et al. 2010) Another improvement that has been contributed by a workforce planning in organization in order to get Olympic gold is by up skilling the organization and its personnel. As CIPD (2010) asserts, a workforce plan has allowed these organizations to identify the employees (athletes) strengths and be able to develop the areas that seem wanting. The planning workforce approach has significantly built a corporate agility which has greatly allowed dynamic perspective on building multi-skills in the organizations (Turner 2002). In relation to the above, workforce planning has indeed played a major role in influencing the function of the HR. According to Leavitt et al (2010) workforce planning has informed critical roles of the HR which include sustaining competitive advantage and maintaining operational and strategic objectives. It is obvious that without workforce planning it is not possible for an organization to make decision about its people. This attributed to the fact that a workforce plan is a suitable platform for an organization to make decision about its people. As Towells (2003) asserts, this is important given that a workforce plan does not primarily focus on labour turnout, or other data but on the information about people. As such, it has helped most organizations to relate to the employees skills that are needed to meet the objectives of the organization (Whittington 2006). It is important to note that workforce planning has positively influenced employee development. In the presented case, it has assisted in developing the career ladders of various athletes in different countries therefore, resulting to them attaining the Olympic gold. This has been possible due to the fact that it has helped the HR to critically identify skills exhibited by the athletes and be able to forecast the outcome. Primarily, it has assisted the organization in meeting its future needs. In conclusion, the importance of workforce planning cannot be overemphasized in a particular organization. This is attributed to the fact that it is a critical issue in relation to the performance of an organization. The paper has clearly laid down various contribution of workforce in an organizational outcome in relation to winning an Olympic gold. Basically, it has assisted these organizations in attaining the right personnel at the right time with the required resources in order to meet the set objectives. Therefore, it is important for other organizations to continue working towards maintain an excellent workforce plan. References Baron, A., Clake, R., Pass, S. And Turner, P 2010, Workforce planning: right people, right time, and right skills. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Capelli, P 2009, A supply chain approach to workforce planning. Organizational Dynamics , 38 (1): 1-22 CIPD. 2010, Resourcing and talent planning. Survey report. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CMD. 2011. CMD launches sport governance and management programs in Kenya. Nairobi : Center for Multiparty Democracy Dean, E. 2010, Skill mix and workforce planning to dominate debates at nursing summit. Nursing Standard 24: 22 Newswire. P 2010, Success Factors announces Inform’s 2010 Workforce Analytics and Planning Conference. 7 April; and Employers are using strategic workforce planning to help manage HR issues as the economic recovery progresses. 12 February. 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