Introduction
Human Resources Management is a very important aspect of an organization’s functions as it ensures that a company’s most valuable resource is properly catered for. Several studies has shown that proper human resource management in an organization is reflected in their many outcomes, hence, Human Resources Managers often adopt “strict” measures in dealings by improving on strategic technology and planning so as to remain relevant among their pers. According to a study by the International Business and Economics Research Journal, the challenges of Human Resources Development stems from the realization that a better Human Resource mean a better organizational performance, albeit they may not have a direct relationship.
Human Resource Management Functions
Some of the core functions of human resource management according to a BBC resource includes the method of selecting qualified candidates for the organization/firm, highlighting and filling in the training needs of current staff, making sure that the welfare of employees and employee relations are positive, ensure the working environment is conducive and safe for workers, and keeping up-to-date information and various regulatory and legislative issues in the working environment. An important aspect of human resources management is planning. Human Resource Planning ensures the most valuable resource of an organization is optimally utilized by a process of continuous planning, monitoring and evaluation. If successfully implemented, Human Resource Planning makes for the proper job description of each worker/employee and definition of their careers. It also makes them an integral part of an organization hence, they are able to pull off and harmonize their expectations and those of the organization (Suli, 2013). Human resource management deploys strategies and tact by human resource managers that ensures efficiency in the planning process. It is widely believed that an organization that hires employees who have enough qualifications accrues more profits in terms of quality and margin of produced products. In reality, better results would be achieved by an organization that tends to integrate their human resource to the operations of the organization.
Human Resource Planning
Human Resource Planning is one of the early steps in Human Resource Management it handles issues regarding an organization’s future human resource requirement, albeit this may not be evident at the moment, but it is a very vital step as it assures of an organization’s future and failure to take active steps in that direction may spell doom for any organization. It is also requires some technicalities on the side of Human Resources Managers who are charged with the responsibilities of proper planning, selecting the right people for the right jobs and developing them into an effective team and making adjustments as situation changes and as challenges presents itself.
Human resource planning is an organizational tool to identify skill and competency gaps and subsequently develop plans for the enhancement of skills and competencies in human resources to remain competitive. It is influenced by internal and external factors in a business environment.
Human resource planning should be an integral part of business planning. Anticipated changes in the activities and programmes of an organization are considered in the planning process.
By way of definition, Human Resource Planning is “The process that links the human resource needs of an organization to its strategic plan to ensure that staffing is sufficient, qualified, and competent enough to achieve the organization’s objectives” (Business Dictionary). It further states that Human Resource Planning is important to “maintaining competitive advantage and employee turnover.” There are 3 key elements of Human Resource Planning which are: forecasting staffing requirement, appraising present supply, and balancing projected requirements and supply.
Forecasting Staffing
Forecasting Staffing requirement is aimed at predicting the number of employees needed to run a business as well as their job descriptions. A couple of factors influence this element and they include: economic situation, internal business finances, the demand of your products and services and the growth expectations of your business. In appraising present supply, the Human Resource Manager looks into the internal and external staff and puts into consideration factors that can influence the demographics of the workforce that is available which include education, mobility, unemployment rate, government regulations etc.
The third element is the balance of supply and demand where a balance between the demand for employed and the supply is made and appropriate measure taken in case shortage or lack of manpower exists.
Importance of Human Resource Planning
Human resource planning has become increasingly important as organizations and companies continue to seek relevance in a highly competitive market. Organizations still have to survive and grow their business under these conditions. As market condition and economic environment changes, bringing up additional problems and challenges for management, the onus lies on Human Resource Managers to apply tactful means to cushion their effect on their organizations. The benefits of human resource planning are immense and cannot be overemphasized. It harmonizes an organization’s vision, mission and goals and objectives with its activities and provides for the future of any organization. Forecasting is vital in any organization. Organizations must learn to constantly evaluate the performance of its employees and effectively too. In summary, human resource planning aims at foreseeing and provision of human resources, manage external factors that affect an organization and balance them with internal factors as well as encourage the employees. If well applied, the sequel becomes secured future of such organization, reduced input cost as well as makes for highly talented staff.
Strategic Organizational Planning
Strategic organizational planning is related to Human resource planning in that both practices provides for the future of an organization. It is the method of identifying where an organization wants to be and working towards achieving such vision through a systematic design and implementation of relevant steps. Strategic planning more precisely, is a process for setting future directions, a means to reduce risk, a vehicle for training managers and direct supports, a process for making strategic decisions, a way to develop consensus among managers and direct supports and a means to develop a written long-range plan. If properly designed, it can serve as a framework for decisions or for securing support/approval, provide a basis for more detailed planning, explain the business to others in order to inform, motivate & involve, assist benchmarking & performance monitoring, stimulate change and become a building block for the next plan. Strategic planning presupposes that an organization examines the environment it is working and focus attention on the pressing problem and map effective problem solving strategies for those problems.
Organizational strategic planning often involves the following steps: conducting and internal survey on the current standing of the organization, taking into consideration their strengths and weaknesses, financial performance, human resources, comparative advantage and limitations, corporate culture, current positioning in the markets and the general overview of the company.
External Analysis
An external analysis is also done to determine close competitors, market trends (opportunities and threats), technological changes and their impact in an organization, regulatory and legislative polices and frameworks in the operating environment and indeed other external factors and their influences on the organization.
The information gathered in the above analysis are summarized and presented as a document for the human resource and/or organizational planning team to work on them.
Furthermore, the organizational strategy planning involves the development of a mission, vision, goals and objectives, core values and steps towards achieving them. The planners define what the organization is all about and set the priorities. Goal setting may be the most important step in the planning process as it focuses on critical elements in the success of any business. It also establishes a framework and basis for the development of the other key elements of the plan. The next phase is defining the objectives which are meant to support or promote the goals already set in the plan, and then strategies on how the goals and objectives that can be achieved are outlined.
Strategic technology is critical for the growth and/or survival of any company as it clearly outlines the blueprint, (i.e. the various procedures and technicalities) that spurs an organization or a company to greater height especially to remain relevant and compete among its peers. It is necessary to remark that a proper strategy plan would be reflected in a company’s output, it presupposes that organization that promotes experimentation, continuously monitors the environment, monitor her operations and accomplishments and is committed to continuously accelerate performance.
Human Resources Planning on the Example of Apple Inc.
A typical example of where proper Strategic Organizational Planning leads to business success is Apple Incorporation. It is one example of a successful enterprise.
Apple incorporation is company that has evolved into a multinational corporation. It designs and manufactures different types of computer programs and applications (like the MAC computers), computer electronics (like the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad) and the development of soft wares (like the Mac OS, iTunes etc). It is a model for the illustration of how a proper technological strategy plan and technological innovation leads to improved productivity. It was established on 1st April, 1976 by engineer founder Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and having its headquarters at 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, California 95014-2083. Apple is a perfect example of transformation of a company’s fortune occasioned by a proper technology strategy even when it had a very humble beginning.
Though established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, Apple was incorporated in January 3, 1977, and was previously named Apple Computer, Inc., for its first 30 years, but later on January 9, 2007 removed the word “Computer.” This was the current state of the company as it started venturing into other consumer electronics market though it still maintained the original business of manufacture of personal computers. As at 2012, Apple Inc. has about Seventy Two Thousand (72,000) workers on its payroll and by May, 2012, has over 400 retail stores at its disposal…
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