Human Resource Planning

Question 1

two VERY important questions

Answer 1

what is the overall health of our human capital?

do we have the kind of people we need (and in the numbers that we need) to achieve our objectives?

Question 2

one way to think about jobs in orgs

Answer 2

yin: large # of job titles: small # of people in each job (ex. corporate)
(talent review/HR resource planning)

and yang: small # of job titles, large # of people in each job, example is plant/field operations (ex. plant/field operations)

Question 3

elements of forecasting HR needs

Answer 3

• determining labor demand (tied to demand for the product, external in nature)

Question 4

labor demand example (cars)

Answer 4

price of gas: low
demand for product: increase
labor demand: increases

OR

price of has: high
demand for product: decrease
labor demand: decrease

Question 5

determining labor supply

Answer 5

internal movements caused by transfers, promotions, turnover, retirements, etc.
- transitional matrices identify employees movements over time
- useful for AA/EEO purposes

Question 6

determining labor surplus or shortage

Answer 6

labor demand > labor supply? SHORTAGE

labor demand < labor supply? SURPLUS

Question 7

ways to reduce an expected labor shortage

Answer 7

• downsizing / fast speed / high suffering
• pay reductions / fast speed / high suffering
• demotions / fast speed / high suffering
• transfers / fast speed / moderate suffering
• work sharing / fast speed / moderate suffering
• hiring freeze / slow speed / low suffering
• natural attrition / slow speed / low suffering
• early retirement / slow speed / low suffering
• retraining / slow speed / low suffering
• overtime / fast speed / high ability to change later
• temporary employees / fast speed / high ability to change later
• outsourcing / fast speed / high ability to change later
• retrained transfers / slow speed / high ability to change later
• turnover reductions / slow speed / moderate ability to change later
• new external hires / slow speed / low ability to change later
• technological innovation / slow speed / low ability to change later
• know the tops and bottoms - which one is the quickest to do?

Question 8

human resource planning (HRP)

Answer 8

• directly addresses the org’s ability to meet their strategic and tactical goals and objectives, provides info that is relevant for many other people-related processes, systems, etc.
• differentiates from “excellent” and “average” companies

3 basic elements
1) individual development planning (IDP): discussions between employee and manager
2) talent review: discussions, manager reviews talent with 2nd level supervisor and HR (in teams whenever possible, one-on-ones where appropriate)
3) human resource planning (HRP): presentations (information used for action planning, forecasting, etc. & at higher-level (summarizing at business/unit functional level))

• info rolls upward, need to do #1 to do #2 and then #2 to do #3

Question 9

HR content areas

Answer 9

• “people” accomplishments over the last year
• business objectives and HR implications for the next year
• discussion of current leadership team (org structure, each individual’s performance/potential handle larger jobs, leadership team “bench strength”)
• discussion of other individuals (high-potentials, diverse employees)
• people, plans, actions to be taken over the upcoming year

Question 10

sample rating categories

Answer 10

common strengths, weaknesses, how to address performance issues, do we have the right people in the right jobs, how diverse are we, etc.

Question 11

typical bench strength chart

Answer 11

where does everyone feel good vs not so good?