SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY-DE Summer 2013

Q1. Define Human resource planning (HRP). Explain the objectives and
process of HRP.
Answer- Human resource planning :
Human resources planning is a process that identifies current and future human resources
needs for an organization to achieve it goals. Human resources planning should serve as a
link between human resources management and the overall strategic plan of an
organization. Aging worker populations in most western countries and growing demands for
qualified workers in developing economies have underscored the importance of effective
Human Resources Planning. As defined by Bulla and Scott (1994), human resource planning
is the process for ensuring that the human resource requirements of an organization are
identified and plans are made for satisfying those requirements. The process of Human
Resource Planning is one of the most critical, difficult and continuing managerial functions which,
according to the Tata Electric and Locomotive Company (now known as Tata Motors), "embraces
organisation development, management development, career planning and succession
planning."
'Manpower planning consists of projecting future manpower requirements and developing
manpower plans for the implementation of the projections.'
Objectives of the human resource planning are:
To maintain the required quantity and quality of human resource required for an even and
well organised functioning of the organisation.
o forecast the turnover/attrition rates.
To plan to meet organisational human resource needs at the time of expansion or
diversification.
HRP may be rightly regarded as a multi-step process, including various issues such as:
Deciding goals or objectives.
Estimating future organisational structure and manpower requirements.
Auditing human resources both internally and externally.
Planning job requirements and job descriptions/person specifications.
uilding a plan.
Steps in human resource planning
The basic steps of HRP include the following:
1. Considering the effect of organizational strategy and objectives on different units of the
organization in terms of the human resource requirement.
2. Forecasting the manpower requirements of the organization by involving the line managers to
decide and finalize the human resource needs of their respective department. Forecasting may
be carried out using mathematical projection tools or judgments.
3. Forecasting the quality and quantity of human resource required by each department/division.
4. Creating an inventory of present manpower resources.
5. Matching the current human resources position incumbents in the organization with the
numbers required in the future.
6. Developing an action plan to meet the future requirements in terms of addition or separation,
in a planned and phased manner. It involves planning the necessary programmes of recruitment,
selection, training, development, utilization, transfer, promotion, motivation and compensation to
ensure that future manpower requirements are properly met