The Strengths & Weaknesses of Human Resource Planning Stages

Human resource planning is an important part of maintaining a good human resources department (HR). This type of plan is developed in stages and examines the role of employees within the business, analyzes existing benefit packages and prepares new employees for future positions. However, this type of planning has its strengths and weaknesses, especially with existing employees, as the plan essentially evaluates individual workers and compares them to new talent.

One of the stages of creating an HR plan is to evaluate present employees. This stage is a type of strength for the company, as problematic employees are identified and hardworking employees are recognized. Knowing which employees struggle can help HR plan ahead so the skills and capabilities of the employees are put to good use elsewhere.

One of the planning stages for HR includes recruiting more employees or representatives. This stage can prove to be a weakness, as simply recruiting qualified individuals is sometimes a daunting task. For instance, getting a handful of qualified individuals before a given deadline may prove impossible if applicants are less than qualified. This lack of trained individuals can delay other departmental plans.

Another benefit of HR planning stages is that present employees are often considered before a new worker when internal opportunities arise. This saves the company time and money, because spending to find new employees becomes unnecessary. It is also a positive stage for existing employees, since it is the qualified and hardworking who get considered for promotions.

One of the stages of HR planning includes handling the available budget for the department and employee salaries. This stage, however, can become a weakness for progression if the budget is limited. A limited budget can affect the hiring of new employees, the benefit or health packages existing employees are provided and the resources that HR offers. One of the goals of planning is to ensure the budget is utilized to its potential, but this is not always possible, given the ramifications of the company’s overall available budget.