Strategic Human Resource Planning: Methods and Approaches

Human Resource Planning

According to Neuschel, there are two types of planning: logistics and strategic. The first is concerned with having adequate resources in the right place at the right time. The latter involves a plan setting the anticipated reactions of those who will be affected by it. Human resource planning can be defined as the conscious determination of courses of action designed to achieve objectives:

• Logistics: Ensuring the right number of people with the necessary skills are in the right place at the right time to perform their jobs as efficiently as possible.
• Strategy: Achieving expected internal changes to adapt the company to a shifting competitive environment.

Types of Human Resource Planning

Globally, there are two basic types of human resource planning:

• Provisional Estimate: Conducted before starting a business, similar to the planning of other resources.
• Operational Planning: Carried out in an existing company. Based on the present situation, it establishes goals for a specific timeframe, accounting for anticipated internal and external changes.

Quantitative and Qualitative HR Planning

Quantitative Approach

These techniques involve the use of statistical or mathematical models. For example, trend analysis is carried out in several steps:

• Choose an appropriate business factor.
• Plot a historical trend of the business factor in relation to the number of employees.
• Compute the productivity ratio for at least the last five years.
• Calculate the demand for human resources by dividing the business factor by the productivity ratio.

Qualitative Approach

In contrast to quantitative methods, qualitative approaches are less statistical. They attempt to reconcile the interests, abilities, and aspirations of individual employees with the current and future needs of the organization. Specialists may rely on expert opinions to anticipate staffing requirements. Executive forecasts are the opinions of supervisors, department heads, and experts regarding the future employment needs of the organization.