UNIT II: JOB ANALYSIS AND HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING

JOB ANALYSIS
Job analysis refers to a systematic process of collecting all information about a specific job,
including skill requirements, roles, responsibilities, and processes in order to create a valid
job description. Job analysis also gives an overview of the physical, emotional & related
human qualities required to execute the job successfully.
Job analysis is an important step in ensuring that the right candidate is selected. Job analysis
helps the employer in recruitment and selection, performance management, choosing
compensation and benefits, etc. It helps the employees to have a clear picture of what is
actually required of them.
HR managers use job analysis to do complete research on the job requirements, work
activities, performance standards, evaluation methods etc., and give information to employees
and prospective candidates so that they have a better understanding on what is required from
them. Job analysis is broadly bifurcated into two components i.e., job description and job
specification. Both these together give a complete understanding about job title, position,
location, qualification, skills, duties, responsibilities, skills etc.

Importance of Job Analysis

The following are the important aspects of a Job Analysis: -
a. Manpower Planning:
Job analysis is a qualitative aspect of manpower needs, as it determines job requirements in
terms of skills, qualities, and other human characteristics. This facilitates the division of
labour into different occupations.
b. Recruitment, Selection, and Placement:
In order to hire a good person for the job, it is very important to know the requirements of
the job and the qualities of the person who will be doing the job. Information on these two
elements comes from the job description or job description and helps management to tailor
the job requirements as closely as possible to the attitudes, skills, interests of employees, etc.
c. Training and Development:
Job analysis determines standard levels for job performance. Helps manage learning
development programs.
d. Job Evaluation:
Job analysis provides the basis for job evaluation. The purpose of a job appraisal is to
determine the relative value of the job which in turn helps determine job compensation.
e. Performance Appraisal:
Job analysis data provides a clear standard of performance for each job. Employee
performance can be objectively evaluated against the job performance standard.
f. Job Designing:
Industrial engineers may use the job analysis information in designing the job by making the
comprehensive study of the job elements.
g. Safety and Health:
Management can take corrective actions to ensure the safety of workers and reduce the risk of
various hazards to eliminate harmful conditions.
h. Promotions:
The job analysis is mainly based on the effective policies. Effective policies may be
formulated in regard to promotions and transfers.
i. Employment Guidance:
Job description, which is basically carried out on the basis of Job analysis, helps the aspirates
in ascertaining the job, for which they have the necessary ability and skills.
j. Labour Relations:
Job analysis serves as the basis for resolving disputes that may arise due to quality of
performance expected of workers.
How to Conduct a Job Analysis?
1. Gather information about a position:
Observe and interview employees who are currently employed. Encourage employees to
perform their duties and be as specific as possible when defining responsibilities. Read
the manual or document that explains your current position. Compare your current job
description with what your employees are actually saying and doing. Record results by
department or individual position. Create an account for all the tasks and skills involved
in the job.
2. Evaluate the importance of each task and competency:
Once you understand what skills are needed to perform each task, you can rate the
difficulty of each task and skill. Determine the top-level skills for each location. Note
which skills require entry level and more experience. You may think differently from this
job as you thought it was an important part of the job.
3. Research industry standards:
Find status data in your job analysis to make sure you're tied to your current workforce.
Test your results using information from government literature and corporate
organizations. Seek expert advice on the subject that can explain the tasks you need to do
your job. Compare your network and data with other businesses.
4. Revise job descriptions and standards:
Once you've identified and discovered the most important qualifications needed to do the
job, make a list for each job and skill. Use this to edit an existing job description or create
a new one to suit your analysis. Create a set of criteria for each position that matches your
employees' feedback and your own work observations. Include expectations that you may
not have met, but are based on professional guidelines from your research.
5. Use data to make changes:
Look at the entire organization. Based on the analysis, determine if the right task is
assigned to the right task. If you find that a job in one department is suitable for another
team, move these tasks to another job. You may also find that some departments handle
more than others. You can use job analysis data to find ways to transfer job
responsibilities based on the capabilities of each job.
What are the disadvantages of job analysis?
1. Time consuming:
The biggest drawback of the job review process is being very time consuming. This is a
serious limitation, especially when jobs change frequently. This emphasizes personal bias: if
the supervisor or analyst is an employee of the same organization, the process may involve
their personal likes and dislikes. This is a major obstacle for the collection of reliable and
accurate data.
2. Too much human effort
The process involves a lot of human effort. Because each job has different information and
there is no set pattern, custom information must be collected for different jobs. The process
must be carried out separately to collect and record order-related data.
3. Lack of Skills
If the analyst is unaware of the purpose of the job analysis process and doesn't have the
proper skills to carry it out, it is a waste of company resources. You must be trained to obtain
reliable data.
4. Lack of mental abilities
Last but not least, mental abilities such as intelligence, emotional characteristics, knowledge,
competence, mental and endurance are intangible things that cannot be directly observed or
measured. People work differently in different situations. Therefore, general standards for
mental abilities cannot be set.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
A broad, general, and written statement of a specific job, based on the findings of a job
analysis. It generally includes duties, purpose, responsibilities, scope, and working conditions
of a job along with the job's title, and the name or designation of the person to whom the
employee reports. Job description usually forms the basis of job specification.
Job description -where the details regarding the job are given.
Meaning:
The job description is informative documentation of the scope, duties, tasks, responsibilities,
and working conditions related to the job listing in the organization through the process of
job analysis. The job description also details the skills and qualifications that an individual
applying for the job needs to possess. It basically gives all the details which might be good
for both the company and the applicant so that both parties are on the same page regarding
the job posting. The job description is used in the recruitment process to inform the applicants
of the job profile and requirements, and used in the performance management process to
evaluate the employee’s performance against the description.
Importance of Job Description:
A job description is an essential part of the job application process as, with the right
information, it should help applicants to determine whether the role is in line with their skill
set and whether it is a job they actually want to do. From the organisation’s perspective, the
job description is vital in ensuring that the applications received for the position closely
match the needs of the role itself. It helps HR departments and external recruiters to
streamline the selection process and receive a high concentration of candidates who are
suitable for an interview or further selection.
A job description helps to streamline the selection process
Why Are Job Descriptions Helpful?
We can all probably imagine a badly-written job description. It’s only a couple of sentences,
doesn’t list what the role entails, and is vague about the compensation. As a reflection of the
company’s mission and goals, this job description is enough to turn away even the most
passionate prospects.
Besides attracting top candidates to your organization, job descriptions can benefit your team
and make your life in HR easier in many ways. Specifically, job descriptions are helpful
because they:
• Provide a clear understanding of the duties and responsibilities for a particular position.
This is helpful not just for applicants interested in the role, but also, for management to better
determine the actions needed to achieve organizational goals.
• Protect an organization legally, as the job description can defend why a candidate was
selected—or not—for a position.
• Ensure a consistent understanding across departments of how different job positions and
roles help the organization grow. This will help overall team engagement and remind
employees of the value of other players in the business.
• Lay the foundation to facilitate ongoing performance management. With role duties
and responsibilities clearly laid out, it’s much easier to measure the success of new
employees and ensure that certain targets are being met.
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• Help employees create personal goals for advancing in their current roles. Your job
descriptions not only introduce prospects to the role at hand but also enable them to start
thinking about how they can take those responsibilities a step further and add more value
to the organization.
• Create boundaries regarding employees’ responsibilities. This ensures that the new team
members (and existing ones) aren’t doing more than what they’re compensated for.
• Justify an employee’s pay. By listing out all the duties and requirements, you provide
some context as to why a role is compensated in a specific way.
• Support training and development activities by providing written documentation for
what a particular role entails and the needed training and activities it requires.
JOB SPECIFICATION:
What is Job Specification?
A job specification defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are required to perform a
job in an organization. Job specification covers aspects like education, work experience,
managerial experience, etc which can help accomplish the goals related to the job. Job
specification helps in the recruitment & selection process, evaluating the performance of
employees, and in their appraisal & promotion. Job specification, along with job description,
is actually derived from job analysis. Collectively, job specifications and job descriptions
help in giving an overview of the job in terms of its title, position, roles, responsibilities,
education, experience, workplace, etc.
Importance of Job Specification:
The importance and purpose of a job specification are a thorough understanding of the
specific details of a job. Jobs can be of different types and can require a different skill set to
get the maximum output from a particular. Job specification gives important details related to
the job like education & skills, prior work experience, managerial experience, personality
traits, etc which would help an employee accomplish the objectives of a job. For a recruiter,
job specification lays down the guidelines basis of which the company can recruit and select
the best possible candidate who would be best suited for the job. Apart from actually finding
the right candidate or employee, job specification can be used for screening of resumes &
shortlist only those candidates who are the closest fit to the job. Hence, a job specification
gives specific details about a job and what kind of skill sets are required to complete the job.
Components of Job Specification:
There are many parameters that are considered while giving the job specification for a certain
profile.
1. Educational Qualification:
This parameter gives an insight into how qualified a certain individual is. It covers their basic
school education, graduation, master’s degree, other certifications, etc.
2. Experience:
Job specification clearly highlights the experience required in a particular domain for
completing a specific job. It includes work experience which can be from a specific industry,
position, duration, or in a particular domain. Managerial experience in handling and
managing a team can also be a job specification criterion required for a particular position
3. Skills & Knowledge:
This is an important parameter in the job specification, especially with knowledge and skill-
based profiles. The higher the position in a company, the more niche the skills become, and
more is the knowledge required to perform the job. Skills like leadership, communication
management, time management, team management, etc are mentioned.
4. Personality traits and characteristics:
The way in which a person behaves in a particular situation handles complex problems,
generic behaviour, etc are all covered in the characteristics of a job description. It also covers
the emotional intelligence of a person i.e., how strong or weak a person is emotionally
Job Specification Example
Here is a sample job specification, which is prepared for a marketing manager in a telecom
company.
Education Must be an engineer and MBA in marketing for a reputed MBA
institute
Work experience Must have prior work experience in marketing & sales
(preferably telecom or FMCG)
Skills & Knowledge 1. Must be a good communicator and must be able to lead a team.
2. Prior experience in handling ATL-BTL activities and
managing promotional events.
3. Must be able to handle social media like Facebook, and Twitter
and help build an online brand
4. Experience in managing PR and media
5. Strong analytical skills and problem-solving skills
6. Must understand business, come up with innovative products
and launch them.
Personality Traits & 1. Must be presentable and a good orator
Characteristics 2. Should be calm in complex situations and show leadership
skills in managing multiple teams.
 3. Should be emotionally strong and should give timely
deliverables.

The above table is a sample of job specification. More specific details can also be put to give a better
understanding about the job.

Advantages of Job Specification:

There are several benefits of having a comprehensive job specification. Some advantages are
listed below:
1. Job specification highlights all the specific details required to perform the job at its best
2. It gives the HR managers a threshold and a framework on the basis on which they can
identify the best prospects
3. Helps in the screening of resumes and saves time when there are multiple applications by
choosing those who are closest to the job specification
4. HR managers can use job specifications as a benchmark to evaluate employees and give
they required pieces of training
Characteristics:
1. Must be presentable and a good orator
2. Should be calm in complex situations and show leadership skills
in managing multiple teams
3. Should be emotionally strong and should give timely deliverables
5. It also helps companies during performance appraisal and promotions
Disadvantages of Job Specification
There are certain limitations of the job specifications. Some of the disadvantages are
mentioned
below:
1. It is a time-consuming process as it has to be very thorough and complete.
2. Job description is time-bound and changes with changing technology and changing
knowledge and & skill requirements.
3. It can only give a framework of emotional characteristics and personality traits but cannot
specify the experience or forecast complex issues if any
JOB DESIGN:
Meaning of Job Design:
People like to work for both job satisfaction and need satisfaction. They want jobs that are
away from monotony, lack of power, and decision-making. They want to do meaningful jobs
as they spend a substantial part of their time at theworkplace. The duties and responsibilities
assigned to their jobs have to match their interests to derive satisfaction and optimum
performance at the job. It is, therefore, important to design the jobs in a way that people feel
good about their work/job.
Definition:
Job Design means outlining the task, duties, responsibilities, qualifications, methods and
relationships required to perform the given set of a job. In other words, job design
encompasses the components of the task and the interaction pattern among the employees,
with the intent to satisfy both the organizational needs and the social needs of the jobholder.
The objective of a job design is to arrange the work in such a manner so as to reduce the
boredom and dissatisfaction among the employees, arising due to the repetitive nature of the
task.
There are several important methods and techniques that the management uses while
designing the jobs. These are:
1. Job Simplification
2. Job Rotation
3. Job Enrichment
4. Job Enlargement
While designing the job, the following aspects are to be taken into the consideration:
1. The foremost requirement for a job design is to define clearly the task an individual is
supposed to perform. A task is the piece of work assigned to the individual and who has to
perform it within the given time limits.
2. The management must decide on the level of motivation that is required to be enforced on
an individual to get the work completed successfully. Thus, the managers must design the
jobs that motivate his employees.
3. The managers must decide critically on the number of resources that needs to be allocated
to perform a particular type of job. Thus, efforts should be made to make optimum utilization
of organizational resources while designing the job so that the organization does not suffer
any dilemma due to the shortage of its resources.
4. When the jobs are assigned to the individual, he agrees to do it because of the rewards
attached to it. Thus, the manager must include in the job design the compensation, bonuses,
incentives, benefits and other remuneration method for the employees. Thus, the job should
be designed with the intent to find a fit between the job and its performer, such that the job is
performed efficiently, and the performer experiences satisfaction while performing it and
give his best efforts towards its collection.
METHODS OF JOB DESIGN:
1. Job Simplification:
In the job simplification technique, the job is simplified or specialized. A given job is divided
into small sub-parts and each part is assigned to one individual employee. Job simplification
is introduced when job designers feel that the jobs are not specialized enough.
2. Job Rotation:
Job rotation implies the systematic movement of employees from one job to the other. The
job remains unchanged but employees performing them shift from one job to the other. With
job rotation, an employee is given an opportunity to perform different jobs, which enriches
his skills, experience, and ability to perform different jobs. It is the process of preparing
employees at a lower level to replace someone at the next higher level. It is generally done
for the designations that are crucial for the effective and efficient functioning of the
organization. By this to some extent boredom is reduced. However, people's interest is of
primary importance. Through this, they can also learn new things, new techniques, and new
ways of doing better work. It may also happen that over a period of time they will be finding
a job for which they are better suitable. They can also contribute in a better way to achieve
the goals of the organization. This aspect of job rotation can be seen widely applied in the
Retail scenario, where the end-user or consumer is in the direct presence all through. This has
to large extent reduced boredom, reduced irregularities due to familiarity, acquired new skills
& assuming new and varied responsibilities. In other words, it will lead to better job
satisfaction, which is the ultimate goal for better contribution.
3. Job Enlargement:
Job enlargement means expanding the scope of the job. Many tasks and duties are aggregated
and assigned to a single job. It is the opposite of job simplification. Job enlargement is an
extension of Job rotation, exposing the people to several jobs without changing the job duties
to be performed. He is taken off the boring job for a while & is allowed to take up a related
task & so on. Monotony is relieved temporarily. Critics are of the opinion that this approach
involves nothing more than having to perform several boring jobs rather than one. Job
enlargement is to expand in several tasks than just do one single task. It is also the horizontal
expansion of a job. It involves the addition of tasks at the same level of skill and
responsibility. It is done to keep workers from getting bored. This would also be considered
multi-tasking by which one person would do several person jobs, saving the company money
and man-hours that normally would be paid to additional workers. Small companies may not
have as many opportunities for promotions, so they try to motivate employees through job
enlargement. For example, when I worked at a restaurant. I would bus the tables, wash the
dishes, and run food upstairs. If they had just one person doing each job on the same night, it
would cost the management three times the money. This adds more functions; increases the
variety of tasks and this is short-lived. It cannot enrich the human content of the job. The
ultimate answer is Job Enrichment.
4. Job Enrichment:
Job enrichment means making the job-rich in its contents so that an employee will get more
satisfaction while performing that job. It upgrades the responsibility, scope, and challenge. A
vast majority of the jobs are repetitive and monotonous in nature. This results in reducing the
motivational content and human element of the job with repercussions on performance. The
central focus of job enrichment is giving people more control over their work (lack of control
is a key cause of stress, therefore unhappiness.) Where possible, allow them to take on tasks
that are typically done by supervisors. This means that they have more influence over
planning, executing, and evaluating the jobs they do. In enriched jobs, people complete
activities with increased freedom, independence, and responsibility. They also receive plenty
of feedback, so that they can assess and correct their own performance.
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING (HRP):
Definition of Human Resource Planning:
Human resource planning is basically the process of identifying the right person for the right
job at the right time and at the right cost. The process involves the estimation of the future
manpower needs of an organization and meeting them through the human resources available
to it. Human resource planning is the first step in the process of recruitment and selection of
employees after a job analysis has been accomplished.
Meaning of Human Resource Planning:
Human resource planning is a process of identifying and then matching the human resource
requirement and availability in order to determine the future HR activities of the organization
on the basis of the overall organizational objectives. It is concerned with the flow of people
into, though, and out of an organization involving the forecast of the need for labour and the
supply of labor, then planning the programs necessary to ensure that the organization will
have the right mix of employees and skills when and where they are needed.
Features of Human Resource Planning:
From the study of various definitions, the following features of human resource planning can
be derived:
1. Well Defined Objectives:
Enterprise’s objectives and goals in its strategic planning and operating planning may form
the objectives of human resource planning. Human resource needs are planned on the basis of
company’s goals. Besides, human resource planning has its own objectives like developing
human resources, updating technical expertise, career planning of individual executives and
people, ensuring better commitment of people and so on.
2. Determining Human Resource needs:
Human resource plan must incorporate the human resource needs of the enterprise. The
thinking will have to be done in advance so that the persons are available at a time when they
are required.
For this purpose, an enterprise will have to undertake recruiting, selecting and training
process also.
3. Keeping Manpower Inventory:
It includes the inventory of present manpower in the organisation. The executive should
know the persons who will be available to him for undertaking higher responsibilities in the
near future.
4. Adjusting Demand and Supply:
Manpower needs have to be planned well in advance as suitable persons are available in
future. If sufficient persons will not be available in future, then efforts should be made to start
recruitment process well in advance. The demand and supply of personnel should be planned
in advance.
5. Creating Proper Work Environment:
Besides estimating and employing personnel, human resource planning also ensures that
working conditions are created. Employees should like to work in the organisation and they
should get proper job satisfaction.
Benefits of Human Resource Planning:
1. The human resource planning helps in forecasting the future needs of the manpower
and not only this, but it also helps in anticipating the vacancies arising in the near future.
2. It is cost effective, i.e., the enterprise can anticipate the shortage and surplus of manpower
and can control the imbalance, that may become unmanageable or expensive.
3. Better planning for the employee development. Through human resource planning, the
skills of the existing employees can be improved by giving them timely training and
development opportunities.
4. Training programs become more effective since the manpower gaps, arising out of
shortage or surplus, can be determined through the manpower planning and the training
can be imparted accordingly.
5. It helps to make the strategic decisions related to the hiring and training of the
manpower, in the case of shortage and layoff, termination or replacement of the
manpower, in a case of surplus.
6. Through Human Resource planning, the idle arising out of vacancy can be reduced and
thus, the overall performance of the business remains unaffected.
Thus, through human resource planning the firms can effectively manage the manpower
requirements (both current and future) and also helps in reducing the lead time spent on
searching the prospective candidate for the vacant position
Objectives of Human Resource Planning:
The following are the important objectives of human resource planning in an enterprise:
1. Making assessment human resource requirements for future and making plans for
recruitment and selection.
2. Assessing skill needs in future.
3. Determining training and development needs of the enterprise.
4. To assess the surplus or shortage of human resources and avoiding unnecessary
dismissals.
5. To minimise imbalances caused due to non-availability of human resources of right
kind, right number in right time and at the right place.
6. Ensuring optimum use of existing human resources in the enterprise.
7. Keeping the enterprise ready to meet with the technological development and
modernization.
8. Controlling wage and salary costs.
9. Ensuring higher labour productivity.
10. Ensuring career planning of every employee of the enterprise and making succession
programmes.
PROCESS OF HRP:
1. Organisational Objectives
Human resource planning must be matched with overall organizational plans. It should be
concerned with filling future vacancies rather than matching existing personnel with existing
jobs.
2. Current manpower stock:
Current manpower stock must be continuously maintained by every department. Manpower
inventory must have the detailed bio data of each individual. This record not only helps in
employee development but also in the finding out the surplus/ shortage of manpower.
3. Demand/ supply forecasting:
Firstly, the organization must check the demand of manpower after every one year, two-year
so on. For this purpose, employment trends to show the number of employees on payroll
during last say three years to show the trend. Replacement needs arise due to the death,
retirement or termination of the employees. Growth and expansion help in creating a number
of positions at work place.
After the demand forecasting it is also important to check the supply of the different type of
personnel for this purpose human resource audit, replacement charts can be prepared.
4. Determining net requirement:
Human resource manager must check the demand and supply of the manpower before
deriving at any conclusion.
5. Redeployment and redundancy:
In redeployment the surplus employees in one department can be transferred to another
department where deficit of employees estimated and in case of redundancy were surplus
employees cannot be redeployed they can be offered voluntary retirement scheme.
6. Employment programme:
Here it is required to prepare programmes of recruitment, selection, transfer and promotion to
achieve organization goal.
7. Training and development:
It is very necessary for the employees to keep them updated in the job they are doing.
8. Evaluation of Human resource planning:
After doing all the above steps it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of human resource
planning.
Thus, the above-mentioned steps are important steps for the process of human resource
planning.
Functions of Human Resource Planning:
In the human resource planning function, the number and type of employees needed to
accomplish organisational goals are determined. Research is an important part of this
function because planning requires the collection and analysis of information in order to
forecast human resources supplies and predict future human resources needs. The basic
human resource planning strategy is the staffing and employee development.
1. Job Analysis:
Job analysis is the process of describing the nature of a job and specifying the human
requirements, such as skills, and experience needed to perform it. The end product of the job
analysis process is the job description. A job description spells out the work duties and
activities of employees. Job descriptions are a vital source of information for employees,
managers, and personnel people because job content has a great influence on personnel
programmes and practices.
2. Staffing:
Staffing emphasises the recruitment and selection of the human resources for an organisation.
Human resources planning and recruiting precede the actual selection of people for positions
in an organisation. Recruiting is the personnel function that attracts qualified applicants to fill
job vacancies. In the selection function, the most qualified applicants are selected for hiring
from among those attracted to the organisation by the recruiting function. On selection,
human resource functionaries are involved in developing and administering methods that
enable managers to decide which applicants to select and which to reject for the given jobs.
3. Orientation:
Orientation is the first step toward helping a new employee adjust himself to the new job and
the employer. It is a method to acquaint new employees with particular aspects of their new
job, including pay and benefit programmes, working hours, and company rules and
expectations.
4. Training and Development:
The training and development function gives employees the skills and knowledge to perform
their jobs effectively. In addition to providing training for new or inexperienced employees,
organisations often provide training programmes for experienced employees whose jobs are
undergoing change. Large organisations often have development programmes which prepare
employees for higher level responsibilities within the organisation. Training and development
programmes provide useful means of assuring that employees are capable of performing their
jobs at acceptable levels.
5. Performance Appraisal:
Performance appraisal function monitors employee performance to ensure that it is at
acceptable levels. Human resource professionals are usually responsible for developing and
administering performance appraisal systems, although the actual appraisal of employee
performance is the responsibility of supervisors and managers. Besides providing a basis for
pay, promotion, and disciplinary action, performance appraisal information is essential for
employee development since knowledge of results (feedback) is necessary to motivate and
guide performance improvements.
6. Career Planning:
Career planning has developed partly as a result of the desire of many employees to grow in
their jobs and to advance in their career. Career planning activities include assessing an
individual employee’s potential for growth and advancement in the organisation.
7. Compensation:
Human resource personnel provide a rational method for determining how much employees
should be paid for performing certain jobs. Pay is obviously related to the maintenance of
human resources. Since compensation is a major cost to many organisations, it is a major
consideration in human resource planning. Compensation affects staffing in that people are
generally attracted to organisations offering a higher level of pay in exchange for the work
performed. It is related to employee development in that it provides an important incentive in
motivating employees to higher levels of job performance and to higher paying jobs in the
organisation.
8. Benefits:
Benefits are another form of compensation to employees other than direct pay for work
performed. As such, the human resource function of administering employee benefits shares
many characteristics of the compensation function. Benefits include both the legally required
items and those offered at employer’s discretion. The cost of benefits has risen to such a point
that they have become a major consideration in human resources planning. However, benefits
are primarily related to the maintenance area, since they provide for many basic employee
needs.
9. Labour Relations:
The term “labour relations” refers to interaction with employees who are represented by a
trade union. Unions are organisation of employees who join together to obtain more voice in
decisions affecting wages, benefits, working conditions, and other aspects of employment.
With regard to labour relations, the personnel responsibility primarily involves negotiating
with the unions regarding wages, service conditions, and resolving disputes and grievances.
10. Record-keeping:
The oldest and most basic personnel function is employee record-keeping. This function
involves recording, maintaining, and retrieving employee related information for a variety of
purposes. Records which must be maintained include application forms, health and medical
records, employment history (jobs held, promotions, transfers, lay-offs), seniority lists,
earnings and hours of work, absences, turnover, tardiness, and other employee data.
Complete and up-to-date employee records are essential for most personnel functions. More
than ever employees today have a great interest in their personnel records. They want to
know what is in them, why certain statements have been made, and why records may or may
not have been updated.
Personnel records provide the following:
• A store of up-to-date and accurate information about the company’s employees.
• A guide to the action to be taken regarding an employee, particularly by comparing him
with
other employees.
• A guide when recruiting a new employee, e.g., by showing the rates of pay received by
comparable employees.
• A historical record of previous action taken regarding employees.
• The raw material for statistics which check and guide personnel policies.
• The means to comply with certain statutory requirements.
Challenges in Human Resource Planning:
The following challenges are posed by Human Resource planning
1. Inaccuracy:
Human resource planning involves forecasting the demand for and supply of human
resources. Projecting manpower needs over a period of time is risky. It is not possible to track
the current and future trends correctly and convert the same into meaningful action
guidelines. Longer the time horizon, greater is the possibility of inaccuracy. Inaccuracy
increases when departmental forecasts are merely aggregated without critical review. Factors
such as absenteeism, labour turnover, seasonal trends in demand, competitive pressures,
technological changes and a host of other factors may turn the rest of manpower plans into
fashionable, decorative pieces.
2. Uncertainties:
Technological changes and market fluctuations are uncertainties, which serve as constraints
to human resource planning. It is risky to depend upon general estimates of manpower in the
face of rapid changes in environment.
3. Lack of support:
Planning is generally undertaken to improve overall efficiency. In the name of cost cutting,
this may ultimately help management weed out unwanted labour at various levels. The few
efficient ones that survive such frequent onslaughts complain about increased workload.
Support from management is equally missing. They are unwilling to commit funds for
building an appropriate human resource information system. The time and effort involved –
with no tangible, immediate gains – often force them to look the ‘other way’. Successful
human resource planning flourishes slowly and gradually. In some cases, sophisticated
technologies are forcefully introduced just because competitors have adopted them. These
may not yield fruits unless matched with the needs and environment of the particular
enterprise.
4. Numbers game:
In some companies, human resource planning is used as a numbers game. There is too much
focus on the quantitative aspect to ensure the flow of people in and out of the organisation.
Such an exclusive focus overtakes the more important dimension, i.e., the quality of human
resources. HR planning, in the final analysis, may suffer due to an excessive focus on the
quantitative aspects. The quality side of the coin (consisting of employee motivation, morale,
career prospects, training avenues, etc.) may be discounted thoroughly.
5. Employees Resistance:
Employees and trade unions feel that due to widespread unemployment, people will be
available for jobs as and when required. Moreover, they feel that human resource planning
increases their workload and regulates them through productivity bargaining.
6. Employers Resistance:
Employers may also resist human resource planning feeling that it increases the cost of
manpower.
7. Lack of Purpose:
Managers and human resource specialists do not fully understand the human planning process
and lack a strong sense of purpose.
8. Time and Expenses:
Manpower planning is a time-consuming and expensive exercise. A good deal of time and
cost are involved in data collection and forecasting.
Personnel Research:
All personnel people engage in some form of research activities. In a good research approach,
the object is to get facts and information about personnel specifics in order to develop and
maintain a programme that works. It is impossible to run a personnel programme without
some pre planning and post-reviewing. For that matter, any survey is, in a sense, research.
There is a wide scope for research in the areas of recruitment, employee turnover,
terminations, training, and so on. Through a well-designed attitude survey, employee
opinions can be gathered on wages, promotions, welfare services, working conditions, job
security, leadership, industrial relations, and the like. In spite of its importance, however, in
most companies, research is the most neglected area because personnel people are too busy
putting out fires. Research is not done to put out fires but to prevent them.
Research is not the sole responsibility of any one particular group or department in an
organization. The initial responsibility is that of the human resource department, which
however should be assisted by line supervisors and executives at all levels of management.
The assistance that can be rendered by trade unions and other organisations should not be
ignored, but should be properly made use of.
Apart from the above, the HR function involves managing change, technology, innovation,
and diversity. It is no longer confined to the culture or ethos of any single organisation; its
keynote is a cross-fertilisation of ideas from different organisations. Periodic social audits of
HR functions are considered essential.
HR professionals have an all-encompassing role. They are required to have a thorough
knowledge of the organisation and its intricacies and complexities. The ultimate goal of every
HR person should be to develop a linkage between the employee and the organisation
because the employee’s commitment to the organisation is crucial. The first and foremost role
of HR functionary is to impart continuous education to employees about the changes and
challenges facing the country in general and their organisation in particular. The employees
should know about their balance sheet, sales progress, diversification plans, restructuring
plans, sharp price movements, turnover, and all such details. The HR professionals should
impart education to all employees through small booklets, video films, and lectures.
Responsibilities of HR Manager in Human Resource Planning:
The primary responsibilities of a human resource manager are:
• To develop a thorough knowledge of corporate culture, plans and policies.
• To act as an internal change agent and consultant.
• To initiate change and act as an expert and facilitator.
• To actively involve himself in company’s strategy formulation.
• To keep communication lines open between the HRD function and individuals and groups
both within and outside the organisation.
• To identify and evolve HRD strategies in consonance with overall business strategy.
• To facilitate the development of various organisational teams and their working
relationship with other teams and individuals.
• To try and relate people and work so that the organisation objectives are achieved
effectively and efficiently.
• To diagnose problems and totermine appropriate solution particularly in the human
resources areas.
• To provide co-ordination and support services for the delivery of HRD programmes and
services.
• To evaluate the impact of an HRD intervention or to conduct research so as to identify,
develop or test how HRD in general has improved individual or organisational
performance.