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How to build an effective human resource planning checklist

The 4 comprehensive steps of human resource planning

Human resource planning comprises four comprehensive steps

When creating a human resources plan, these are the main considerations for any HR professional. Start with broader goals, narrow them down to strategies, evaluate your business, and build a workforce that will grow alongside your business. 

Before getting results, businesses need not only a clear picture of their company but a good understanding of several other factors before they can put their plan into action. Think about this in actionable terms. If your company currently has fifty employees but you expect to double in size over the next five years, how will you maintain your culture? How will you encourage an atmosphere of learning and growth? Can your staff keep up with the technological changes and your company objectives of the future?

Step 1: Analyse company objectives and HR needs

What gives one company a record of success with human resources while others do not have a strong reputation? Much of this is due to a strategic planning effort on the part of the organisation.

Strategic aims within an organisation must be aligned to human resources practices in order to ensure that a human resources plan is as effective as it can possibly be. For example, FedEx is a corporation with a track record of success in their industry and among customers. They obtained this reputation with a clear focus on strategic aims. They even follow the philosophy “People-Service-Profit” for every employee, customer, and stakeholder. Employees are trained to follow this philosophy and their feedback is collecting annually for consideration.

Moving forward with analysing your company objectives next to HR needs involves asking yourself some questions. It also should include C-suite executives, managers, and HR team members. Questions to ask include what growth or decline is expected? How might this impact the workforce? What are predicted sales for the forthcoming year?

Goals need to be shared; CEOs should be on the same page as HR professionals so that the focus on human resources is fully embraced by all of the people involved in the planning.

Some ways to invest all people in the creation of the strategic plan include: 

  • Incentivising staff members to give honest opinions
  • Allowing an open forum between staff members at different organisational levels
  • Reverting back to the mission statement or vision in all organisational goals
  • Focusing on the expected growth of the business 

The human resources plan should cover every part of a businesses from sales to expansion, from recruitment to training. An excellent way to ensure that everyone is on the same page is to implement a strategic plan for human resources to utilise.

This plan should include factors such as upcoming retirements, staff who will be undertaking further training which will advance their skills and any other factors which will affect the future of your workforce. 

ACTION – Create a strategic plan for HR and ensure it aligns with company objectives. Consider using cloud-based HR solutions to centralise and save valuable time.

Step 2 infographic

Step 2: Determine recruiting strategy and evaluate current human resources

Recruitment strategy is a powerful tool when well implemented. Consider Starbucks; this is a company ranked at 120 on 2022’s Fortune 500 and with projected growth of global and U.S. comparable store sales between 7% and 9% year over year until 2025. How does a company this massive, even begin to successfully manage their human resource plans?

A vital aspect for Starbucks is their recruitment strategy which targets potential employees who are ‘on-brand’ and who pass a carefully structured interview process. Starbucks also puts a lot of energy into employees’ well-being and as a result, the company has an extremely low turnover in staff. Their somewhat unusual practices are working extraordinarily well and have been for many years.

Starbucks is a large company with operating goals that are a struggle to implement. Yet, they focus on their goals and design targeted programs which eventually lead to the desired result. By treating people as their biggest resource, Starbucks has lowered their employee turnover while building a booming brand.

You can begin by looking at the number of people currently employed, taking into account their skills and potential for future development, you should be able to determine which positions will need to be filled in future. Creating a profile for your ‘ideal employee’ which covers the gamut of openings within your business will also ensure your staff turnover is lowered.

Digitising employee onboarding can be a powerful way to not only cut the costs of recruitment, retention and management, but can also help your employees to feel more empowered and engaged.

Also consider which jobs will be created or phased out, how can the new positions best be filled? A performance evaluation strategy can help here as you review your employees’ performances. Cost-effectiveness of external hiring depends on the position you are filling, your current workforce, and required training costs for your team. 

Once your plan is in place you can implement the best options for recruiting the best people for future gaps in the workforce. Hiring before the skills are highly sought out can get you ahead of the competition with employee selection. Always look internally at the potential growth of your current employees.

ACTION – Create a performance evaluation strategy and implement it across the organisation.

Step 3: Predict need

This is the practice of estimation. Looking at the potential numbers of future employees in an organisation and ensuring that they are of the best quality. The well documented worker shortage continues, and employers need to consider their recruitment strategy carefully. 

It’s not an exact art. There is some estimation involved and because of this, it’s quite challenging. Gathering the data needed to predict the future of your workforce is tricky in itself and involves both statistical data and ordinary observation. Utilise data you already have access to including predicted sales and slumps. A few established ways to predict need would be to: 

  • Check out industry trends
  • Track the economic forecast for your product and country
  • Assess company sales and historical growth numbers
  • Know the common trends that occur within your individual sales cycle

ACTION – Gather statistical data to predict the future staffing needs of the business

Step 4: Planning training and development

The previous steps will show you where, if at all, there are gaps. Will there be skills shortages within your workforce? Do you need to implement training for certain individuals now to ensure that you have the right workforce in place at the right time? Upcoming retirements for example can necessitate further training for individuals on lower rungs. This also serves as an opportunity to develop some of your more stellar, but lower-level staff members. 

Some changes can’t be predicted; long-term illness for example and employees changing careers or the shifting needs of their families can all impact your team but there’s no effective way to predict these changes. You can however forecast some variables and these should be carried out with care. 

Ensure that you keep records of the skills your workforce currently have and update them as the staff receive further training and development. It is also worth preparing for future skills needed in your sector. An aspect of Human Resource planning would be to invest in the proper training of staff, enabling your team to feel confident in spearheading programs, and building a business able to handle the future. Knowing the current gaps in your workforce can propel you toward a fully-prepared future.

ACTION – Carry out strategic forecasting to ensure that the company is well prepared for future changes.

Step 5: Build out your EVP

As the employment landscape becomes more competitive, and the fight to attract and retain workers is subject to a range of post-pandemic economic pressures, companies need to consider what matters most to their potential hires. Companies with a strong employee value proposition (EVP) seek to identify and align with their employees’ needs and values across workplace benefits including flexible working, career development opportunities, competitive salaries, and expanded benefits packages.

 

Using an EVP in job postings 

At a time when digital portals are clogged with posts and offers, strategically including your EVP in your job ads can help you stand out from the competition. Begin with language that talks about your company’s unique culture, values, and benefits. This can help job seekers understand what makes the company different and why they should want to work there. 

Mastering job ads

Structure, placement and guidelines that work Job boards don’t just randomly post ads on their platform — they consider many different factors when deciding where (and how far up the page) to place them. And, although there may be some differences from site to site, the following elements constitute best practice. 

Syndicated content 

Digital content syndication is a powerful way to get brand cut-through with your EVP. It involves distributing or republishing your own content like articles, blog posts, videos or infographics through third-party websites, social media platforms and other channels. Digital content syndication can expand your reach and attract new audiences, all while showcasing your unique value proposition and building brand awareness. Content syndication can also position your brand as a thought leader in your industry — something that can be leveraged for both sales and talent acquisition. 

Novated leasing as a pay boost 

Emerging businesses don’t necessarily have the budget to spend on meal services and other costly benefits that have traditionally acted as drawcards for employees at larger companies. But novated leases, FBT-exempt mobile phones, employee discounts at local stores and other in-kind benefits can increase pay packages for your employees and potentially save you money on payroll tax. These benefits are meaningful ways to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses of your employees, especially during times of inflation and financial stress. Novated leasing in particular allows employees to lease a car for private use, with payments deducted from their pre-tax salary. This helps employees save money on their private vehicle expenses while supporting their work-life balance. What’s more, employers can benefit from novated leasing by claiming GST on most associated running costs. 

ACTION – Build out your EVP with our free cheat codes.

HR tips and strategies for reopening after COVID-19

As Australia begins to re-open doors to businesses, company leaders are also starting to plan what the return to work will look like for their own employees. This can feel very overwhelming, as there are many factors to take into consideration – from keeping workers safe to minimising any disruptions to daily operations. To help, we put together the most critical HR strategies that can help you implement a safe, effective transition back to the office. 

HR strategies for the return to work 

When it comes to planning out the return to work, most organisations have one question in mind: how do we safely bring our employees back to the workplace, while also balancing the most urgent needs of the business? The good news is that there are ways to successfully strike this balance. To do so, we recommend leaning into these HR strategies: 

Reimagine the office 

The traditional office space must be reimagined to address concerns around COVID-19. This includes everything from physically changing the format to completely eradicating features associated with a typical office. Below are specific actions you can take to make your workspace safer for employees: 

  • Incorporate social distancing into the layout. According to Safe Work Australia, there must be 4 square metres of space per person in a given space to practice safe social distancing. Before your employees return to the office, make sure your desks are laid out to follow these guidelines. This means no more hot desking and, at least for the meantime, no more collaboration areas like meeting rooms or cafeterias. 
  • Establish a cleaning and sanitation routine. No matter how many people you plan to have back in the office, there has to be an intensive cleaning and sanitation routine in place. In addition to setting up hand sanitizers and hand-washing stations around the office, employers should look into services that can safely clean and sanitise the office space everyday. Or, if you prefer to do that internally, you can follow these guidelines from Safe Work Australia and The Department of Health

Prioritise health and safety 

The top priority of all organisations is to keep their employees healthy and safe as they transition back to the workplace. There are many things that HR and company leaders can do proactively to minimise any risks of contracting COVID-19 at the office. Here are a few suggestions: 

  • Provide PPE. PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment, is critical to keeping employees safe during these times. If you have the resources to do so, provide your workers with face masks, sanitation wipes, and gloves to use in the office – along with proper instructions on how to effectively use this equipment. This will reduce the risk of contamination and also relieve the burden of employees having to find and purchase this PPE for themselves. 
  • Take care of your most vulnerable workers. While some employees may be eager to return to the office, there are likely many who are not. And for good reason. If you have employees who are part of a vulnerable population, or live with someone who is, you don’t want to risk their health by sending them back to the office. Work with them to consider alternative options. For instance, if your organisation is able to accomodate a hybrid workforce, then allow the employees who don’t feel safe going into work to be remote, while others go back to the office. 
  • Maintain remote processes. For the time being, you may also want to continue maintaining some remote processes. Hiring and onboarding, for example, are HR operations that can be seamlessly done remotely and is an effective way to reduce the risk for all parties involved. That’s why we currently have a Return to Work Offer that gives you Flare at absolutely no cost and allows you to level up your HR processes virtually. 

Prepare your employees

It’s not enough to simply have your company leaders come up with a plan to return to work in silos. Your employees also need to be looped into this process and understand what their role is in facilitating a successful transition back to the office. We share a few strategies to help your employees get ready to go back to work: 

  • Be transparent. The return to work will, once again, shake up the lives of your employees. Knowing this, it’s critical to be as transparent as possible about what this transition will look like so that your workers aren’t caught off guard. Use this time to share the leadership team’s thoughts and collect employee feedback – this can inform important aspects of your plan. For instance, you may find that many employees are resistant to the idea of returning to the workplace so soon, and they may demand an extended timeline for the transition. These issues are better to catch early on in the process rather than later, which can be achieved by being as communicative and honest with employees as possible.
  • Offer health training and education. Employers shouldn’t assume that their employees are aware of health and safety protocols. Everything, from proper handwashing techniques to social distancing rules in the workplace, should be information that’s readily accessible – whether that’s in the form of an employee guide or a pre-recorded training session that everyone is required to complete. HR leaders and managers should also be prepared to answer any questions related to health and safety. 
  • Have a back-up plan. There’s a chance that going back to the physical office can lead to an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Knowing this, every organisation should have a plan for the worst-case scenario. What will we do if one of our employees contracts COVID-19? If the government decides we have to go back to remote work, how can we make that transition as seamless as possible? These are important questions that all HR leaders should have an answer to ahead of the return to work. 

Even though it may feel intimidating now to think about going back to work, taking proactive measures will ensure that the process is as stress-free as possible. Following the HR strategies we outlined will help you come up with a plan that prioritises the health and safety of your employees, while also protecting your business. 

Flare currently has a completely free Return To Work Offer to help organisations build resilient HR operations, employee onboarding and engagement strategies. Flare works with thousands of brands like H&M, Accor Hotels, and Hudson to provide services around compliance, onboarding, and HR communications at no cost. If you want to learn more about how Flare HR can support your business and employees during this time, please request a demo

Coronavirus: How HR leaders from Apple, Google and Nike are responding

The Coronavirus has continued to spread worldwide at alarming numbers. During this time of uncertainty it’s more important than ever before that we get our communities, workplaces and ourselves prepared.

Companies are looking to HR and people leaders to plan and prepare for the change in work. HR plays a critical role in guiding employees and management teams to prepare, and help keep the calm with unprecedented new challenges arising.

HR teams from Apple, Google and more are sharing Coronavirus plans publicly

Some of the world’s biggest companies have joined together to crowdsource a collection of resources to help HR and business leaders inform their employees about their Coronavirus response plans.

Coronavirus HR Comms & Resources Guide
Source: Coronavirus HR Comms & Resources Guide


Here’s the link to find a curated collection of public Coronavirus response communications, templates, news, remote work, hiring impact, and resources. 


How to communicate Coronavirus information in your organisation

1. Build a Coronavirus response plan

A Coronavirus response plan is essential to help anticipate and develop solutions to the disruption it will cause to your business. The Coronavirus HR Communications & Resources gives you access to Playbooks, Responsive Plans, WFH policy templates from the global HR community.

2. Distribute your Coronavirus plan

Create an information hub where employees can find all the information they need. Consider a HR communications tool like Flare which can help you manage, distribute and amplify communications to employees easily and efficiently. You can schedule a free demo of Flare here.

3. Re-evaluate your work from home policy

Many of you will be making plans for some of your employees to start working from home. Some of you will already have started. Here is one of our favourite guides to managing remote work: 21 tips to remote working.

How HR managers can shift from paperwork to people work


Human Resources management can be surprisingly labour-intensive. The amount of “process” can be highly counterproductive, too, eating up time and resources. The new approach to HR management is automation. 

Automation has a lot to offer for hardworking people who need all the time and space they can get. Increased efficiencies are across the board with HR automation, from the absolute basics to recruiting, and more. 

HR Automation Essential Concepts

HR automation delivers a full suite of practical applications. There are many types and scales of HR automation and solutions, and all of them are highly productive. This technology is specifically designed for HR needs, including all facets of records, data management, and reporting. 

HR automation isn’t quite “MYOB for HR”, but it is equally adaptable and flexible, suitable for any HR environment. Whether you’re a gigantic corporation or mid-range business size, HR automation is a very high-value asset. 

HR Automation Features

HR automation technologies offer many useful features: 

  • Payroll: Spreadsheet-based records which integrate with any financial accounts system 
  • Tax records and forms: Payments, deductions, group certificates, new employee taxes, etc. 
  • Employee key data: Easy to manage personal records for all employees
  • Staff evaluations and reports: These critical documents are created and recorded on the HR system
  • Onboarding: Full-spectrum onboarding data for all new employees from day one. 
  • Recruitment: Automated recruitment is highly efficient, including a full record of applicants, job information, and all relevant additional documentation. 
  • Records management: HR records of all kinds are digitally stored, indexed, and easy to maintain. Most HR automation systems also provide backups to avoid loss of data. 
  • Time management information: Automated systems are ideal for HR managers who need shift data, travel records, and similar information. 
  • Employment type-specific data: Depending on the type of employment your company offers, like casual, full-time, or part-time, your HR automation system can manage all types of employment. 

As you can see, there’s almost no limit to how these HR automation options can work for you. 

Cost Benefits

The cost benefits of HR automation are irrefutable. These systems save a lot of money across the bandwidth of HR operations. From better records to better reporting and overall management, the old paper and earlier digital HR systems simply can’t compete. 

Cost analyses show that even the most basic features of modern HR systems are exceptionally cost-beneficial. Far less time is spent on maintaining HR records. Many new systems also include capacity for employee inputs, like changes of address, marital status, payroll deductions, and similar features, as well as the HR inputs. The overall result is a far more accessible system with instant documentation wherever required. 

The HR automation upgrade also has some very clear benefits:

Modernisation: Obsolete and “nearing end of product life” HR operations and methodologies can be phased out and HR operations can be brought up to current market standards. (Old systems can be serious liabilities, particularly the very old systems which are usually unable to upgrade, leaving HR with vast amounts of data to be laboriously put on the new systems.)  

HR management: HR management is really about managing people, not endless processes.  The fact is that many HR managers are well and truly lumbered with systems which interfere with their management roles. There’s no credible business reason why that should happen. HR automation is the all-round solution to this problem, in so many ways. 

HR automation is the solution to so many HR management needs it’s now considered best practice around the world. If you’re looking for better options, explore HR automation. You’ll love it. 

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Human Resources management can be surprisingly labour-intensive. The amount of “process” can be highly counterproductive, too, eating up time and resources. The new approach to HR management is automation.  Automation has a lot to offer for hardworking people who need all the time and space they can get. Increased efficiencies are across the board with […]