Why Strategic Staffing Plans Are Important

The human resources aspect of a business is often its largest asset. This substantial investment of
people requires an equally significant approach to manage it. Having a strategic plan for your
staffing needs and decisions allows you to organize and account for demands in personnel while
keeping organizational goals and vision in the forefront. Likewise, a strategic staffing plan aligns your
company objectives with the amount and type of personnel you need to obtain and sustain for those
objectives.

Strategic Plan Process

A strategic plan is a process used in many aspects of a business. The approach permits you to analyze,
examine and plan actions that take your company from where it is to where it needs to be. After defining
your objectives, the next phase of the process is assessing the current situation. Determine what
opportunities or limitations, both internally and externally, can either advance or hinder those
objectives. Next, convert your objectives into action plans, and then initiate and put those actions in
place.
Recruitment

Strategic staffing plans are important in attracting the right type of personnel to fit your company’s

needs. During your analysis, it is critical to evaluate required staffing positions and, more importantly,
the staff traits, qualities and criteria necessary to carry out your defined objectives. This allows you to
expand recruitment pools and target applicants to help your company fulfill its goals. The action and
implementation phases permit you to aim for and initiate procedures such as teaming with universities
or recruitment agencies to ensure you obtain the right personnel.
Retention

Not only is it important to draw in the right staff, but it also is imperative to retain the right staff for the
job. The analysis segment of your strategic plan accommodates the ability to assess procedures to keep
the personnel you have and examine what skill levels are needed to carry out company objectives.
During action and implementation, you evaluate factors such as employee training and development
that achieve the necessary skills and growth requirements. You also can explore and execute ideas such
as company day care, alternative shift work hours and other programs to combat common life-work
obstacles that hinder retention.
Budget

A budget is a short-term plan that projects and calculates potential income and expenses for an
established period of time. Budgeting invariably consists of determining needed staff levels and their
associated costs for the particular budget cycle. A strategic staffing plan allows you to analyze and
implement long-term strategies for the type, cost and volume of employees required to meet company
objectives versus only filling short-term slots.