Peer-Graded Assignment: Workforce Planning Application: Understanding Business Labor Challenges and Finding Effective Solutions
Peer-Graded Assignment: Workforce Planning Application: Understanding Business Labor Challenges and Finding Effective Solutions
Workforce planning is the process of balancing labour supply (skills) against the demand (numbers
needed). It includes analysing the current workforce, determining future workforce needs, identifying the
gap between the present and the future, and implementing solutions so that an organisation can
accomplish its mission, goals, and strategic plan. It’s about getting the right number of people with the
right skills employed in the right place at the right time, at the right cost and on the right contract to
deliver an organisation’s short and long-term objectives. Workforce planning can enable sustainable
organisation performance through better decision-making about the future people needs of the business.
Larger organisations may have dedicated workforce planning teams. Others may start the process
following a specific event such as a merger, acquisition or a transformational change project. But a focus
on broader workforce planning is important at any time. It can uncover obstacles or unrealistic targets that
could hinder strategic change, and provide solutions to mitigate risks to strategic objectives.
Federal and state workplace laws and regulations are external factors affecting human resource
management that require human resources to ensure the company is in compliance. Regulations can
influence how a company goes about hiring, training, compensating and even disciplining its workers,
and a misstep could result in sanctions against the company or even lawsuits filed by employees,
prospective employees, vendors and customers. An example is the Americans with Disabilities Act,
which in many cases creates the need for companies to modify their office configurations or provide other
reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
An internal factor that impacts human resources is the company's rate of current and projected growth.
Companies experiencing aggressive growth and rapid expansion may require its human resources
department to focus on recruitment and staffing. More stagnant companies may place a greater focus on
efforts on employee retention and improving the company's culture and workplace environment through
upgrading job descriptions and enhancing compensation and fringe benefits programs. Downsizing
companies may have to take the regrettable decision to lose some of its staff; a message that's often left to
HR to relay.
One of the key internal factors affecting human resource planning is the willingness for the HR
department and company management to use technology to aid in certain key human resources functions.
For example, companies that make greater use of tools such as online benefits management, where
employees can make changes to their benefit plans on their own, provide human resources workers with
more time to focus on other areas like recruiting or training and employee development. This can free up
a considerable amount of time and resources across the organization.
THE END.