HR Planning: Optimizing Employee Performance & Satisfaction - Essay Sample

Introduction

Human resource planning refers to the systematic and continuous process scheming ahead to achieve a company's objectives and goals by optimizing the use of employees (Akey et al., 2017). Employees are the most valuable assets of any organization, and they should be given the best environment to work in for better performance and satisfaction (Bratton & Gold, 2017). Human resource planning ensures that workers are comfortable with their jobs and working conditions, and the process also prevents employee shortages. Companies apply HRP to plan for the future and maintain a steady supply of trained and skilled workers (DeCenzo et al., 2016). However, human resource planning must be flexible to accommodate short-term staffing adjustments and long-term changes in the business. Human resource departments in various organizations often have objectives to assist in realizing the company's goals and objectives (Chelladurai & Kerwin, 2018). Planning ahead assists in finding skilled employees, selecting training, and rewarding the best-performing workers, dealing with conflicts in the firm, and promoting deserving employees and laying of liabilities.

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Six primary steps are followed during human resource planning. The first step is the assessment of organizational objectives. The human resource department must define the goals that are to be achieved in the future in fields like marketing, production, sales, and finance, among others (Akey et al., 2017). The objectives assist in determining the amount of work is required to be one within a specific period and the number of employees needed too (Chelladurai & Kerwin, 2018). The second step is the inventory of the already existing human resources. In this step, the current number of workers in an organization, their performance, and potential are critically assessed (Akey et al., 2017). The job requirements enable planners to determine the internal and external forces that are required to fill the positions.

The third HR planning step is the forecasting of demand and supply of employees. The employees required to fill various job positions are evaluated based on their job profiles and qualifications (Bailey et al., 2018). The job description and specification should match with a candidate's job profile. The fourth step is the estimation of workforce gaps by comparing the human resource supply and demand. In the case of deficits, extra workers will be employed, whereas surplus implies termination (Bratton & Gold, 2017). In this stage, the human resource department must offer extensive training to employees to improve their skills and make them more productive. The fifth step is formulating the human resource action plan, which depends on whether there is a surplus or deficit in the firm (Akey et al., 2017). The final step is monitoring, control, and feedback. First, the plan is evaluated to identify any deficiencies and remove them (Chelladurai & Kerwin, 2018). The HR plan is compared to the actual implementation to ensure that there are sufficient employees to perform the tasks.

There are various human resource supply plans, which include talent, recruitment and selection, performance and appraisal, employee relations, reward management, and learning and development, among others. The recruitment and selections plans are the strategies organizations use when looking for potential employees (Akey et al., 2017). Talent plans define how special abilities can be used in the future, and organizations must attract and devise strategies for developing and retaining such employees. Learning and development plans are those that add skills and knowledge to workers to improve their capabilities and performance (Bratton & Gold, 2017). Performance management plans ensure that employees are evaluated on the objectives that are critical to organizational success. Reward plans are those that involve the issuing of bonuses to the best-performing employees using various strategies (Fahed-Sreih, 2018). Employee relation plans are those that involve worker representations through bodies like trade unions (Akey et al., 2017). Redundancy plans explain the circumstances involved when a contract ends through dismissal. Finally, communication plans are changes that define how communication to workers is done in the case of any changes in the organization (Fahed-Sreih, 2018).

Recruitment and Selection

In human resource management, recruitment and selection is the process of identifying the needs of a job, defining the requirements of the position and the job holder, and choosing the best fit for the position (Armstrong & Taylor, 2020). The selection process is one of the essential roles of any management in an organization. It is crucial to understand that employees play a significant role in the success or failure of a business (Bailey et al., 2018). Thus, organizations often go for employees with quality skills and capabilities. Human resource management is tasked with the selection of the best workforce in the effort of achieving the goals and objectives of an organization.

Recruitment Methods

Human resource management uses various techniques in the recruitment process. The first recruitment method is internal, whereby organizations fill up job positions that are vacant using employees that are already employed in the firm. The second recruitment method is external, whereby organizations hire new workers without the organization (Brown et al., 2019). In some instances, specialized skills are required and cannot be found within the organization, especially for the middle and upper job levels. Companies may hire externally when they want to expand into a new venture or when implementing new technology that requires specialized care. In other cases, new individuals are hired to fill positions of those who have been promoted or fired.

There are various external recruitment strategies applied by HRM, which can be formal or informal. The first formal method is advertising, whereby an employer announces new positions through newspapers, magazines, and journals (Brown et al., 2019). Some employers may also use radio and television for advertising for vacant positions in their firms, especially for executive and managerial positions. Secondly, third-party recruiters are also effective, whereby contingency firms and administrative search organizations refer candidates for a fee. The firms identify employees with excellent skills and qualifications that best match the requirements of the position their client is asking for (Bailey et al., 2018). The third formal external recruitment method is college recruitment for entry-level positions. Employers often consider colleges and universities that have a diverse student position to increase the probability of recruiting skilled people, including those from minority groups. The final formal method is job fairs, which is done by consulting organizations and search firms. the informal employee recruitment strategies are referrals and walk-in-candidates,

Selection Methods

Human resource selection methods depend on an organization's staff and resources. The methods of selection include screening, phone and face-to-face interviews, preliminary screening, and HR functions (Brown et al., 2019). The methods assist in determining the candidates that are the best fit for the job. The preliminary screening is the review of applications, resumes, and letters to identify the candidates to contact for the initial screening interview (Armstrong & Taylor, 2020). Different criteria are used, for instance, the minimum years of experience and other fundamental requirements for the job. Secondly, telephone interviewing is also a standard selection method. Interviewers know if the person is still interested in the job position that they applied for and to confirm whether they have the qualifications required. In-person interviews are time-consuming, and that is why preliminary screening and telephone interviews are critical. For instance, if an HR manager interviews ten people on the phone, about three or four people should be selected for the face-to-face meeting. The fourth method is the cultural fit selection that allows the HRM to identify the candidates that fit the organization's culture. Apart from the standard job qualifications, cultural fit is a critical factor, and the candidate's values must align with those of the firm (Brown et al., 2019). The final method is the vetting of candidates, whereby background checks and drug tests are performed to reduce hiring mistakes. Once the candidates pass the vetting process, the firm extends its final offer.

Reward Management

In human resource management, reward management refers to the implementation of policies and strategies that enable organizations to offer rewards and incentives to employees based on their performance. There are various reasons for issuing awards to workers. Some of the reasons are for motivation, as a strategy to retain staff and to support a firm's strategies, among others (White, 2016). There are two primary types of rewards, intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic rewards are those that are tangible, and they include bonuses, gifts, promotions, salary raise, profit sharing, fringe benefits, and improved working conditions (Kraiger et al., 2020). Bonuses are usually given annually, and they motivate employees to work harder. Salary raise is an annual increment given to employees for their effort and hard work. Gifts are a token of appreciation that is given to employees after reaching specific goals. Promotion elevates workers to higher positions by increasing their responsibilities and accountability. Improved working conditions are managed through better furniture, air-conditioned offices, and modern technology, among other elements that enhance a workspace (White, 2016). Sometimes, employees share the organization's profits with their employees to show their appreciation.

Intrinsic rewards are those that are intangible and are emotionally connected with the employees. Examples of intrinsic rewards are a sense of achievement, praise, recognition, taking pride in a job, work freedom, and trust. A sense of achievement is the feeling that employees have when their hard work pays off. Secondly, employees become happy and feel appreciated when their employers appraise them in front of their co-workers (White, 2016). Thirdly, recognition involves the issuing of rewards to the best performing employees, and the strategy can be more effective than monetary gifts. Regarding work freedom, employees can make their decisions without interference from the management after having a better output. Employers also entrust their workers leading to the addition of value and better job performance.

Total rewards primarily focus on the way managers reward their employees in a balanced approach by offering both tangible and intangible elements. All the elements in total rewards like compensation, benefits, recognition, and development are critical in organizational performance (Bianchi, 2016). The tools in total rewards are essential in the attracting, motivating, and retaining of employees. The first total reward offered by managers to employees is opportunities to develop their careers as human beings (Goldstein et al., 2017). Secondly, employees are given a platform to associate and build relationships with each other while working in the same environment. Thirdly, managers recognize their employees individually for their performance, thus giving an individual a sense of achievement.

The total reward package for the first graduate job would be bonuses, trust, recognition, and improved working conditions. An employer of choice would be the one who off...