Strategic HR planning is designed to ensure the company has the right workers with the right skills at the right time to meet its strategic goals and operational plans. The plan also keeps up with the social, economic, legislative, and technological trends that impact HR, so the organization stays competitive. By staying flexible, the business can manage change if the future is different than anticipated.

Include these four steps when creating your next strategic HR plan.

1. Identify Staff Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Create a skills inventory for each employee. Include every skill they have demonstrated as well as their education level, certificates, and training. Then, review each employee’s performance assessments and current development plans to determine which staff may be ready to take on additional responsibilities.

2. Determine Future Staffing Needs

Based on the company’s strategic goals, consider what its future staffing demand and supply may be. Include how many employees will be needed to achieve the goals, which jobs will need to be filled, and which skill sets will be required. Also, assess the staffing challenges you may encounter based on the external environment.

3. Perform a Gap Analysis

Figure out what is needed to fill the gap between where the company is now and where you want it to be in the future. Include the number of staff, skills, and abilities needed to implement the changes. Also, consider how your HR management practices could be improved or added onto. This includes which new jobs need to be added, which new skills are required, and whether current employees have the skills. Other issues include whether current employees are in roles that use their strengths, whether there are enough managers, and whether current HR management practices are adequate to meet future needs.

4. Develop HR Strategies to Meet Future Staffing Needs

You may decide to provide staff with training and development opportunities to take on new roles. This may include participation in on-the-job training or completion of courses or certificates. You might recruit new employees with the skills needed to meet future goals. You could bring in a consultant with specialized skills to complete tasks in line with strategic planning. Perhaps you will reduce staff by termination or attrition, regroup tasks to create well-designed jobs, or reorganize work units to increase efficiency. Be sure to document your key assumptions and the resulting strategies, as well as who is responsible for the strategies and timelines for implementation. Then, communicate your plan with leadership, management, and staff on an ongoing basis as you take action to carry out the objectives.  

Work on Your Strategic Plan

Planning the direction you want the company to go in and which skill sets are needed to get there helps you anticipate future staffing needs. Knowing how to add the necessary skills to your workforce keeps the organization moving forward.

For help with strategic HR planning and to find the experienced HR professionals you need, reach out to Arlington Resources. Get started today.