The most reasonable approach to human resource planning begins with acquiring knowledge of the human resources function: recruitment and selection, training and development, employee relations, workplace safety, and compensation and benefits. Your organizational goals should include attention to all aspects of the human resources planning process.

Beginning with the basic premise of fair employment practices, your human resources planning strategy starts with the legal framework. Companies that seek guidance from federal, state and local regulations concerning employee and employer rights are on the right track. Establishing relationships with agency staff from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board and U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services will work to your advantage. These are the primary federal agencies that enforce employment actions. When you create an employee handbook, your understanding of, and commitment to, fair employment practices must be expressed in writing.

Organizational Mission and Goals

This approach to human resources planning mirrors the section in your business plan devoted to explaining why your company exists and what value it presents to the community. Human resources planning is also based on your organization's mission statement, goals and objectives because your workforce will be in alignment with the company values. "Entrepreneur" contributors Dennis Daley and colleagues state: "Combining human resource practices with a focus on the achievement of organizational goals and objectives can have a substantial effect on the ultimate success of the organization." Establishing business ethics and guidelines concerning the organization as a whole is extremely important, and thus, an integral part of your human resources planning.

Policy Development

Building upon your organization's legal framework and organizational mission and values statement, you are ready to approach the policy development. This is a logical approach because your workplace guidelines and policies are based upon the two previous steps. You are developing policies for the workforce; however, you also must develop organization-wide policies such as customer service standards, financial controls, marketing operations, corporate governance and IT resources. This is one of the final approaches to human resources planning because you have now completed the legalities of staffing your organization and forming the values by which your workforce will operate.