What are the factors to be considered for Manpower planning?

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Explain the prerequisites to be kept in mind while doing manpower planning

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(1) Goals or objectives of Business—Every business enterprise has some goals or objectives. The manpower planning must be integrated with business policies as regards to profitability, production, sales and development of resources. Any change in business objectives would certainly affect the manpower planning. For example a company decides to introduce computer system in the enterprise. This change will affect the manpower planning i.e., company will have to recruit computer operators or it will train its existing employees in computer science. Thus, determination of business objectives clearly in advance is a prerequisite for the effective manpower planning.

(2) Support of Top-level management—Manpower planning must have the initiative and support of top level management. Personnel manager as a staff authority can only advise or guide the top management; he cannot implement decisions. Action on decisions or suggestions of the personnel manager is to be taken only at the initiative of top executives. Thus support of top management is a must for the effective manpower planning.

(3) Well-organised personnel department—Manpower planning requires forecasting the requirements and developments of the personnel for this purpose, there is a need of a well organised personnel department. Personnel department collects, records, analyses, interprets and maintains the facts and figures relating to all the personnel in the organisation.

(4) Determination of related policies—Determination of personnel policies regarding promotion, transfer, wages, fringe benefits, training, leaves etc. is a prerequisite for manpower planning Without these policies manpower planning will be of little use.

(5) Responsibility—The responsibility of manpower planning should be assigned to some responsible senior personnel He should be provided all figures to the planning.

(6) Fixing Planning Period—Planning is concerned with problem of future. The planning period is divided into short term and long term. Planning period depends on the nature of the business and the social, economic and political environment. Long term planning is preferable for basic and heavy industries. Consumer goods industries may not resort to long term plans. The other important factors arc rate of population growth education and training facilities, cost of training etc.

(7) Manpower standards—In order to avoid the problems of overstaffing and understaffing, the optimum manpower standards should be determined on the basis of prevailing standards in similar organisations, past experiences and work measurement. These factors will reduce the cost of production and will increase the quality of production and will help in preparation of manpower plans.