Human resource planning ensures that the right person with the right skill is present at the right job at the right time, thereby paving the path to company success. Human resource planning is an ongoing process that is to be performed by the human resource department at all times. This article analyses and identifies the various steps in human resource planning that are to be performed by the human resource department.

Human resource planning is done for long, medium and short term. Once the marketing and delivery areas identify and inform the future trends in the business technology and industry, the human resource department has to analyse the jobs related to the future needs and recognise the skill required in performing them. The changes planned by the management could be through a new business proposition. In such an instance, the human resource department has to analyse the new sector and its expectations.

Once the skills have been identified, the budget allocation and the current employee mix have to be put under study. The budget allocation for businesses varies with the outlook of the management and the company profitability. The human resource department has to conduct a SWOT analysis to pin point the strengths and weaknesses of the existing employee mix. If the current employees have the potential to meet the future needs, they should be given the required training which will aid in easy deployment of the new technology into their activities. This calls for the analysis of the training costs that might spring up in making the employees competent to face the new challenges. If the new tasks require fresh recruits the cost of the new appointments including their training costs must be identified. The cost of recruitment varies with the role of the new recruit in the organisation, the method of attracting and acquiring the candidate, selection procedure to be adopted, cost of training, expense to company, etc.

The human resource planning also includes the cost that will be incurred in retaining the key talents within the organisation. This demands an analysis of the external environment like the competitor policy, government regulations and employee needs. The HR department is also to provide for cost on attrition. The past trends and an employee perception survey can provide the necessary inputs in calculating the costs that can be expected to incur on attrition.

The human resource planning function is responsible for succession planning. Succession planning is an integral function of human resource planning. Succession planning paves way for the individual growth by providing opportunities within the entity. The supervisors are expected to identify the key players in the team and assist them in climbing up the career ladder. The individual career plan plays a key part in the succession planning of the organisation. The employees have to be given the platform for enriching their skills by facilitating training and other developmental programs. Succession planning is inevitable at all levels of the organisation to guarantee business continuity to an extent.

HR planning also provides the basis for budgeting and vice versa. The planning process also includes providing control measures to identify the deviations from the actual plan and taking measures to rectify them.

Planning plays a vital role in any process of the organisation. Without a proper plan, the company is doomed to fail.