Strategic Human Resource Management: A Guide to Action

Internal resourcing

Ideally, internal resourcing should be based on data already available about
skills and potential. This should have been provided by regular skills audits
and the analysis of the outcomes of performance management reviews. A
‘trawl’ can then be made to locate available talent, which can be accom-
panied by an internal advertising campaign.

External resourcing

External resourcing requirements can be met by developing a recruitment
strategy. The aims of this strategy should be first to make the organization
‘the employer of choice’ in its particular field or for the people it wants to
recruit (eg graduates). Second, the strategy should plan the best methods of
defining precisely what is needed in terms of skills and competencies.
Finally, the strategy should be concerned with planning the use of the
most effective methods of obtaining the number and type of people
required. As indicated by Spellman (1992) the strategy should be
developed as follows:

1. Define skill and competency (behavioural) requirements.Ideally this should
   be carried out by the use of systematic skill and competency analysis
   techniques. These can form the material upon which focused and struc-
   tured interviews can take place and be used as criteria for selection. They
   may also indicate where and how psychometric tests could be helpful.


2. Analyse the factors affecting decisions to join the organization.These include:
   
   
   • the pay and total benefits package: this may have a considerable effect
     on decisions to join the organization but it is by no means the only
     factor; those set out below can be just as important, even more signif-
     icant for some people:
   
   
   • career opportunities;
   
   
   • the opportunity to use existing skills or to acquire new skills;
   
   
   • the opportunity to use the latest technology and equipment, with
     which the organization is well supplied (of particular interest to
     research scientists and engineers);
   
   
   • access to high-level training;
   
   
   • a responsible and intrinsically rewarding job;
   
   
   • a belief that what the organization is doing is worthwhile;
   
   
   • the reputation of the organization as an employer;
   
   
   • the opportunity the job will provide to further the individual’s career,
     for example the scope to achieve and have achievements recognized,
     increase in employability, or a respected company name to put on a
     CV.
   
   
   
   

162 l HR strategies