Everything you need to know about the definitions of human resource planning.
Human resource planning (traditionally called manpower planning) aims at ascertaining the workforce needs of the organisation both in right number and of right kind.
It further aims at the continuous supply of right kind of personnel to fill various positions in the organisation.
To quote Dale S. Beach, “Human resource planning is the process of determining and ensuring that the organisation will have an adequate number of qualified persons, available at the proper times, performing jobs which meet the needs of the enterprise and which provide satisfaction for the individuals involved”.
Learn about the definitions of human resource planning propounded by eminent authors like:
E. Geister, G. Stainer, Bruce P. Coleman, Eric W. Vetter, Bulla and Scott, Walker, Dale S. Beach, Decenzo and Robbins, E. W. Vetter, Gcisler, Coleman, Maria Stacey Lid stone, Bohlander & Snell, Paul Turner, Heinemann, Edward Bernsky, Gordon McBeath, Velter Eric, Perm & Kandola, Robert Mathis & John Jackson, Jarrell D. W, Leon C. Megginson and Fayana.
Definitions of Human Resource Planning Propounded by Eminent Authors and Thinkers
Definitions of Human Resource Planning – According to E. Geister, G. Stainer, Bruce P. Coleman and Eric W. Vetter
The importance of planning the material resources of an enterprise has never been in question, and much effort has been devoted to optimising the financial and capital resources. Paradoxically, the human resource, which is ultimately the most important and least predictable asset, has not attracted the same level of attention.
Despite significant developments and recent changes of attitudes towards HR planning, it continues to arouse some scepticism, apparently because sceptics feel either that a process that ought to be largely common-sensual has become unnecessarily complicated, or that the many variable factors in an uncertain future make the returns on the investment of effort of very doubtful worth.
Such views, however, indicate misunderstanding of the nature and purpose of human resource planning, which has become the specialised field. Every manager in an organisation, especially senior one is responsible for the policy, commitment of resources and accountability for achievement.
Human resource planning is the systematic assessment of future supply of and demand for human resources in an organisation. An effective personnel plan also provides a schedule for recruitment, selection, training, career planning and other related activities. Human resource planning is a process which includes various aspects through which an organisation tries to ensure that the right people, at the right place, and at the right time are available.
The words human resource planning and manpower planning are generally used interchangeably. Human resource planning is not a substitute for manpower planning. Rather, manpower planning is integrated with human resource planning.
“Human resource planning is the process including forecasting, developing and controlling by which a firm ensures that it has the right number of people and right kind of people at the right places at the right time doing work for which they are economically most useful.” — E. Geister
“Manpower planning is a strategy for the acquisition, utilisation, improvement and preservation of an organization’s human resources. It is aimed at coordinating the requirements for and the availability of different types of employees.” — G. Stainer
“Human resource planning is the process determining manpower requirements and the means for meeting those requirements in order to carry out the integrated plan of the organisation.” — Bruce P. Coleman
“Human resource planning is the process by which a management determines how an organisation should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position.” — Eric W. Vetter
Definitions of Human Resource Planning
Human Resource Planning also referred to as manpower planning or personnel planning, has been defined as the process of “getting the right number of qualified people into the right job at right time”. It is the process of matching the internal (existing employees) and external (those to be hired or searched for) supply of people with job openings anticipated in the organization over a specified period of time.
Human Resource Planning is both a process and a set of plan. It is how the organizations assess the future supply of and demand for human resources. An effective HR plan also provides mechanism to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. Thus, HRP determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it.
HRP involves projecting and forecasting present personnel functions into the future. Setting up an employee plan involves anticipating the future patterns of an organization and of the business environment and then relating human resource requirements to these conditions. Both the internal factors of labour demand and skills assessment and the external factors of establishing labour market conditions must be considered during HRP endeavors.
There is a growing mismatch between the new jobs that are emerging and the people that are available to fill them. The labour pool is changing as a result of rapid technological advances and increasing globalization of economies. As a result HRP is being increasingly recognized as an important activity.
Basically, all organizations engage in HRP, either formally or informally. The long-term success of any organization ultimately depends upon effective HRP. Poor HRP can cause substantial operational difficulties and likely business failures.
For instance, consider the rather unlikely but illustrative example of a company which one day finds that all its employees in the accounts department suddenly retire. This is an extreme example of poor manpower planning.
Most organizations would keep records on the age profile of their departments so that such situations can be tackled through specific development, progression, recruitment and training plans. Such contingencies would ensure that human resources are channelled through organizations in an orderly and disciplined fashion.
Bulla and Scott (1994) defined human resource planning as the process for ensuring that the human resource requirements of an organization are identified, and plans are made for satisfying those requirements. According to Reilly (2003) workforce planning is a process in which an organization attempts to estimate the demand for labour and evaluate the size, nature and sources of supply which will be required to meet the demand.
Walker (1980) defined Human resource planning as analyzing organization’s human resource needs under changing conditions and developing the activities necessary to satisfy these needs.
As per the study conducted by Craft (1980) firms that practice human resource planning are more likely to know what specific characteristics they are looking for in applicants, and this helps them to improve the quality of hiring decisions and bringing requisite quality of talent in the organization.
Definitions of Human Resource Planning – By Dale S. Beach, Decenzo & Robbins, E.W.Vetter and Gcisler
Human resource planning (traditionally called manpower planning) aims at ascertaining the workforce needs of the organisation both in right number and of right kind. It further aims at the continuous supply of right kind of personnel to fill various positions in the organisation.
To quote Dale S. Beach, “Human resource planning is the process of determining and ensuring that the organisation will have an adequate number of qualified persons, available at the proper times, performing jobs which meet the needs of the enterprise and which provide satisfaction for the individuals involved”.
According to Decenzo and Robbins – “Human resource planning is the process by which an organisation ensures that it has the right number and kind of people, at the right place, at the right time, capable of effectively and efficiently completing those tasks that will help the organisation achieve its overall objectives.”
Human resource planning is a two-phased process by which management can project the future human resource requirements and develop suitable action plans to accommodate the implications of projections. Thus, human resource planning is the process of developing and determining objectives, policies and programs that will procure develop and utilise human resources so as to achieve the goals of the organisation.
Definition and Concept of Human Resource Planning (HRP):
Human resource planning (HRP) involves developing strategies for acquisition, utilization, improvement and retention of human resources. It takes into account the future organisational objectives and plans, future human resource needs, current human resource position and assure future human resource availability.
According to E. W. Vetter, human resource planning is, “the process by which a management determines how an organisation should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position. Through planning a management strives to have the right number and the right kind of people at the right places, at the right time to do things which result in both the organisation and the individual receiving the maximum long range benefit.”
Dale S. Beach has defined it as “a process of determining and assuring that the organisation will have an adequate number of qualified persons available at the proper times, performing jobs which meet the needs of the enterprise and which provide satisfaction for the individuals involved.”
According to Gcisler, “Manpower planning (HRP) is the process – including forecasting, developing, implementing and controlling, by which a firm ensures that it has the right number of people and right kind of people, at the right place, at the right time, doing things for which they are economically most suitable”.
Decenzo and Robbins defined HRP as “the process by which an organisation ensures that it has the right number and kind of people, at the right place, at the right time, capable of effectively and efficiently completing those tasks that will help the organisation achieve its overall objectives.” HRP helps in the process of recruitment and selection.
HRP involves analysis and assessment of the current human resource availability in the organization in terms of numbers, skills, talents, competencies, qualifications, experience, age, tenures, performance ratings, designations, grades, compensations, benefits, etc. The future demand for human resource is estimated based on factors like attrition, lay-offs, foreseeable vacancies, retirements, promotions, pre-set transfers, certain unknown factors like resignations, abrupt transfers or dismissals.
HRP meets demand forecast and ensures continuous and smooth supply of work force. HRP also involves developing program and policies for conducting communication programs with employees, relocation, talent acquisition, recruitment and outsourcing, talent management, training and development, and revision of policies. Human resource planning is concerned with gathering and analysis of detailed information about the existing workforce and forecasting the future requirement.
It sets out the manpower objectives in line with the overall organisational objectives and designs plans and policies and concerned with control and evaluation of effectiveness of man power plans and its implementation.
Definitions of Human Resource Planning – According to Dale S. Beach, Coleman, Stainer and Eric W. Vetter
Human resource or manpower is the live asset of an organization. Amongst human and non-human resources, human resource is the most important resource. Man power achieves the organizational predetermined objectives. A business organizations performance and productivity is directly related to quantity and quality of its human resources.
Human resource planning determines the human resource needs of the whole enterprise. It is the predetermination of the future course of action chosen from a number of alternatives courses of action for procuring developing, managing, motivating, compensating, career planning, and succession planning and separating the human element of enterprise.
Manpower planning and human resource planning are synonymous. The simple meaning of HRP is, “it is the process of forecasting an organizations future demand for and supply of the right type of people in the right numbers. It facilitates the realization of the company’s objective by providing the right type and the right number of personnel. HRP is called as personnel planning or employment planning.”
“HRP includes the estimation of how many qualified people are necessary to carry out the assigned activities, how many people will be available and what, if anything, must be done to ensure that personnel supply equals personnel demand at the appropriate point in the future.”
According to Dales S. Beach,” Human resource planning is a process of determining and assuring that the organization will have an adequate number of qualified persons, available at proper times, performing jobs which meet the needs of the enterprise and which provide satisfaction for the individual involved.”
Coleman has defined human resource planning as, “the process of determining manpower requirement and the means for meeting those requirements in order to carry out the integrated plan of the organization.”
Specially, human resource planning is the process by which an organization ensures that it has right number and kinds of people, at the right place, at the right time, capable of effectively and efficiently completing those tasks that will help the organization achieve its overall objectives.
Human resource planning, then, translates the organization’s objectives and plans into the number of workers need to meet those objectives. Without a clear cut planning, estimation of an organizations human resource need is reduced to mere guess work.
Stainer defines manpower planning as, “strategy for the acquisition, utilization, improvement and preservation of enterprise human resources. It relates to establishing job specifications or the quantitative requirements of job determining the number of personnel required and developing sources of manpower.”
Eric W. Vetter defines, “manpower planning is the process by which management determines how the organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position.”
Manpower planning may be expressed as a process by which the organization ensures the right number of people, right kind of people, at the right place, at the right time, doing the right things, things for the achievement of the goals of the organization. Manpower planning is the process of developing and determining objectives, policies and programmes that will develop, utilize and distribute manpower so as to achieve the goals of the organization.
If any business organization manpower planning may be organized at different levels such as plant, division and corporate levels. At each level this task may be entrusted to a committee consisting of line personnel. And the specialists in manpower planning.
Definitions of Human Resource Planning – By Various Eminent Thinkers: Dale Beach, Brian O Neil, Maria Stacey Lid Stone, Bohlander & Snell, Paul Turner and a Few Others
Dale Beach – In “Developing Human Resource Planning”, According to Dale S. Beach. “Human resource planning is a process of determining and assuring that the organization will have an adequate number of qualified persons, available at proper times, performing jobs which meet the needs of the enterprise and which provide satisfaction for the individuals involved.”
Brian O Neil – In “Strategic Human Resource Planning” – Human Resource Planning defines project roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships. One key result of Human Resource Planning is the staffing management plan which depicts how and when team members are added to the team, and how the team members are released from the project, the training needs of the team and several other key components.
Maria Stacey Lid stone – In “Strategic Business Development” – Human resource planning is the process of analysing and identifying the needs for and availability of human resources so that the organization can reach its objectives. Both employee retention and attracting new talent make human resource planning a core competency for creating an organization’s successful future. By linking human resource planning to company’s strategic goals, human resource team ensures the organization’s competitive advantage.
Bohlander & Snell – In “Managing Human Resources” – It is a process of anticipating and making provision for the movement (flow) of people into, within, and out of an organization.
Paul Turner – In “Human Resource Forecasting & Planning” – The output that arises from the process of business or organizational strategy-setting as it affects the people in an organization. It contains quantitative analysis of human resource data ranging from headcount and costs to qualitative analysis about culture, learning and knowledge management.
The human resources planning is a dynamic entity that can be changed if turbulence or unpredicted extraneous factors affect the business strategy. Human Resource Plan takes the decisions made at the strategic and forecasting level and develops them into a series of co-coordinated business plans.
Coleman Peterson – In “Human Resource Planning” – Human Resource Planning is the process of determining human resource requirements and the means for meeting those requirements in order to carry out the integrated plan of the organization.
Stainer G & Heinemann – In “Manpower Planning” – Human Resource Planning is the strategy for acquisition, utilization, improvement and preservation of an enterprise’s human resources. It relates to establishing the quantitative requirements of jobs determining the number of personnel required and developing sources of manpower.
Edward Bernsky – In “Role of Human Resources Planning in Talent Search” – Human Resources Planning can be defined as the task of assessing and anticipating the skill, knowledge and labour time requirements of the organization, and initiating action to fulfil or “source” those requirements.
Thus, if the organization as a whole or one of its subsystem is not performing to the benchmark, in other words, it is declining, it may need to plan a reduction or redeploys its existing labour force. On the other hand, if it is growing or diversifying, it might need to find and tap into a source of suitably skilled labour.
Gordon McBeath – In “The Hand of Human Resources Planning” (1992) – Human Resource Planning involves two stages. The first stage is concerned with the detailed “planning of manpower requirements for all types and levels of employees throughout the period of the plan”, and the second state is concerned with “planning of manpower supplies to provide the organization with the right types of people from all sources to meet the planned requirements.”
Velter Eric – In “Human Resources Planning” (1994) – “Human Resource Planning or manpower planning is the process by which management determines how an organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position. Through planning, management strives to have the right number and the right kind of people at the right place, at the right time, to do things which result in, both, the organization and the individual receiving the maximum long-range benefit.”
Perm & Kandola – In “Job Analysis a Manager’s Guide” – Human Resource Planning is a process by which an organization prepares an inventory of skills and potential available in the organization. It involves the use of the concept of planning to visualize how the organization can go through the allocation and control its manpower resources in better fashion. In other words, it is a tool in the hands of higher management to equip themselves with the necessary data on human resources available immediately within the organization and from outside.
Robert Mathis & John Jackson – In “Strategic Human Resources Management & Planning” – Human Resource Planning is the process of analysing and identifying the need for and availability of human resources so that the organization can meet its objectives.
Jarrell D. W – In “Human Resource Planning” – Human Resource Planning is defined as the “process of assessing an organization’s human resources needs in the light of organizational goals and changing condition and making plans to ensure that a competent, stable workforce is employed. The actual planning process will vary a great deal from organization to organization”.
Definitions of Human Resource Planning – Some Important Views Given by Leon C. Megginson, G. Stainer and Bruce P. Coleman (With the Objectives, Focus and Levels of HRP)
Human Resource Planning (HRP) and Manpower Planning are synonymous. Manpower Planning have been introduced in 1676, when Samuel Pepys became concerned with the provision of careers for officers in the Royal Navy, but in the present scenario the human resource planning is based on broader base. Human resource planning is the process of ensuring the right number and right kind of persons, at the right job, at the right time so that an organization can achieve its objectives.
In essence HR planners initially seek to estimate their current and future employment needs because it is a forward looking function of an organization. Human Resources are considered the most valuable, most volatile and potentially unpredictable resource of an organization. If an organization fails to place and direct human resources in the right areas of the business, at the right time and at the right cost, serious inefficiencies are likely to arise creating considerable operational difficulties and likely business failure.
The opinion of Dag Hammarskj Fold regarding human is that “man is the key to our problems not money, competent people can work miracles even with small resources and draw wealth out of barren land”. Therefore an organisation’s performance is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of its human resources. Hence, planning of human resources is an important and essential function of management.
Some important views on HRP are as follows:
“An integrated approach to performing the planning aspects of the personnel function in order to have a sufficient supply of adequately developed and motivated people to perform the duties and tasks required to meet organizational objectives and satisfy the individual needs and goals of organizational members”. – Leon C. Megginson
“Strategy for the acquisition, utilization, improvement, and preservation of an enterprise’s human resources. It is a way of dealing with people in a dynamic situation. It relates to establishing job specifications or the qualitative requirements of jobs determining the number of personnel required and developing sources of manpower”. – G. Stainer
“The process of determining manpower requirements and the means for meeting those requirements in order to carry out the integrated plan of the organization”. – Bruce P. Colemn
HRP leads to the maximum utilization of human resources, reduces employee turnover and absenteeism, and improves productivity.
Objectives of HRP:
The basic purpose of HRP is to estimate the accurate number of employees required by the organization in order to meet organizational objectives. It fulfils individual, organisational and national goals.
The other objectives of HRP are:
1. To ensure the optimum use of human resources already employed.
2. To predict manpower requirements as well as control the number of employees deployed.
3. To undertake a manpower audit and arrive at an accurate estimate of where shortages or surpluses exist.
4. To decide the promotion of eligible employees in the organization.
5. To maximize the return on investment in human resources.
Definition of Human Resource Planning
Effective and efficient managing of staff requires a broad process known as Human Resource Planning. It constitutes one of the major strategies to enhance and improve work performances; it does this by removing deficiencies and by preventing deficiencies from occurring.
Human Resource Planning helps the organization to tap efficiently talents which will help to integrate both the individual and organizational goal. This will consequently minimize some of the problem associated with low productivity absenteeism and labour turn over.
These reasons have made Human Resource Planning to become a major objective in organizations.
The process of Human Resource Planning includes analysis of level of skill available in the organization (skill inventory), analysis of current and expected vacancies due to (retirement, discharges, transfers, promotions; sick leaves, leaves of absence or other reasons) and analysis of current and expected expansions.
This also indicates that plan has to be made internally by the Human Resources Management for training and development of present employee, for advertising job opening, recruiting and hiring new people.
A good Human Resource Planning must respond appropriately to the rapid changes in the society and must go beyond forecasting to all aspects of Personnel Management.
Human Resource Planning is defined as the process of assessing an organization’s human resources needs in the light of organizational goals and changing condition and making plans to ensure that a competent, stable workforce is employed. The actual planning process will vary a great deal from organization to organization.
However, James Walker pointed out that for some companies, human resources planning is essentially management succession and development planning.
For others it is the staffing process which includes forecasting and planning for recruitment, deployment, development and attrition of talent in relation to changing needs.
Increasingly, however, it is a broader process addressing multiple levels for increasing organization effectiveness on the management of Human Resources.
According to Walker, effective human resources planning is a process of analyzing an organization’s human resources needs under changing condition and development of the activities necessary to satisfy those needs.
Walker sees human resources planning as two step processes, planning as they pertain to all aspects of personnel management. This will include for example planning with respect to desired organizational climate and development of staff reward and appraisal system appropriate to short range and long range organizational goals. This implies that help must be proactive and as well as reactive.
Pattern states that Human Resource Planning is the process by which a firm ensures that it has the right number of people and the right kind of people in the right place at the right time doing things for which they are economically most useful.
Fayana (2002) emphasized that human resource planning deals with the systematic and continuing process of analyzing a firm’s human resources needs under mutating conditions and developing workforce policies suitable to the long-term effectiveness of the organization. It is a vital part of corporate planning and budgeting procedure since human resources costs and forecasting both effect and are affected by long-term corporate plans.
Focus of Human Resource Planning:
According to Bramham, Torrington and Hall, the process of matching future organizational requirement with the supply of properly qualified, committed and experience staff in the right place at the right time. These staff can be drawn from both the internal and external labour market.
This requires a focus on the following:
1. An assessment of future product market trends and requirement
2. A specification of the type and numbers of staff required to satisfy these product market trends and requirement
3. An estimate of the type and number of staff likely to be employed by the organization in five years
4. A specification of the number/type of staff to be recruited or made redundant
5. A development plan for restraining and re-focusing existing staff and, if appropriate, for recruiting additional staff from the external analysis
6. A re-examination of broader business strategies in the light of this analysis.
Levels of HRP:
In an organisation, there are various levels of manpower planning. Each level of manpower planning has its own objectives and techniques. The manpower planning initiates at the operation level or at the lower level, as personnel at this level are in direct link with the day-to-day operations.
Following are the different levels of manpower planning:
1. Operation Level:
Human resource planning at this level is done by the operation committee taking the past data and future projections as the base.
Functions of this committee are:
(i) It prepares the manpower plan for the next year.
(ii) It determines the number of promotable employees for the annual manpower plan.
(iii) It evaluates these plans in accordance with the expected changes of all kinds within next five years with the help of manpower planning experts.
2. Divisional or Departmental Level:
The operation level plan would be submitted to the next organisational level which is called the divisional level. The committee at this level, i.e., divisional committee integrates the manpower plans of its operational level along with the divisional staff sections into comprehensive divisional manpower planning report, which is submitted to the top management.
3. Top Level:
At this level, the divisional plans are integrated with the manpower plans of the head office staff. At the top level, the complete manpower plans are integrated with the organisational plans. Management development plans are emphasised at this level.