Workforce efficiency plan
With the technological environment, many organizations find themselves unable to achieve their goals due to ineffective workforce management. According to Schrikant and Grasman (2011), for a company to achieve its mission and objectives, it must have the correct or appropriate human resource. With many jobs increasingly becoming digitalized, certain careers are becoming of no use in the company. This requires the company to downsize, retain, and retrain to maintain a competitive edge and meet stakeholder and consumer expectations. The process of developing a clear and strategic workforce efficiency plan starts by; developing a strategic plan for allocating resources in a way that enables the organization meet its requirements. The human resource must be proactive and reactive in forestalling workforce requirements. The plan must work on increasing efficiency through the integration of the company’s strategic plan, technology, budget, mission, and human resource. The human resource must identify, downsize or reduce inefficient employees; retain efficient employees, and develop potential employees. According to Pearman, Manning and Kohut (2009), this must be done in a strategic and efficient manner that will ensure the company retains its image and employees are motivated to work on achieving its goals. Again, it is essential to ensure that employees retrenched get their dues, and it is done in a correct and ethical manner.
Technological advancements
Technological advancements are one of the main factors why companies must develop workforce efficiency plans. Technology is in one way regarded as positive in terms of efficiency in daily operations and another way as negative since it promotes unemployment. Jobs initially handled by human manpower are now replaced by technology such as computers and the internet. It is extremely vital to consider technological advancements. Technology remains a key business tool for any business, which must always be considered in making critical decisions (Pearman, Manning & Kohut, 2009). The workforce efficiency plan needs to identify how the technological advancements have influenced operations in the organization in terms of deciding who to retain, retrench, and retrain. Additionally, technological advancements determine, which skills or talent can be retained and what other skills need developing. This is vital when considering the demand forecast of the workforce efficiency plan (Gilbert & Brown, 2004). Technology also comes with its own demand for specialized skills or other support and maintenance requirements that will determine strategic decision making in the efficiency. The basic influence of technological advancement in the workforce efficiency plan is determining what positions to retain, which to downsize, and which to develop or retrain.
Retention
Employing workers is just a beginning to start developing a strong and effective workforce. However, it is vital to retain the employees especially those with exceptional talent, or much needed experience. When developing a workforce efficiency plan, it is particularly crucial to plan on how to retain the best employees. There are various ways of retaining the best and talented employees. Providing a good and accommodating working environment is one way of encouraging employees to stay (Pearman et al., 2009). Having amble working spaces, efficient work arrangements, and adequate amenities for employees make them feel appreciated and valued. The second way is offering them competitive remuneration and benefit packages that meet their needs. Investing in talent is vital for business success and growth, and through increased or competitive remuneration packages employees are more likely to stay (Schrikant & Grasman, 2011). These packages can also be in the form of bonuses and commission on work done or profit gained. Employee development through constant training and team building programs can also help in retaining employees. Communication strategies and policies can also be revised to ensure there is open communication between the management and employees. Promotions especially from within the company are also a clear gesture of employee development in the company that can keep them motivated to stay. However, to come up with an effective workforce efficiency plan, it is significant to consider the organization’s budget and
Downsizing
Laying off employees is not just a strategy for cutting costs, but a tool for improving performance and efficiency in the organization. It can be integrated with the overall company strategy so as to increase efficiency, and strategically place the company in a good position during a time of increased economic and technological changes. When the organization reaches a decision to downsize on their human resource it is suitable to carry out the process in an efficient manner. First of all, it is always advised and recommended to consider legal issues or concerns (Pearman et al., 2009). It is appropriate to understand the laws and regulations on employee retrenchment. In most cases, the company should ask laid-off personnel to sign a disclaimer or agreement not to sue the company. The second step is awarding and recognizing the employees for their contribution, which should be conducted on the basis of job title or description and length of service offered. Another major consideration is being as open as possible with the intentions of laying off employees (Gilbert & Brown, 2004). There are also numerous ways employees can be laid-off effectively. One is through an early-retirement incentives program, where the company promises employees favorable benefits in exchange of their early retirement. Moreover, a company can consider attrition, which works by not replacing employees who leave either on voluntarily or under certain circumstances.
Retraining
Most employees are always confident and positive on their abilities to handle certain duties, but with increased change in the workforce environment, their work sometimes falls short of expectations. According to Gilbert and Brown (2004), developing a workforce efficiency plan requires one to retrain staff to ensure their performances are efficient and meet expectations. Technological advancements are key factors that determine the workforce efficiency. Retraining can be done through basic employee training programs. These programs must ensure that employees understand what is expected of them with the new changes or increased responsibilities. Another, method of retaining is through educational sponsorship, where employees enroll to study in a university or college using the company’s money for schools fees. Such a method is efficient since the employee will have to undertake a course after the program.
Other factors
The demand forecast for the workforce is also a key determinant in developing the workforce efficiency plan (Schrikant & Grasman, 2011). The company must consider the future demand for human resource to enable it meet its goals. This will enable the plan accommodate plans for future growth. Again, it is vital to consider employee behavior in determining their willingness or devotion to accomplishing the company’s objectives. Employee behavior can be analyzed internally through observation or random interviews. This will ensure the workforce efficiency plan is based on their behaviors and will be tailored to ensure they can meet the recommendation of the plan (Pearman et al., 2009). Working or operating environments are constantly changing, and being able to anticipate these changes ensure that the workforce plan is developed to counter or handle these changes in an effective manner. All these aspects must be considered as significant so as to ensure workforce efficiency in a cost-effective manner that will ensure the company meets it shareholder expectations and achieves its goals, as well as maintain its reputation in the community.
References
Gilbert, L. J., & Brown, J. (2004). Workforce planning not A common practice, IPMA-HR study finds. Public Personnel Management, 33(4), 379-379. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215931284?accountid=45049
Pearman, S., Manning, S., & Kohut, D. (2009). Embracing the changing workforce: 7 tips to sustain a successful strategy. Electric Light and Power, 87, 28-29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/228296975?accountid=45049
Schrikant, J., & Grasman, S. E. (2011). Work Force Planning the Systems Way. Industrial Engineer: IE, 43(7), 35-39.
