Effective Strategic HR Planning

Human resource management (HRM) refers to the management of the human resources. HRM has been designed in a manner so as to maximize the performance of the employees in such a manner that the strategic objectives of the employers are met effectively. Planning the human resource in a strategic manner is a crucial process and it identifies the present, as well as, the future needs of human resources for an organization, so as to attain the objectives (Indermun, 2014). The following parts would entail a discussion over the need for effective strategic human resource planning and a link would also be established between it and the planning for human resource. Lastly, a discussion would also be carried regarding the role of human rescue planning in the context o large scale project management.

Strategic human resource management, or SHRM, is the manner of managing the employees of an organization in a proactive manner. This includes the typical HR components, such as payroll, discipline, hiring, as well as, involves the working of the employees in unison, so as to boost the overall quality of the work experience, maximize the mutual benefits of the employment for the employer and employee both, and to retain the talent (Truss, ‎ Mankin and Kelliher, 2012).

Bulla and Scott have defined HR planning as the process which ensures that the requirements of the HR are identified by the organization, and that the plans are made in such a manner, so as to satisfy such requirements. While defining workforce planning, Reilly stated that it was an intricate process, through which an attempt is made by the organization, for estimating the labor’s demand, as well as, for the evaluation of the size of the labor. This is coupled with the evaluation of the nature and sources of the supply, which are needed in order to meet the demand. HR planning includes the creation of recruitment and selection strategy, the strategies for flexibility, absence management, talent management, retention, and for creating of an employer brand (Armstrong, 2010).

HR planning serves as a link between the overall strategic plans or the company and the HRM. The HR planning for any organization has to be done in such a manner, that the strategic goals, which have been set by such organization, can be met effectively. The importance of effective HR planning is underscored by the growing demands for the qualified workers in the economies which are developing and for the western nations this is being done due to the aging working population (Birkin, 2012).

In the present global market, which is facing crucial HRM issues, including those of diversity, aging population, shortage of skills, tight labor market and high turnover, an effective strategic management of HR through HR planning, can help the organizations in being both competitive and strategic. For instance, the issue of turnover can be resolved through exit interviews conducted by the HR people. When an employee leaves the organization, the information pertaining to their experiences with the company, along with the reason for their leaving the job have to be collected. This data can then be analyzed by the HR department to determine the employment factors resulting in the higher-than-average turnover (Mayhew, 2017).

HR Planning and Project Management

In the same manner, an HR policy can effectively deal with the issue of tight labor market. Without skilled labor, the objectives of any organization cannot be attained. Through an effective strategy of HRM, an HR policy can create branding for the organization. For the skilled labor, flexible working schedules are only a part of the factors contributing to a desirable workplace. A company, which has the brand value of treating its employees in a proper manner, with dignity and respect and at the same time, the employees are compensated effectively, would create a brand value, which would help in not only attaining the talent, but also retaining it (Martin and Whiting, 2013).

The problem of diversity can solely be resolved through an effective HR policy. The policies of HR should include sensitivity to the people belonging to different cultures and also include some engagement programs. This would create a feeling of belongingness for the diverse range of employees, and in turn create a brand value. Through the attainment of new talent, the HR issue of ageing population can be dealt with. In short, an effective HRM policy can not only deal with the issues which are commonly present in the world of HR, but also helps the organization in gaining a competitive advantage in this global world, as it brings to the company the most valued thing for it, i.e., the talented personnel, who get the job done and help in achieving the desired objectives (Newell, Robertson and Scarbrough, 2009).

An effective project management helps in the identification of such failing aspects of the projects, helps in tracking and managing the progress of the entire project and also visualizes the allocated time and resources. An effective HR manager is able to use the innovative project management tools for laying down the hiring process in detail, for tracking the costs of hiring against the expectations and budgets, giving the executive insight to the present progress, tying the costs of human resources to the actual results of business, organizing the feedback on the possible hires, and establishing the productivity measurements for the team (Puckett, 2014).

When the HRM is planned, the foremost thing is to identify the roles and responsibilities of any project. The key in the planning process are the documentation of the Staffing management plan and the reporting relationships. The staffing management plans the brainstormed ideas for the acquisition of team members. They figure out the requirement for training, hiring and release of information. The HRM activities are split between project management and the other managers, within the organization. The parties have to understand and adhere to the division of responsibilities in a careful manner. So, each project manager and the people working on it, play a crucial role in the success of the project (Nokes and Kelly, 2007).

As per the article reported in the ABC News, 100 trains were cancelled in Brisbane due to the shortfall in the drivers, which were vital for the operation of trains on the new Redcliffe Peninsula line. This problem cropped up due to the lack of trained drivers who could operate the trains, which were scheduled to run on the new lines. This report highlights how vital the human resource is for any organization, be it public or private. Each form of organization is faced with the same problem of shortage of staff or the lack of skilled workers. In the long scale projects, this element becomes more crucial because each aspect of a project is followed by another aspect. So, a shortfall in the availability of personnel at one stage can delay the next stage, and ultimately the whole project. In the shortage reported in the ABC News article, the shortage caused a delay in the trains. An interim timetable had to be drafted which was different from existing timetable and even that was not expected to come before a week’s time. So, the smallest of delays can lead to a delay in the entire operations. And even the solution of these problems takes time, which further delays the project as a whole (ABC News, 2016).

In this case, if there has been an implementation of an effective HR policy, the requirement of training adequate number of staff could had been easily identified, that too at an early stage. This would have ensured that at the needed time, there were enough trained drivers to run the trains on the new route. The underestimation of staff and the training requirements for the new service were the key reasons for the shortage of trained drivers, which led to the cancellation of 100 trains (ABC News, 2016).

The HR planning and political considerations in the provision of public services are interlinked. This is because each and every policy of the HRM is drafted in a manner so that it complies with the norms formed by the government. For instance, the HR polices comply with the labor and employment laws, which are drafted by the government. In the large scale project management, this becomes all the more important, due to the number of individual involved in a particular project (Norton, 2008).

The RBV provides the competitive advantage for any organization, mainly by applying the bundle of both tangible, as well as, intangible resources, which are quite valuable and are readily available at the disposal of the firm. To transform the competitive advantage from a short-run to a sustained one, the resources have to heterogeneous in nature. RBV helps in establishing the significance for the organization in building a valuable set of resources, as well as, building them together in a dynamic and unique manner so as to develop the firm’s success (Stiles, 2017). The competitive advantage is not dependent over the natural resources, economies of scale or the technology, as is assumed traditionally. Instead, RBV states that it is dependent upon the rare, valuable, as well as, on such resources which are hard to imitate. When there is an unequal distribution between the level and type of skills, some of the firms can attain the talent, whilst the firms are unable to acquire the talent as is needed, in these circumstances, the form of human capital which is available to certain firms is the source of sustained competitive advantage (Nguyen, Neck and Nguyen, 2009).

Regarding the concept of inimitability, broadly, the imitation of human resources has two reasons. The first one is the casual ambiguity, where it becomes tough to grasp the accurate mechanism through which the HR policies and practices can generate value. And the second one is the path dependency, where the HR system is dependent on a path (Storey, Wright and ‎ Ulrich, 2009). These consist of such polices which are developed over a period of time, and which cannot be purchased simply by the competitors in the market. The interdependence between the practices of HR with the distinctive context of the specific organizations further creates the imitation barriers. Hence, this resource of humans has to be valuable, along with being latent with the productive possibilities. Hence, the human capital advantage is dependent upon the securing of exceptional talent (Montgomery, 2011).

RBV is a paradigm shift in the SHRM thinking as it is focused upon the internal resources of any company, instead of simply analyzing the performance in the context of external elements. The proponents of RBV help in understanding the situations where the human resource becomes difficult to imitate, organization specific, valuable and scarce. This theory highlights the necessity of an effective HR planning, as it shows that the human resource is the most significant resource for any organization (Wisdom Jobs, 2017). RBV brought forward the VRIN characteristics, of the human resource being significant in a strategic manner, due to it being valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable (MSG, 2017).

Conclusion

To conclude, for any organization the HR segment plays the most important role. For success of any project, the key role is played by the team, i.e., the people. Every project needs some kind of specific expertise at the given time period as scheduled, and this depends upon the particular phase of the project or upon the milestones being delivered. Often there are cases where the same employees work on more than one project at a given point of time. The procurement and coordination of these human resources, while managing the time of aspect of the project, is vital to the overall success of the organization.

It can also be stated that the human resource is equally, if not more important than the economic segment of an organization. This is because an effective human resource team can attain the skilled workers and the talent, which can help the organization in attaining a competitive advantage. The news article reported in the ABC News further highlights the significance of an effective HR policy in the project management for an organization. Due to the inability of the HR in identifying the need for trained drivers, the entire project was affected and even the general population had to bear the results of it, as 100 trains were cancelled.  Hence, the discussion has attained the aim of establishing the significance of HR planning for the success of any project.

References

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