Planning An Organization’s Staffing Needs

Write a 2–3 page memo analyzing a U.S. state of your choice as a possible location for a new manufacturing plant.

Note: Complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented, beginning with Assessment 1.

• Chapters 1–2. in book

Multiple demographic changes within the American labor force are impacting employee-employer relationships and cultures within companies. Planning to meet workforce demands requires both a labor market analysis and statistical information.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Describe how hiring practices support an organization’s strategy.
  • Assess elements of CapraTek’s workplace culture that could be developed such that it becomes an employer of choice.
• Competency 2: Assess approaches for recruiting, selecting, and retaining talent.
  • Identify the number of production employees to recruit and hire for CapraTek.
  • Describe how employment and demographic trends for a selected state impact CapraTek’s workforce planning.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly and professional.
  • Communicate in a professional manner that is appropriate for the intended audience

Note: Complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented, beginning with Assessment 1.

Preparation

To prepare for this assessment, complete the following:

• Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Arthur’s Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting, and Orienting New Employees e-book, linked in the Resources.
• Browse Fortune.com’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, linked in the Resources.
• Read the scenario below.

Scenario

CapraTek, a fictitious technology company, has a long history as a leader in the design and manufacture of computer server components and continues to provide innovative solutions to industry needs. They are currently leveraging this culture of innovation to expand into emerging wireless technologies. As part of that diversification, CapraTek is developing advanced smart-home technology.

Last month, CapraTek announced that it will begin developing a wireless system providing seamless integration of newer home electronics and appliances capable of being controlled electronically. Security, heating and cooling, lights, locks, telephone, home entertainment, computers, and gaming devices all controlled through a single wireless device and a simple Web-based interface—”It’s better than a butler, it’s Alfred!” Alfred! will be produced in a new manufacturing facility currently in the planning phase. Groundbreaking on the new facility is planned within the next six months with full operations to be accomplished in three phases over the next two years. Distribution of the Alfred! device and components will be through existing distributors and retail outlets.

As part of the human resources team, you have been asked to support locating and staffing this new manufacturing facility in order to meet CapraTek’s strategic growth needs. The plan is for Phase 1 to be needed in one year and Phases 2 and 3 at one-year intervals after that. Here is some data you have uncovered when looking at similar CapraTek facilities opened within the past five years:

• Phase 1 = 140 production employees.
• Phase 2 = An additional 80 production employees.
• Phase 3 = An additional 120 production employees.

CapraTek’s facilities management has informed you that the initial training will take place on-site, and staff from other CapraTek locations will conduct the training over approximately a six-week period. Past experiences suggest that only one in five employees interviewed will be both qualified and willing to accept the job, and 20 percent of those hired will not complete the training.

Requirements

Select a U.S. state to analyze as a possible location that will support CapraTek’s hiring projections for the new facility. (Normally, this duty is not an HR function.) Using the described CapraTek hiring scenario, write a 2–3 page memo to CapraTek’s VP of operations in which you include the following:

• Identify the number of production employees to recruit and hire. Note: This is to include the number of applicants needed to meet Phases 1, 2, and 3 as well as the number of hirings needed to meet production of the new product.
• Describe how employment and demographic trends for your selected state impact CapraTek’s future workforce planning.
• Assess elements of CapraTek’s workplace culture that could be developed for it to become an employer of choice. Include at least three elements, and support your answer from readings and other credible sources.

please use the following transcipts for assignment 1-5

A key question in workforce planning is whether the organization has the right people in the right place at the right time doing the right thing at the right price. Workforce planning is the process organizations use to analyze their talent needs and determine steps to prepare for future requirements. Common questions used to analyze planning in the organization’s workforce include:

• What are the HR talent requirements for the next one, two, or five years?
• Will the organization’s future managers come from internal or external sources?
• What changes does the organization see impacting its workforce needs?
• Are there any specific local issues such as very high housing costs or long commutes to consider?
• What about national or international events, such as impending war, a high or low stock market, a recession, or consumer confidence in organizations?

The process of workforce planning includes the following steps:

• Forecasting the composition of the workforce in the future.
• Conducting a gap analysis to estimate the difference between the current staffing need and the projected future staffing need.
• Deciding how to close any gaps that have been discovered.
• Determining whether the staffing needs will be met by recruiting new employees, training and developing current employees, or outsourcing workers.

Job design and job analysis are instrumental in ensuring that employees will be doing the right thing, in the right way, to achieve overall company goals. A well-written job description ensures that an organization is legally compliant in all employment characteristics. This compliance is especially important in terms of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act and can be a protection from charges of discrimination for the company. Job analysis is fundamental to many human resources (HR) functions because job requirements are used in all aspects of employment including recruitment, selection, orientation, compensation management, training and career development, promotions, and performance reviews.

The future of an organization depends on its talent. Workforce planning ensures an organization has the right numbers of employees at each level. Basing HR practices on an effective job description will contribute to the quality of a company’s employees.