MAKING MANPOWER PLANNING EFFECTIVE

   Manpower planning is threshold of human resource management. Failure to plan
properly leads to failure in critical functions of human resource management.
Added to these uncertainties in the employment market, technological challenges,
economic uncertainties, unique socio cultural value systems are adding fuel to the fire.
In the case of such volatility in the environment, it is difficult to have a sound
manpower forecast.




Corporate Objectives: An important element in the Manpower planning is integration
of overall corporate objective with the Manpower planning objectives. In most of the
Organizations, there is conflict in the economic and welfare objectives.

Coordination: The important objective of Manpower planning is to make optimum
use of available human resources. Thus, a separate division is created to make a
comprehensive manpower planning in large Organizations. However, in some
Originations manpower plans are made within the human resource devision. Thus,
coordination of personnel in human resource department with other departments is
critical in the success of manpower plan. Today Organizations prefer to have
outsourcing of human resource functions. Thus, coordination with external agencies
that takes up outsourcing also become critical in manpower planning.

Top Management support: Top management needs unstinted support to the activity
of Manpower planning. However, in most of the Organizations top management fails
to realize the importance of manpower planning. It should be remembered that top
management support make a lot of difference in the effective designing of manpower
planning.

Information system: As noted earlier, information on various aspects of human
resources is vital in effective Manpower planning process. In the absence of accurate
and timely information, manpower planning becomes institutional and redundant. In
this case, decisions taken based on the manpower planning becomes a futile exercise.
Thus, effectiveness of Manpower planning presupposes existence of sound human
resource information systems