Book Description

This report is designed to give readers an introduction to the principles of human resource planning (HRP) and the areas in which it can be used, including those facing today's managers. Chapter 1 outlines why some organizations no longer plan, describes the background of change and uncertainty that discouraged them, and defines HRP. Chapter 2 first discusses why, although facing some of the same pressures, other organizations continue to use HRP. The reasons discussed include planning for substantive reasons, i.e., to have a practical effect, and planning because of the process benefits. The second part of the chapter addresses where, how, and by whom HRP is carried out. Chapter 3 illustrates the uses of HRP. It contains selected examples pertinent to the problems that organizations are facing today and have always faced. Four issues are used to illustrate the sorts of uses to which HRP is put: determining staff numbers required at a new location; retaining highly skilled staff; managing an effective downsizing program; and determining where the next generation of managers will come from. Chapter 4 focuses on the process benefits of HRP, the value that comes from posing the questions more than attempting to answer them. It covers three broad areas in which asking the questions is seen as useful: thinking about the future, corporate control, and integrating actions. Chapter 5 looks toward the future of HRP. Contains 25 references. (YLB)