Management Essay on Human Resource Planning

Extract from: EXAMINE THE VIEW THAT HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING EMBRACES THE WHOLE OF THE PERSONNEL FUNCTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.

…The above activities of the personnel function are all interrelated, e.g. there is little point in making recruitment plans when there is a lack of the required training facilities. HRP co-ordinates and combines personnel policies so that each helps the others in order to meet organisational objectives.

The HRP is a foundation from which the organisation can respond to development and change. It involves a flow of information which increases knowledge and awareness of problems and opportunities. Personnel activities become integrated together into a cohesive strategy which is linked to overall organisational objectives.

Most writers (e.g. McBeath, Vickerstaff, Pratt & Bennett) agree that the objectives of HRP (and the personnel function) should not be seen as separate from corporate objectives, since these are what create the work on which employment requirements are based.

Also, an appropriate HRP cannot be devised without detailed information and analysis of the organisation's structure/culture, strategies and relationships with the external environment.

It also requires support from top management, otherwise the effort required for successful HRP will be underestimated and it will not be easy to gain the necessary commitment and involvement from line managers.

Writers (e.g. Beach, Vickerstaff, McBeath, Pratt & Bennett) tend to agree that HRP should be a continuous activity subject to regular review and feedback, and that much of the work of implementing a HRP forms most of the everyday work of the personnel function.

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As Molander & Winterton (1994) conclude ‘HRP is all embracing'. It formulates personnel policies and plans, and can be seen as both determining and reflecting the corporate plan. It helps to maintain and improve the organisations ability to achieve corporate objectives through developing strategies to maximise the contribution of employees, (Newton, 1974)

As Cascio (1991) states, the overall effect of successful HRP will be a wiser and more efficient use of human resources.

However, according to Sisson & Timperley (1994), in the UK, HRP is unlikely to be successfully implemented in most organisations due to insufficient information in internal records, and lack of top management commitment. There is also the fact that HRP and personnel activities are not even considered to be vital to corporate planning.