HR Planning and Performance Management Advice
Good human resource planning empowers you to understand your current situation and gain insight into your future requirements to stay compliant and boost performance. A well planned strategy can also help address future staffing needs and skill gaps within your company. Success is dependent on having the right people who have the right skills to run your company smoothly and allow for growth.
Performance management was traditionally a forward-looking approach that relied solely on hindsight. However, organisational culture is changing to one that uses technology and a people-first approach to provide continuous feedback. Managers can now see the performance of employees at the click of a button and get all the data they need to make any necessary changes to get them back on track.
Let’s explain!
What Is HR Planning
Human Resource Planning is the process of predicting an organisation’s future human resources requirements and determining how the existing human resources can be used to meet these needs. This plan focuses on the economic concepts of demand and supply within the context of the organisation’s human resource capacities.
In a nutshell, sound HR planning means will make sure you have the right people equipped with the right training and approach to support your business’s current and future needs.
This includes:
- Analysing current workforce performance
- Aligning with the business strategy (for instance, growth strategies, acquisitions etc.)
- Forecast future needs
- Recognise the gaps that you need to close
- Finding the right way to fill in any gaps
HR Planning Advice
The HR department can often be mistakenly seen as a cost centre rather than an area that can drive business growth. However, human resource planning has two main goals: to adequately prepare the company for the future and ensure it is adequately staffed to face any challenges.
The HR planning advice below will enable professionals to play a strategic role in the company’s plans by delivering the above benefits.
Resources Optimization
Analysing the performance of your current workforce can reveal additional capabilities or skills you need to use. For example, in a digital agency, your content manager may also be skilled in web design and development, while one of your salespeople might have expertise in email marketing.
You can either train your existing employees to do the extra work or hire someone else, perhaps a junior position, to handle the less critical parts.
Succession Planning
Unexpected departures of leaders can cause problems in human resource planning. Therefore, succession planning – identifying and training people to take on leadership positions – is crucial.
You can use this information to identify the most qualified candidates for leadership positions. This will help you be more prepared for the potential eventuality that your leaders will leave. But, of course, the same principle can be applied to any team member who is exceptional at their job or has unique skills in your organisation.
Skill Development
In the last 20 years, the skills most in demand in the workplace have changed drastically. They will also undergo significant changes in the next twenty years. These changes can be overwhelming, so it is advisable to be ready to adapt by planning today.
Planning for HR and employment involves identifying the skills and preparing plans to develop them. It is possible to determine the best person to learn these skills and find training courses to help you develop them in-house rather than hiring external talent.
Adopt HR Strategies That Support Remote Working
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, digital HR processes have become imperative. As a result, technology is being integrated into all HR areas, including self-service onboarding tools. In addition, many employees are forced to work remotely and want to do so after a pandemic.
This is why digital tools like remote software are growing in popularity. Both the employee and employer can access HR technology from any location. It can be used to schedule, train and make other requests.
This new way of working means that companies must adopt best practices to support remote employees. Although strategic human resource planning can seem overwhelming, it is a key to the success of your organisation.
What Is HR Performance Management?
Performance management refers to the continuous communication and feedback between managers and employees to achieve organisational strategic goals. Since its inception, the definition of performance management has been changing.
Performance management is no longer an annual process. Instead, it has become a continuous process in modern day workplaces. Therefore, it is essential to ensure employees perform well throughout the year while addressing any issues that might affect their performance.
Performance Management Advice
Perform Regular Check-Ins
Regular check-ins and conversations better indicate individual performance than annual reviews. Regular feedback increases creativity, problem-solving, and productivity, and eliminates mistakes. Employees can also be assured that their performance is on the right track by receiving consistent feedback. They don’t need to wait 6 to 12 months to see how they are doing.
Affirm Your Statements
It’s important not to accuse employees when discussing the ways they can improve. Sentences like “You’re not doing it correctly” can immediately cause people to be defensive, even though they may be accurate. Instead, performance management professionals advise, take ownership of your statements using phrases such as “I believe,” “I see,” or “I feel.” This will show that you are taking responsibility for your statements and also maintain the respect and dignity of your employee so they can move forward with confidence.
Introduce Simple Performance Criteria With Examples
Although simple statements like “You’re doing great” or “There’s room to improve” can elicit emotions, they don’t provide feedback. Employees need to be able to measure whether they are doing a good job.
“Employees may refer to their OKRs frequently to ensure they are on the right track.”
It’s a great way to establish benchmarks by setting objectives and key results/outcomes (OKRs). To ensure they are on the right track, employees can regularly refer to their OKRs. Then, during your check-ins, you can discuss these objectives and the results with employees and give examples of their performance – good or otherwise.
Avoid Giving Unexpected Feedback
Nothing is worse than feeling like you did a great job and then finding out that you are falling behind in performance reviews. It takes a while to get over the shock and bruised self-image, and employees are left confused about their company roles and expectations.
This is a common mistake. Instead, focus your conversations on the individual’s goals. To determine if these goals have been met, your employee can use their OKRs. Talk about these OKRs only. However, waiting for a review to address poor performance is not a good idea.
You can chat with your employee if you notice someone performing poorly. You will find that your employee appreciates the heads-up, and any poor productivity can be addressed much more easily.
Final Words
Although planning for human resources can be time-consuming, it is well worth the effort. Organisations that maximise their human resources planning are more competitive than others and tend to have a more significant advantage.
It’s all about streamlined operations that allow you to respond to talent and skills needs. It means that your employees have more fulfilling jobs in which they feel that their talents and workloads are appreciated.
The advice for HR teams regarding performance management is clear. A well-designed performance management system and managers with the people skills to give feedback frequently can lead to a motivated workforce that will translate into better business results.
HR planning and performance management are some services we provide to both international and domestic companies across the UK and Ireland. Feel free to contact us for more information on HR planning and performance management.
