HR Strategic Planning: Taking Deliberate Action, Post #12
~ Christina Stewart
You have your plan, So now what?
DOCUMENTING THE STRATEGIC HR PLAN
Once the strategies for HR in your organization have been developed they should be documented in an HR plan. This is a brief document that states the key assumptions and the resulting strategies along with who has responsibility for the strategies and the timelines for implementation.
IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC HR PLAN
Once the HR strategic plan is complete the next step is to implement it:
AGREEMENT WITH THE PLAN
Ensure that the board chair, CEO, executive director and any relevant senior managers agree with the strategic HR plan. It may seem like a redundant step if everyone has been involved all the way along, but it's always good to get final confirmation.
COMMUNICATION
The strategic HR plan needs to be communicated throughout the organization. Your communication should include:
How the plan ties to the organization's overall strategic plan
What changes in HR management policies, practices and activities will be made to support the strategic plan
How any changes in HR management will impact on staff including a timeframe if appropriate
How each individual member of staff can contribute to the plan
How staff will be supported through any changes
How the organization will be different in the future
It is impossible to communicate too much (but all too easy to communicate too little), especially when changes involve people. However, the amount of detail should vary depending upon the audience.
LEGISLATION AND MANDATE
Ensure that the actions you are considering are compliant with existing laws, regulations and the constitution and bylaws of your organization.
ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS
Whether you are increasing or reducing the number of employees, there are implications for space and equipment, and on existing resources such as payroll and benefit plans.
EVALUATION
HR plans need to be updated on a regular basis. You will need to establish the information necessary to evaluate the success of the new plan. Benchmarks need to be selected and measured over time to determine if the plan is successful in achieving the desired objectives.
