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HR Business Plan Template: Everything You Need to Know

With an HR business plan template, you can help your company recruit new employees, retain existing employees, and guide the development of the workforce. 4 min read updated on February 01, 2023

With an HR business plan template, you can help your company recruit new employees, retain existing employees, and guide the development of the workforce so that you collectively meet your business objectives, regardless of any changes in the industry or economy.

When creating your HR business plan, you need to perform a needs analysis of your workplace to tailor the plan to your company's requirements. You'll also need to learn about the industry standards for your field to make sure you're competitive.

Without such a plan in place, your workers will feel unprepared and won't know how to work towards your company's overall goals.

Steps for Developing a Human Resources Department Business Plan

There are several steps to creating an HR business plan. They include:

• Clarify the requirements . While you might be tempted to create a detailed plan that encompasses the entire company's next 10 years, hold off. Always talk with your boss to see how much detail he or she would like in the plan. This will save you time and help streamline the process. However, there's no harm in creating your own personalized strategic plan for your specific department.
• Read through the HR job descriptions . The HR department typically has employees such as HR assistants, HR generalists, and an HR director . Read through the job descriptions for each worker in the department and see what kind of duties are missing. Brainstorm additional functions that each job role could provide to the company.
• Curate your list . Take the different functions you've brainstormed and compare them to what each member of the HR department is already doing. Are there functions you could add or subtract from each employee for more productivity? You don't have to go into detail here, but just think about how you could improve each role.
• Schedule a meeting with the executives . Before you make any changes, you'll obviously need to get input and approval from the company's executives. They may have more feedback on how the HR department can provide additional services and support the company's overall goals and mission.
• Create a feedback form . Come up with a list of questions to ask leadership about HR's role in the company and provide it to them in advance of the meeting so they have time to think it over and talk with their staff. You may even want to provide a rating and ranking format for the questions, as this will make their responses easy to understand and implement. Overall, this is a key process to understanding what management and employees want and need from the HR department.
• Look at external resources . While the internal information you're collecting is the most important, it also doesn't hurt to take a look at data from professional organizations and websites, such as the Society for Human Resource Management , The Balance , or HR Magazine . You can also ask colleagues from other local organizations for tips on creating your business plan.
• Use this information to make a plan . With your ideas, feedback from executives, and tips from external resources, you should have a clear idea of what your plan should look like. The things that are missing from the HR department should now be clear, and this should guide you on what to focus on to improve HR's contribution to the company.
• Identify goals for this year and next . While your plan can have long-term goals, keep the majority of them a little bit shorter in scope to see how things work out. This gives you the chance to reorganize and restructure if things aren't going right. Consider creating a list of accomplishments you can reach for the end of this year and into the next.

A Real Life Example

If you're seeking more guidance on how to create a successful HR business plan, look to Starbucks as an example.

As the world's largest coffee chain, Starbucks had $21.3 billion in sales in 2016.

Despite these massive numbers, Starbucks maintains the same approach to their human resources department. All of the HR planning is guided by the company's organizational strategy and brand.

Their strategy is to use specific interview techniques when hiring new employees. This lets them identify potential leaders and place them in a "New Partner Orientation and Immersion" training program. With this system, Starbucks has achieved the lowest employee turnover rate in the quick-service restaurant industry.

Starbucks also offers numerous employee perks and dedicates a lot of time to employee training through an online portal that teaches employees essential job skills.

If you need help with your HR business plan template, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

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Blog Human Resources 6 Steps to Create a Strategic HR Plan [With Templates]

6 Steps to Create a Strategic HR Plan [With Templates]

Written by: Jessie Strongitharm Aug 25, 2022

The backbone of any successful business is the people and processes behind it — that’s why creating a human resources (HR) plan is key. This strategic document drives your business forward by evaluating where your workforce is at, and comparing it to future needs. 

Without an HR plan, organizations can suffer from issues that would have otherwise been avoided. From productivity pitfalls to costly employee turnover, there’s no shortage of risks you can sidestep if you do human resource planning in advance. 

Not sure where to start? No worries. I’ve outlined six steps you can take to create an effective HR plan that ensures your organization is well-staffed and well-served. You’ll also find a variety of  HR templates  that you can customize in just a few clicks — no design expertise required. 

Click to jump ahead:

What is human resource planning?

• Assess employees’ current skill levels
• Forecast your labor needs based on available information
• Revisit your organizational design
• Outline how you will manage, motivate and retain talent 
• Align your workforce planning with your budget 
• Establish KPIs for your human resource planning objectives

Human resource planning is the process of considering the current and future “people needs” of an organization.

This involves evaluating an organization’s workforce structure and protocols to ensure operational goals are met, productivity stays high and future demands for labor and talent can be fulfilled. 

The result of this process is the creation of an HR plan, which typically takes the form of a written document sometimes autogenerated using HR software . These documents tend to follow a similar structure to most  strategic business plans  and are created on an annual basis, by HR managers or company leaders.

Check out the template below for an example. 

This eye-catching, one-page  HR Strategic Plan Template  offers a concise summary of your human resource planning efforts, so you can easily share info with colleagues. 

Just swap out the text and visual assets for those of your choosing in  Venngage’s editor , and you’re off to the races. 

6 steps to create a strategic HR plan

Ready to create a strategic plan for the human resources that power your business? Here are six steps to help you succeed at the human resource planning process.

1. Assess current employees’ skill levels

The first step to creating a future-forward HR plan is to assess employees’ current skill sets, and compare them to your operational needs moving forward. This will help you identify gaps and inform any hiring of new employees.

Employees’ skill levels can be assessed by reviewing their work history, hard and soft skills and professional growth over time. 

Using a matrix is a great way to understand where the skill gaps in your current workforce exist. Below is an example that describes the skills needed for different marketing roles. 

Don’t need it for marketing specifically? No worries — you can fully customize this template by swapping in your own text to examine any human resource gaps. 

Another way to assess skills is by giving employees a questionnaire they can fill out. This  Employee Competency Assessment Template  does just that.

Based on the information collected, you’ll get a sense of what positions best suit each individual, and whether any upskilling or hiring is required. 

2. Forecast your labor needs based on available information

Next in your strategic strategic HR management plan, you’ll want to consider the future. This involves accounting for any upcoming changes to your workforce, so operations can continue without error.

When forecasting labor needs, the following should be considered: 

• Planned promotions
• Upcoming retirements 
• Layoffs 
• Personnel transfers 
• Extended leaves of absence (i.e. maternity/paternity leave) 

Beyond those, it’s a good idea to assess the impact of external conditions on your labor needs during your human resource planning. For example, new technological developments may decrease the amount of employees you require to operate your business. 

3. Revisit your organizational design

Organizational design is the process of structuring the way a business operates so it can best achieve its goals. This is hugely important when it comes to your human resource planning process! 

With a clear understanding of your organization’s strategic objectives in mind, reviewing your organizational design allows you to understand the staffing requirements you’ll need to succeed at them. This means taking into account your  organizational structure  and chains of command, as well as how work gets done and the way information flows.

 From there, you’ll be able to see which departments need more team members so it can accomplish the organization’s objectives. 

An easy way to get started is by using an organizational flow chart. 

With its color coding and layout, even a new manager can quickly look at this chart to identify the people responsible for leading teams and making decisions. 

And if there are any changes, it’s easy to to reflect them in the chart itself. All you need to do is customize the text and visual assets in  Venngage’s Chart Maker  as desired. 

Not quite your style? There’s plenty of other  organizational chart templates  to choose from. 

Here’s an organizational chart that’s perfect for small businesses that have limited employees. One quick look, and you’re good to go. 

The bottom line is, no matter how big or small your business may be, you should always revisit your organizational design to optimize your workforce management and business operations. 

Related:  Types of Organizational Structure [+ Visualization Tips]

4. Outline how you will manage, motivate and retain talent 

In this day and age, it’s a known fact that companies must provide more than just a paycheque to attract and retain talent, and encourage growth. 

It’s true —  studies have shown  employees are more engaged in their work when they feel it is meaningful, fulfilling and slightly challenging. So your human resource plan should consider how to inspire such feelings, and what actions you can take to motivate employees to stay. (Hint: a strong HR training and development program is key.)  

The  talent management infographic template  below is a great way to begin. 

Using this  process chart , you can detail the steps you’ll take to retain the talent you have. Reference it as needed in your human resource planning.

 Another great way to keep staff motivated and geared towards their professional growth is by coming up with  ideas for employee development . Facilitating a company culture that champions continuous learning guarantees your team will feel supported and challenged in all the right ways.

The two employee development plan templates below will help you do just that. 

Though both templates are geared towards healthcare organizations, it’s easy to customize their content in Venngage to promote the continuous learning and development of employees in any industry.

 As a result, your employees will be able to reach their full potential, while simultaneously supporting the long-term goals of your organization. 

Related:  6 Employee Development Ideas for Efficient Training

5. Align your workforce planning with your budget 

 Let’s face it, human resources ain’t cheap.

 Meaning, if you struggle at organizing and monitoring your HR budget, you’re bound to overspend on your initiatives —and no financially savvy business wants that. 

That’s why I recommend including financial information in your HR planning process, so you can reference your budget and expenses as needed. This includes not only hiring and training costs but also the complexities of managing a global payroll for diverse teams.

Ensuring this allows you to stay within range as you work towards achieving your strategic goals for human capital . Plus, you don’t need to use one that contains walls of text and wack-loads numbers. Check out the clean and cheery option below — it’s as easy to fill out as it is to understand. 

And if you’re looking to compare a forecasted budget to previous annual spending when strategizing your HR budget, the  Budget Comparison Infographic Template  below will help. 

The bar graph is a great  data visualization  of annual expenses, organized by category. Just add (or import) any values to Venngage’s editor, swap out the text, and you’re ready to compare with ease. 

Related:  10+ Expense Report Templates You Can Edit Easily

6. Establish KPIs for your human resource planning objectives

Measurable results are important when it comes to your HR planning processes, because they indicate whether your strategy is working or not. 

Keeping those metrics in mind, your company can make adjustments and improve upon any future plans — AKA strategize for future success in business. That’s why your human resource plan should include info re: the specific key performance indicators (KPI) you’ll be measuring. 

KPIs are established to help determine if HR strategies and plans are working. Much like those used for evaluating the performance of  marketing  or  sales plan , KPIs for human resources are measurable results that indicate an organization’s success at achieving predetermined goals.

These may take the form of headcounts, turnover rates, demographic information, time to hire and employee satisfaction scores. 

Here’s one employee satisfaction survey you can use to understand your workforce better. 

When you’re ready to organize those HR KPIs in a document, the  recruiting template  below is perfect for keeping tabs at a glance. 

Related:  10+ Customizable HR Report Templates & Examples

How do I make an HR plan? 

After you’ve collected the data you need, you’ll want to convey this info in an engaging, professional manner for easy referencing and sharing amongst colleagues. Given this, using Venngage is the best route to go. 

Here are the simple steps to help you bring an actionable HR plan to life: 

• Outline the information you would like to include in your strategic hr plan
• Pick the human resource planning templates that best suits your needs 
• Customize the templates’ text and visual assets so they speak to your organization 
• Apply your company’s brand guidelines with a few clicks using Venngage’s automated branding feature,  My Brand Kit
• Download and share as desired

Note: sharing is available free-of-charge. However, the option to download your creations and access features like  My Brand Kit and Team Collaboration  are available with a  Business plan . 

FAQ about HR plans

How long should an hr plan be .

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the length of an HR plan. That being said, if you’re going to share it with colleagues, you probably don’t want to create a 20+ page document. One to five pages should suffice. 

Try to be as concise as possible when relaying the facts, and use  data visualizations  wherever possible to save room.

Do I need an HR contingency plan?

In the same way creating an HR plan is a proactive move that helps your organization account for future needs, it’s a good idea to devise an HR contingency plan. This ensures there’s a back-up plan in place should your initiatives not go as expected. 

For example, if you’ve identified that you need five new hires to keep up with consumer demand, but the talent pool is lacking, a contingency plan could house suggestions for restructuring your workforce to mitigate this. 

In other words, it’s best-practice to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. 

Is an HR plan different from an employee development plan?

Yes. While an HR plan is a strategic document describing how an organization addresses its personnel-related needs at a high-level, an  employee development plan  outlines the processes needed to help an individual achieve their professional goals.

 Even though the human resource planning process may involve outlining some employee development tactics, it is not unique to each employee as in the case of an employee development plan.

Make your HR planning processes effortless 

You don’t need a crystal ball to feel confident about your people moving forward. With a solid HR plan and strategy in place, you’ll prime your workforce — and all business endeavors — to succeed in even the most competitive of markets. 

Just remember this: human resources planning, and creating strategic business plans in general, doesn’t have to be exhausting. 

With Venngage’s huge selection of  professionally-designed templates  and easy-to-use editor, all it takes is a few minutes to produce a polished document perfect for all your needs.  Sign up for free today ! 

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How To Write the Management Section of a Business Plan

Susan Ward wrote about small businesses for The Balance for 18 years. She has run an IT consulting firm and designed and presented courses on how to promote small businesses.

Ownership Structure

Internal management team, external management resources, human resources, frequently asked questions (faqs).

When developing a business plan , the 'management section' describes your management team, staff, resources, and how your business ownership is structured. This section should not only describe who's on your management team but how each person's skill set will contribute to your bottom line. In this article, we will detail exactly how to compose and best highlight your management team.

Key Takeaways

• The management section of a business plan helps show how your management team and company are structured.
• The first section shows the ownership structure, which might be a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation.
• The internal management section shows the department heads, including sales, marketing, administration, and production.
• The external management resources help back up your internal management and include an advisory board and consultants.
• The human resources section contains staffing requirements—part-time or full-time—skills needed for employees and the costs.

This section outlines the legal structure of your business. It may only be a single sentence if your business is a sole proprietorship. If your business is a partnership or a corporation, it can be longer. You want to be sure you explain who holds what percentage of ownership in the company.

The internal management section should describe the business management categories relevant to your business, identify who will have responsibility for each category, and then include a short profile highlighting each person's skills.

The primary business categories of sales, marketing , administration, and production usually work for many small businesses. If your business has employees, you will also need a human resources section. You may also find that your company needs additional management categories to fit your unique circumstances.

It's not necessary to have a different person in charge of each category; some key management people often fill more than one role. Identify the key managers in your business and explain what functions and experience each team member will serve. You may wish to present this as an organizational chart in your business plan, although the list format is also appropriate.

Along with this section, you should include the complete resumés of each management team member (including your own). Follow this with an explanation of how each member will be compensated and their benefits package, and describe any profit-sharing plans that may apply.

If there are any contracts that relate directly to your management team members, such as work contracts or non-competition agreements, you should include them in an Appendix to your business plan.

While external management resources are often overlooked when writing a business plan , using these resources effectively can make the difference between the success or failure of your managers. Think of these external resources as your internal management team's backup. They give your business credibility and an additional pool of expertise.

Advisory Board

An Advisory Board can increase consumer and investor confidence, attract talented employees by showing a commitment to company growth and bring a diversity of contributions. If you choose to have an Advisory Board , list all the board members in this section, and include a bio and all relevant specializations. If you choose your board members carefully, the group can compensate for the niche forms of expertise that your internal managers lack.

When selecting your board members, look for people who are genuinely interested in seeing your business do well and have the patience and time to provide sound advice.

Recently retired executives or managers, other successful entrepreneurs, and/or vendors would be good choices for an Advisory Board.

Professional Services

Professional Services should also be highlighted in the external management resources section. Describe all the external professional advisors that your business will use, such as accountants, bankers, lawyers, IT consultants, business consultants, and/or business coaches. These professionals provide a web of advice and support outside your internal management team that can be invaluable in making management decisions and your new business a success .

The last point you should address in the management section of your business plan is your human resources needs. The trick to writing about human resources is to be specific. To simply write, "We'll need more people once we get up and running," isn't sufficient. Follow this list:

• Detail how many employees your business will need at each stage and what they will cost.
• Describe exactly how your business's human resources needs can be met. Will it be best to have employees, or should you operate with contract workers or freelancers ? Do you need full-time or part-time staff or a mix of both?
• Outline your staffing requirements, including a description of the specific skills that the people working for you will need to possess.
• Calculate your labor costs. Decide the number of employees you will need and how many customers each employee can serve. For example, if it takes one employee to serve 150 customers, and you forecast 1,500 customers in your first year, your business will need 10 employees.
• Determine how much each employee will receive and total the salary cost for all your employees.
• Add to this the cost of  Workers' Compensation Insurance  (mandatory for most businesses) and the cost of any other employee benefits, such as company-sponsored medical and dental plans.

After you've listed the points above, describe how you will find the staff your business needs and how you will train them. Your description of staff recruitment should explain whether or not sufficient local labor is available and how you will recruit staff.

When you're writing about staff training, you'll want to include as many specifics as possible. What specific training will your staff undergo? What ongoing training opportunities will you provide your employees?

Even if the plan for your business is to start as a sole proprietorship, you should include a section on potential human resources demands as a way to demonstrate that you've thought about the staffing your business may require as it grows.

Business plans are about the future and the hypothetical challenges and successes that await. It's worth visualizing and documenting the details of your business so that the materials and network around your dream can begin to take shape.

What is the management section of a business plan?

The 'management section' describes your management team, staff, resources, and how your business ownership is structured.

What are the 5 sections of a business plan?

A business plan provides a road map showing your company's goals and how you'll achieve them. The five sections of a business plan are as follows:

• The  market analysis  outlines the demand for your product or service.
• The  competitive analysis  section shows your competition's strengths and weaknesses and your strategy for gaining market share.
• The management plan outlines your ownership structure, the management team, and staffing requirements.
• The  operating plan  details your business location and the facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to operate.
• The  financial plan  shows the map to financial success and the sources of funding, such as bank loans or investors.

SCORE. " Why Small Businesses Should Consider Workers’ Comp Insurance ."

How to Write a Human Resource Plan

If your business is to succeed and grow, you need to ensure that you dedicate the time and effort required to develop a comprehensive human resources strategy. An important component of any successful human resources strategy is writing a detailed human resource plan.

If you are unsure how to write a human resource plan or unclear about the difference between human resource planning and a human resources strategy, you have come to the right place!

We start by clearly explaining what the difference is between HR planning and an HR strategy. From there, we describe how a business plan fits in with your overall business strategy and outline the items you should address when you write your own human resource plan.

What is the Difference Between an HR Strategy and an HR Plan?

A Human Resource Strategy: A human resource strategy outlines the long-term direction of a business and how it will achieve those aims from a human resources perspective. It takes the long-term goals of that business and ensures that the business’s human resources are moving in the appropriate direction to achieve those same goals.

A proper human resources strategy addresses talent retention and acquisition, as well as the hierarchy for that organization, succession planning, and how your existing employees will progress through it. Your strategic human resource planning should outline how your business will react to industry changes appropriately. Every business must align its overarching goals with its human resource strategy to succeed and grow.

A Human Resource Plan: Once a business has developed an overarching human resources strategy, it will need to write a human resources plan. Essentially, this document breaks down the various tasks and initiatives required to follow its human resources strategy.

The Difference: Your human resource strategy is your overarching HR goals and aims. It explains how your business aligns its HR efforts to succeed overall. On the other hand, the human resource plan is a document that lists the tasks and initiatives required to achieve the human resources strategy. It also outlines how to link the human resources strategy together with your business strategy.

Simply put, your human resource plan is a document that you will follow to make the goals set out in your human resource strategy a reality.

How Do You Develop a Human Resource Plan?

After completing a human resources strategy, it is time to write up a document that outlines how your business will follow that strategy and stick to its goals.

The following are some of the areas your human resource plan should cover:

• A detailed description of how your business will achieve the objectives outlined in your human resources strategy. This section of your human resources plan should come first. It needs to be a specific action plan that will list timelines for certain goals and objectives. You also need to include accurate budget requirements in this section of your human resources plan. If your funding does not line up with the aims of your human resources strategy, it is unlikely that it will succeed. For example, if an organizational goal of your strategic HR plan is to acquire new talent who will stay with the business long-term, your strategic objectives should address how to attract the workforce you want to hire. How will you advertise new positions, and what can you offer qualified applicants that your competitors cannot?
• How to react to the growth of the business from a human resources perspective. When you acquire a greater number of clients or customers, how will your business react? Will you hire new employees to handle the increasing workload, or will you work towards automation and upskilling your current workforce so they can handle more responsibility?
• A thorough breakdown of your business’s current capabilities, as well as a detailed forecast of your anticipated needs. What skills do your current employees possess, and what skills do you anticipate needing in the future?
• Detailed descriptions of how your business will go about acquiring new talent. This plan should give a thorough breakdown of the company’s compensation structure, its training and development system, performance appraisal, and performance management. Remember, you will not be able to hire the new talent to keep up with demand if your human resources plan is vague and incomplete. Human resources planning should also outline what you are looking for from new hires, including what traits they should have to fit into your business’s existing work culture. Recent labour shortages have made acquiring new talent more difficult than ever before. Your human resources plan should clearly state what you are looking for from new employees and how you will position yourself as an attractive employer to desirable candidates. Employee retention is also critical! Human resource planning should outline initiatives you will follow to retain the current talent you employ.
• Detailed descriptions of potential contingencies for when things do not go according to plan. Will your business be able to fulfil its payroll responsibilities during periods of hardship, or will you have to turn to external funding and layoffs? Do you have a strategic plan for outsourcing or contracting out some of the current or future roles your business needs to fill?

Final Words

The actual format your human resource plan follows does not have to be overly specific, but it is important that it is detailed and realistically describes how you will achieve the goals described within your human resources strategy.

For your business to succeed, you must consider human resources planning for every decision you make. Remember that human resource plans need to be updated regularly. While this plan should be comprehensive, you cannot be afraid to revisit it as your business grows and the market changes.

Once it is written, refer to your human resource plan regularly, as it will help ensure that your business is always moving in the right direction.

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How to Develop a Human Resources Department Business Plan

What Is Management Plan in a Business Plan?

The management plan section of your business plan will give more focus on defining your management team, as well as your staff and business ownership. This section highlights the individual skill of your team and their contributions to your business and simple business plans .

Fundamentals of Human Resources Strategic Planning

• Setting the vision statement and mission statement of the company, as well as the business goals and objectives.
• Learning the executive summary of the business plan.
• Know and understand the business strategies and how these strategies can develop a company.
• Establishing the objective statement of the human resource strategic planning.

How to Create a Human Resource Department Annual Strategic Plan?

The human resource strategic plan, if organized well and properly will be the key element to the success of any business, small or big. This strategic plan should focus on how it can increase the proficiency of this area and not harming the best interest of the company and the employees.

The human resource strategic plan has four functions:

• Selection and training.  It involves finding applicants and hiring the most qualified individual for the position.
• Training and development.  Improving the skills of the employee and meeting the employee’s need.
• Benefits administration.  Providing benefits package to the employees can increase the chance of retaining them
• Employee relations.  The human resource strategic plan should focus on the maintaining safety and work-friendly environment.

How to Design and Implement an HR Strategy?

Many companies may not know this but establishing, designing, implementing an HR strategy will ensure that your company will run smoothly and efficiently. Here are the steps:

• Define the company’s vision statement.  The company’s vision statement will serve as a guide on how the HR can help the company in reaching the smart goals .
• Establish the HR department’s role.  The role of HR in the company is countless. The company must set what specific role an HR must do.
• Implement the plan.  After the strategy has been developed, the implementation plan is now ready to implement. With the help of the HR strategy, the plan can be developed to help the business improve.
• Measure the success.  The success of the strategy must be measured to make the HR strategy more effective.

Steps to Develop a Human Resources Department Business Plan

Here are the steps in developing a human resources department business plan in pdf .

• Understand what your boss needs and wants from you.  It will be painful for you to have developed a plan that the boss didn’t want or need.
• Create a list of job descriptions.  Find out if there are job descriptions your department is not performing but would value to the company if it is performed.
• Add to the list the functions that your human resources department is already performing.  You can also add those functions that you want to add or subtract.
• Consult with your fellow executives.  Get an assessment plan of their satisfaction with your services.

The Link Between Strategic Planning and Human Resource Planning

All companies have three critical resources that must be used effectively to achieve the success of the quality plan of business. These three resources are:

• The technologies used in manufacturing and producing a product
• The finances in the financial statement that is used to pay what the expense report of a company.
• And the people with skills and talents that are used achieve the work that is crucial.

With that, the company must have a business and strategic plan to manage and utilize these resources.

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Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

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But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

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How to create a human resources plan

Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as saying, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” We can’t deny that there are few instances in life in which the result turns out better without preparation, especially when we’re talking about business. As a central component of any company, the HR department is no exception to this rule, meaning the human resources plan must be given the importance it deserves. 

If you’re still not sure what the purpose of human resources planning is , then this article is for you. We’ll explain in detail how to translate your department’s strategic thinking onto paper and put it into practice. 

What is s trategic human resource planning ?

The human resources plan outlines the general strategy for this business area . It includes measures to adapt to current and future supply and demand requirements relating to the workforce, as well as pay policies, wellbeing, etc. 

Generally, the document considers the following topics: 

• How many staff are required to fulfil the organisation’s needs . 
• Staff management strategies .
• Job descriptions for all posts.
• Channels and sources for attracting candidates.
• Recruitment and selection processes.
• Growth and development planning.

The importance of a human resources plan

A company human resources plan is essential if the staff and organisation are to operate effectively . This document is also key to achieving a company’s business objectives. 

It also serves to:

• Promote flexibility within the organisation : we are living in a constantly changing world. Effective planning helps companies adapt more easily to new situations and negotiate market volatility. 
• Improve the distribution and use of internal talent : by analysing and organising the human capital, companies can make better use of internal talent and distribute employees more coherently. 
• Facilitate growth for small to medium enterprises : HR planning is a fundamental aspect of growth strategies. It is important to know when to subcontract, how many people to hire, what benefits will it bring, etc.  

The objectives of a human resources plan

Why do companies design human resources management plans ? The main goals are as follows:  

• Supply information : the data acquired through a company’s human resources plan are hugely important to, for example, identify surplus, unused resources. Similarly, the information can also be used in other management functions.
• Analyse the current workforce : the document should also determine the workforce’s strengths and existing skills. 
• Use human resources effectively : Planning is the HR management’s primary responsibility, as their duty is to ensure efficient use of the current and future labour force. 
• Identify salary gaps : the document will also examine any potential salary gaps and, in turn, create more equal policies. 
• Ensure internal wellbeing : good planning and organisation almost automatically generate an improvement in the work environment, boosting productivity and employee satisfaction. 
• Retain talent : this, in turn, has a direct impact on talent retention. Employees who are content in their job are less likely to accept offers from other companies.
• Foresee potential department needs : all planning should include a forecasting section. Understanding when it will be necessary to incorporate new people into the team and what type of role is required is essential. 

6 steps to create a human resources plan

At this point you may be thinking, “but how do I do a human resources plan ?” If that’s the case, here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Define the plan’s objective

Any measures that are developed by a company must be aligned with the general business objectives. This goes for the human resources plan, too.  

Aside from this, the specific objectives of the plan will be targeted at a particular area: employee retention, attracting talent, promoting the business culture, etc. It is important to be clear and precise at this stage for the content to be useful and have a real impact on the organisation. 

2. Analyse the current human capital

The next key step is to analyse and evaluate the availability and resilience of the current resources. This will entail carrying out an exhaustive assessment of each member of the organisation in terms of skills, experience, performance, seniority, etc. 

3. Carry out a needs forecast

Analysing future labour requirements is an important step in human resources planning. Although there will always be fluctuations, it is critical to have a forecast in place of factors such as: redundancies, dismissals, retirements, promotions, etc.

4. Write the HR plan

Once you’ve gathered all the information, it’s time to create a solid plan that fulfils current needs and forecasted possibilities. For example, you will have to decide whether it is necessary to hire, train or subcontract labour to achieve the company’s objectives. 

In general, try to include the following information: 

• Definition of targets and goals.
• Required measures, expected results and resources used. 

5. Implement the plan 

Implementing the plan is probably the most challenging step. Many organisations, in fact, do not achieve what they have set out to do. To approach it successfully, trust your team and introduce changes gradually. Try to handle any incidents as they come along and make sure you are complying with the organisation’s general standards. 

6. Monitor and review the process

HR planning is an ongoing process. It is important to review the plan periodically to make sure the strategy is pointing in the right direction and achieving the objectives.

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HR Business Plan: What Is It And What Are Its Steps?

Every company that has an HR department needs an HR business plan. Without it, you will have inconsistencies when you deal with your employees.

Human resources manage the relationship between your company and its employees. Due to this, it is only natural for human resources to have their own plan of approach to their tasks.

Key Takeaways:

An HR business plan is the strategic approach of the human resources department.

The HR business plan should clarify responsibilities, organize its processes, and create performance standards in which to gauge its success.

First assess the current HR situation, then establish goals and strategies to enact those goals for the HR department.

Make sure your HR strategies comply with legal requirements.

What Is A HR Business Plan?

An HR business plan is a strategic approach your human resource department will follow to accomplish its goals.

Like all business plans, an HR business plan needs to define its objectives, organize systems of measured success, and incorporate a flexible framework. A robust plan can adapt to new scenarios and still focus on its long-term aims.

Though this will vary by company, in general, every HR business plan will want to:

Clarify roles and responsibilities. Focus on the roles and responsibilities of the department and its members. You want to understand the job descriptions of each member of the human resource department. Then decide what the overall purpose of the department is and connect it back to each member. Be aware of any conflicting or contradictory agendas and seek to streamline.

Design and organize processes. Human resources helps hire, train, onboard, and terminate staff. There should be well-detailed plans for each process that keeps the human resources department prepared for any scenario.

Address compensation and benefits. Human resources manages the implementation of benefits and compensation. Therefore, the department’s plan must discuss how this will be handled.

Comply with legal requirements. The human resource department needs to be well-versed in the legal requirements and protections of the employees. The plan should provide a clear compliance with the law.

Create performance standards. A business plan is useless unless it can be evaluated against measures of success. It helps to provide metrics with results to be more objective in analysis.

Tie in to overall business plan. The HR business plan needs to complement the overarching business plan of the company. Avoid any policies or procedures that conflict with the overall business plan.

A human resource business plan will develop these points into a coherent strategy.

Steps To Develop A HR Business Plan

Assess current human resource situation. Before a plan is made, the human resources department and the company executives need to know what they have already. Your company should evaluate the roles and responsibilities of its human resource staff. You will want to see if anything is missing or if there is anything that is expendable.

Establish goals for human resource department. Now that you know what you’re working with, it is time now to think about what you want the human resource department to accomplish. Use the roles and responsibilities you just clarified to arrange practical benchmarks you want the department to make. Make sure goals do not interfere with one another but build toward an overall objective.

Create strategies to enact goals. Once you have your goals in place, it is time to build strategies to accomplish those goals. These strategies should work in tandem, so make sure each one has a logical progression. Like the goals, you do not want your strategies to interfere with one another but instead build towards an overall objective.

Evaluate business plan. Once you enact the plan, you need to make sure you accomplish your goals. Have a feedback system put in place where you can measure the success and failures of your plan. Come up with contingency plans in case your initial plans need to be re-evaluated.

Why Have A Human Resource Business Plan

An HR business plan is needed to establish long-term success with your employees.

Your plan gives focuses on the roles and responsibilities of the department. Human resources play a critical role in the hiring, training, and retention of staff. A business plan will clarify these procedures.

A HR business plan also provides consistency in the implementation of benefits and managing the welfare of the employees.

The human resource business plan empowers the department to perform at its best. In turn, it will help employees be equipped and compensated to perform at their best.

Without a HR business plan, your company is at risk conflicted and contradictory procedures that impede growth and success.

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Conor McMahon is a writer for Zippia, with previous experience in the nonprofit, customer service, and technical support industries. He has a degree in Music Industry from Northeastern University and in his free time he plays guitar with his friends. Conor enjoys creative writing between his work doing professional content creation and technical documentation.

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• 5 Steps To Creating An Effective Hr Business Plan

HR Consulting Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Human Resources Consulting Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their human resources consulting businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through an HR consulting business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is an HR Consulting Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your human resources consulting business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for an HR Consulting Firm

If you’re looking to start an HR consulting business or grow your existing business, you need to write your own business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your HR consulting business in order to improve your chances of success. Your business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Human Resources Consulting Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a human resources consulting business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the lender will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings is the most common form of funding for a human resources consulting business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for HR consulting businesses.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

If you want to start an HR consulting business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below we detail what should be included in your own business plan for an HR consulting firm.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your own business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of HR consulting business you are operating and its status. For example, are you a startup, do you have an HR consulting firm that you would like to grow, or are you operating human resources consulting firms in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the HR consulting industry. Discuss the type of HR consulting business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of HR consulting business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of human resources consulting businesses:

• Human Capital Strategy : this type of business focuses on strategic matters such as corporate culture, diversity, and organization design.
• Compensation & Benefits: this type of business involves analyzing and consulting on all aspects of employee compensation, from base pay to secondary benefits, as well as pension and retirement.
• Talent Management: this type of business focuses primarily on recruitment and retention of talent, as well as on talent development.
• Professional Development: this type of business offers services ranging from leadership coaching and development to developing learning management systems.

In addition to explaining the type of HR consulting business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of websites launched, the types of sites developed, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the HR industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the HR industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your HR consulting business plan:

• How big is the human resources industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your human resources consulting business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your HR consulting business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: financial services companies, government entities, healthcare institutions, and technology companies.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of human resource consulting business you operate. Clearly, government entities would respond to different marketing promotions than technology companies, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most HR consulting businesses primarily serve customers living in the same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.  

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other human resource consulting firms.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes more generalized management consultants or dedicated in-house HR teams.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other HR consulting businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be human resource consulting businesses located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• Do they specialize in specific industries (i.e. healthcare, technology, etc.)?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide either a wider range or more specialized range of services?
• Will you offer virtual service options?
• Will you provide superior customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For an human resource consulting business, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of HR consulting company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to strategic consulting, will your HR consulting business provide compliance consulting?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, will you operate from a physical office, or will you primarily interact with clients online and/or at their place of business? In this section, discuss how your location will affect the demand for your services.

Promotions : The final part of your marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Signs and billboards
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your HR consulting business, including marketing, providing consultations, building analytics processes, developing and presenting recommendations, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to sign your 50 th consulting contract, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to open an HR consulting business in a new location.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your HR consulting business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow your business.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in human resources and/or managing HR consulting businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in Human Resources, or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you focus on one client at a time, or will you have teams working on multiple projects at once? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing an hr consulting business:

• Office build-out
• Cost of buying or leasing a company vehicle
• Cost of office supplies such as computers and software
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office lease, any notable clients you’ve served, or an overview of the services you offer.  

Putting together a business plan for your HR consulting business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will have an expert HR consulting business plan; download it to PDF to show banks and investors. You will really understand the HR industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful HR consulting business.  

HR Consulting Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my hr consulting business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your HR Consulting Business Plan.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of HR consulting business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have an HR consulting business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of HR consulting businesses?

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• 5 Steps To Creating An Effective HR Business Plan

5 steps to creating an effective HR business plan May 3, 2018

5 steps to creating an effective HR business plan

A basic business plan will involve creating goals to start a business, expand an existing business or implement a project, and developing ways to achieve the goals. Human resources generally refers to an internal department that handles the hiring, training and paying of employees. Without adequate staff, in terms of quantity and quality, a business will be unprepared to execute its plan.

Small business owners often face setbacks without a written HR business plan, such as, costly employee turnover, procedural bottlenecks and inconsistent productivity. A HR plan is a practical and tactical tool that can help you determine exactly where you're going and drive your business forward.

Here are five critical steps to creating an effective HR plan for your company:

Assess current hr capacity.

The first step in the human resources planning process is to assess your current staff. Before making any moves to hire new employees for your company, it’s important to understand the talent you already have at your disposal.

Develop a skills inventory for each of your current employees. You can do this in a number of ways, such as asking employees to self-evaluate with a questionnaire, looking over past performance reviews, or using an approach that combines the two.

Have a Succession Plan 

Eventually your business will face changes in management; this is an unavoidable part of the natural growth of any organisation. Managers will come and go and positions will be created and dissolved as you continue to expand and re-organise.

You'll want to be ready for this when it happens by having a succession plan already in place. It will be up to you whether you want to include your employees in the creation of this succession plan or not. Either way, be aware of their career goals and what their plans are for the future - don’t hesitate to inform them when changes are taking place.

By doing this you’ll be aware of what the most important positions in your company are and who may have the skills to fill those positions.

Outline how you will motivate and retain employees

You need the right people to stay on board to take your company further. A HR plan will outline your key strategies to motivate employees and maintain their loyalty.

Being creative with employee perks, rewards and compensation is one of the first steps. For example, your HR plan can clearly address motivational strategies such as profit-sharing or short-term rewards that involve personal or family life, such as entertainment vouchers.

Matching demand and supply

Matching the demand and supply is where the hiring process gets tricky—and where the rest of the human resources management planning process comes into place. You’ll develop a plan to link your organization’s demand for quality staff with the supply available in the market. You can achieve this by training current employees, hiring new employees, or combining the two approaches.

Conduct a Gap Analysis

A gap analysis is a formal study comparing the resources your company currently has to what they may need as they grow and develop in the future. If your HR services are outdated, or in danger of becoming outdated, a gap analysis will reveal this and allow you to make the necessary improvements to keep your company going strong for years to come.

HR planning is an ongoing process. Your strategy should be reviewed regularly and updated as your organisation changes.

Looking for HR management courses to help with your HR business plan? Read about our HR courses and contact us for information on the human resources courses we can offer you.

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HR Consulting Business plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

HR Consulting Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Human Resources Consulting business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their HR Consulting businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Human Resource business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

HR Solutions is a startup human resources company located in Spokane, Washington. The company is founded by Tremaine Jackson, a former human resources manager in a large retail company. Tremaine led a team of twenty human resources employees in overseeing all aspects of human resources for the employer and developed a unique application that he has decided to introduce in his new company, HR Solutions.

HR Solutions will be the comprehensive leader in human resource training, management, negotiations, and solutions-finding company in the state of Washington. They will provide everything human resource personnel need to hire and effectively onboard new employees, as well as everything needed to maintain proper records, effectively cover communication and employee relations, and become proactive about potential conflicts.

Product Offering

The following are the services that HR Solutions will provide:

• Proprietary app that creates comprehensive HR management plans
• Training to maximize personnel potential
• Assistance in compliance with laws and regulations
• Curated HR solutions to solve employee issues
• Assistance in establishing productive work environments
• Onboarding from A to Z
• “Support Cadre” for HR management personnel
• Recruitment and talent acquisition training
• Organizational process-and-procedure manual

Customer Focus

HR Solutions will target small-to-large businesses in the Spokane, Washington region. HR Solutions will also target Washington state with select online training programs and sales of the proprietary HR app. HR Solutions will target C-suite executives in Spokane.

Management Team

HR Solutions will be owned and operated by Tremaine Jackson. He recruited his former administrative assistant, Sharlene Harris, to be his Administrative Manager in HR Solutions, where she will provide oversight of all personnel and HR responsibilities within the company itself. He also recruited Mason Wright, a former associate and HR manager, to be the Senior HR Advisor within the startup; he will lead the other HR managers in their roles as client-focused solution providers.

Tremaine Jackson is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, where he majored in Human Resource Development. He has been a human resources manager in a large retail company, where he led a team of twenty human resources employees in overseeing all aspects of human resources for his employer and he developed a unique application that he has decided to introduce in his new company, HR Solutions. Former clients and associates have indicated they will follow him when he establishes HR Solutions.

Sharlene Harris holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Spokane College. She has been Tremaine’s administrative assistant for ten years and her new role will be the Administrative Manager in HR Solutions. She will provide oversight of all personnel and HR responsibilities within the company itself.

Mason Wright, a former associate and HR manager, developed a large following of loyal clients. He will be the Senior HR Advisor within the startup; he will lead the other HR managers in their roles as client-focused solution providers. His clients have indicated that they will follow him into the startup business.

Success Factors

HR Solutions will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team of HR Solutions

Financial Highlights

HR Solutions is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch HR Solutions. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for HR Solutions.

Company Overview

Who is hr solutions.

HR Solutions is a newly established, full-service human resource company in Spokane, Washington. HR Solutions will be the most reliable, cost-effective, and effective choice for HR managers and leaders in Spokane. Certain online programs and the proprietary app will also be the most effective and productive options for HR personnel throughout the state of Washington. HR Solutions will provide a comprehensive menu of training, recruitment, personnel, solution-finding services for any company to utilize. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive set of training, management, and solution options.

  HR Solutions will be able to provide superior HR support and solutions to every business. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in onboarding, training and creating solutions for every human resource quandary. HR Solutions removes all headaches and issues of the human resource personnel and ensures clients find the best answers to all their HR needs with the outstanding customer service found at HR Solutions.

HR Solutions History

HR Solutions is owned and operated by Tremaine Jackson. Tremaine Jackson is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, where he majored in Human Resource Development. He has been a human resources manager in a large retail company, where he led a team of twenty human resources employees in overseeing all aspects of human resources for his employer and he developed a unique application that he has decided to introduce in his new company, HR Solutions. Former clients and associates have indicated they will follow him when he establishes HR Solutions.

Since incorporation, HR Solutions has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered HR Solutions, LLC to transact business in the state of Washington.
• Has a contract in place for a 20,000 square foot office space within a downtown Spokane building.
• Reached out to numerous former clients and contacts to include those who will refer and recommend HR Solutions.
• Began recruiting a staff of ten HR managers and three office personnel to work at HR Solutions.

HR Solutions Services

The following will be the services HR Solutions will provide:

Industry Analysis

The human resources industry is expected to grow during the next five years to over $35 billion. The growth will be driven by an increased number of young employees who require extensive training and onboarding. The growth will be driven by an increased need for employees as the older demographic employee retires. The growth will be driven by an increase in the number of employees who are new to the U.S. and require assistance in onboarding and training. The growth will be driven by new technological advances that are not yet known. Costs will likely be reduced as new applications, such as the one created by HR Solutions, are created and introduced into the industry.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market, customer segmentation.

HR Solutions will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Small-to-large businesses in the Spokane region
• Small-to-large businesses throughout Washington (select programs/app)
• C-suite executives in Spokane

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

HR Solutions will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Human Resource RX

Human Resource RX was founded in 2005 by Reme and Janette Choux. As former human resource negotiators within a large firm, they developed distinctive programs that can help HR managers reduce conflicts in the workplace. In addition, the programs assist personnel in recuperating from workplace trauma and other difficulties or issues that arise in the office.

Human Resource RX, headquartered in Spokane, claims to be the “Best HR Prescription” for companies that require assistance in the form of management and oversight in trauma or difficulty. Human Resource RX also assists in compliance issues within the state of Washington, bringing expert advice into thorny issues that can potentially lead to litigation. The company has three offices throughout Washington, each with a staff of twelve “HR managers” who service local businesses. The company has maintained a good standing within the state of Washington, although there have been two separate issues of incorrect legal advice offered to clients. The matters were both brought by former clients to the court system and eventually resolved.

Premier Human Resource Associates

Premier Human Resource Associates is owned and operated by Tami Watson, an HR executive with over thirty years of experience. She is joined in the company by her daughter, Reyna Watson, a recent graduate of Spokane College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication. Premier Human Resource Associates is located in Spokane and offers an extensive onboarding and training program to support HR managers within local hospitals and medical clinics.

The bulk of services provided to HR managers includes various specific onboarding and training needs of nurses, LVNs, and other care providers. Attention is given in particular to the processes of sanitation and hygienic practices, along with the methods of communication used within these specific businesses. To date, the company has assisted in successfully onboarding over 5,000 nurses and other caregivers.

Transport HR Training

Transport HR Training was started in 1997 as a result of multiple difficult issues within the truck driving industry in Washington. In the decades since, Transport HR Training has established the full spectrum of services and products for HR associates in the long-haul and short-transport businesses. Specific practices and procedures relating to, in particular, medical issues of drivers, have been developed to smooth the HR process and align truck drivers with services they need. Transport HR Training offers a comprehensive package of services that includes negotiation in conflict, onboarding specifics, driver training, legal procedures and processes, and other truck driver-specific conditions.

Competitive Advantage

HR Solutions will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

HR Solutions will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for HR Solutions is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

HR Solutions has built up an extensive list of clients and contacts over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to their clients. Associates will follow them to their new company and help spread the word of HR Solutions.

Professional Associations and Networking

HR Solutions will extensively network throughout HR association and industry events. They will take an active role in leadership wherever invited to do so and will work to support the efforts of all associates or members.

Website/SEO Marketing

HR Solutions will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that HR Solutions provides. The website will also list their contact information and list their available times to make reservations during the week. This will allow HR managers to speak with HR Solutions when most beneficial to the client. The website presence will engage SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “Human Resources company” or “HR near me”, HR Solutions will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of HR Solutions will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for HR Solutions. Operation Functions:

• Tremaine Jackson will be the Owner and President of the company. He will oversee all staff and manage client relations. He has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:

Milestones:

HR Solutions will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease office space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the HR Solutions
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for new HR Solutions clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into HR Solutions office
• 7/1/202X – HR Solutions opens its office for business

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for HR Solutions are the fees they will charge to clients for their services, online training and proprietary app.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff HR Solutions. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

HR Solutions is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its human resources company. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and association memberships. The breakout of the funding is below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Clients Per Month: 40
• Average Revenue per Month: $80,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, human resource business plan faqs, what is a human resource business plan.

A human resource business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your human resource business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Human Resource business plan using our Human Resource Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Human Resource Businesses? 

There are a number of different kinds of human resource businesses , some examples include: Human Capital Strategy, Compensation & Benefits, Talent Management, and Professional Development.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Human Resource Business Plan?

Human Resource businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Human Resource Business?

Starting a human resource business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Human Resource Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed human resource business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your human resource business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your human resource business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Human Resource Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your human resource business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your human resource business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Human Resource Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your human resource business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your human resource business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

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Here is a free business plan sample for a hr consulting practice.

Embarking on the journey to become a human resources consultant can be both exciting and daunting.

In the following paragraphs, we will present you with a comprehensive business plan outline tailored for a human resources consulting firm.

As an aspiring consultant, you're likely aware that a robust business plan is crucial for laying the foundation of your consulting practice. It serves as a roadmap, guiding you through setting objectives, developing strategies, and establishing a clear plan of action.

To streamline your planning process, feel free to utilize our human resources consulting business plan template. Our team is also on standby to provide a complimentary review and fine-tuning of your plan.

How to draft a great business plan for your human resources consulting practice?

A good business plan for a human resources consultancy must reflect the unique aspects of the HR services industry.

To start, it is crucial to provide a comprehensive overview of the HR consultancy market. This includes current statistics and the identification of emerging trends within the industry, as illustrated in our human resources consultancy business plan template .

Your business plan should articulate your vision clearly, define your target market (such as small to medium-sized enterprises, large corporations, or startups), and establish your consultancy's unique value proposition (specialization in certain industries, bespoke HR solutions, legal compliance, etc.).

Market analysis is a key component. This requires a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape, industry trends, and the specific HR needs of potential clients.

For an HR consultancy, it is important to detail the services you intend to offer. These might include recruitment, training and development, performance management, employee relations, compliance, and strategic HR consulting. Explain how these services will address the needs and challenges of your clients.

The operational plan should outline your consultancy's structure, including the location, the team's expertise, the technology and tools you will use, and your approach to client projects.

Quality of service is paramount in HR consultancy. Emphasize your commitment to ethical standards, confidentiality, and continuous professional development to stay abreast of HR best practices and legal requirements.

Discuss your marketing and sales strategy next. How will you build your client base and maintain long-term relationships? Consider networking, partnerships, content marketing, and the role of professional associations.

Incorporating digital strategies, such as a professional website, online content, and a social media presence, is also vital in the modern marketplace.

The financial plan is another critical element. It should include your startup costs, revenue projections, operating expenses, and the point at which you expect to break even.

In an HR consultancy, it's essential to understand your service pricing structure and to manage cash flow effectively. For assistance with this, you can refer to our financial forecast for an HR consultancy .

Compared to other business plans, an HR consultancy's plan must pay special attention to professional qualifications, industry accreditation, and the development of intellectual property, such as proprietary training programs or HR tools.

A well-crafted business plan will not only help you clarify your strategy and approach but also attract clients and secure financing or investment.

Lenders and investors are looking for a solid understanding of the HR services market, realistic financial projections, and a clear plan for delivering high-quality services.

By presenting a detailed and substantiated business plan, you demonstrate your expertise and dedication to the success of your HR consultancy.

To achieve these goals while saving time, you can simply fill out our human resources consultancy business plan template .

A free example of business plan for a HR consulting practice

Here, we will provide a concise and illustrative example of a business plan for a specific project.

This example aims to provide an overview of the essential components of a business plan. It is important to note that this version is only a summary. As it stands, this business plan is not sufficiently developed to support a profitability strategy or convince a bank to provide financing.

To be effective, the business plan should be significantly more detailed, including up-to-date market data, more persuasive arguments, a thorough market study, a three-year action plan, as well as detailed financial tables such as a projected income statement, projected balance sheet, cash flow budget, and break-even analysis.

All these elements have been thoroughly included by our experts in the business plan template they have designed for a human resources consultant .

Here, we will follow the same structure as in our business plan template.

Market Opportunity

Industry overview and dynamics.

The human resources (HR) consulting industry plays a pivotal role in the modern business landscape, offering expertise in talent management, organizational development, employee relations, and compliance with labor laws.

As of recent estimates, the global HR consulting market size is valued at several billion dollars and is expected to grow steadily. This growth is driven by the increasing complexity of labor legislation, the need for talent optimization, and the strategic importance of human capital in achieving business objectives.

In the United States, there are thousands of HR consulting firms, ranging from large, multinational corporations to small, specialized boutiques, contributing significantly to the economy and employment.

The data underscores the critical function of HR consultants in supporting businesses to navigate the ever-evolving workforce landscape.

Emerging Trends

The HR consulting sector is witnessing several emerging trends that are reshaping the industry.

There is a growing emphasis on data analytics and artificial intelligence to inform talent acquisition strategies, predict employee turnover, and enhance performance management.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are becoming central to organizational strategies, with consultants playing a key role in implementing effective DEI programs.

The rise of remote and hybrid work models has prompted a need for new HR policies and practices to manage distributed teams effectively.

Employee well-being and mental health are also gaining prominence, with businesses seeking expert advice on creating supportive work environments.

Moreover, the gig economy and the rise of freelance work are creating new challenges and opportunities in talent management that HR consultants are uniquely positioned to address.

These trends highlight the dynamic nature of the HR consulting industry and its responsiveness to the changing needs of the workforce and businesses.

Key Success Factors

Several factors contribute to the success of an HR consulting firm.

Expertise and specialization in specific HR domains can set a consultancy apart, allowing it to offer tailored solutions and deep insights.

Building strong client relationships is essential, as trust and understanding form the foundation of effective HR advisory services.

Staying abreast of legal changes and compliance requirements ensures that clients receive up-to-date advice, protecting them from potential liabilities.

Adopting technology to streamline processes and deliver data-driven insights can enhance the value proposition of HR consultants.

Finally, the ability to adapt to industry shifts, such as changes in workforce dynamics or emerging HR technologies, is crucial for long-term sustainability and growth.

These success factors are integral to the development and prosperity of HR consulting firms in a competitive and fast-changing business environment.

The Project

Project presentation.

Our human resources consultancy project is designed to address the critical needs of businesses in managing their most valuable asset: their people. Situated in a business district or operating virtually to cater to a global clientele, this consultancy will offer a comprehensive suite of HR services, from talent acquisition and management to employee engagement, training, and development. Our services will be tailored to the unique needs of each client, ensuring that they are equipped with the best strategies and practices to manage their workforce effectively.

We will focus on delivering personalized, strategic HR solutions that enhance organizational performance and employee satisfaction.

Our consultancy aims to become a trusted partner for businesses, guiding them through the complexities of human resources management and helping them to foster a productive and positive work environment.

Value Proposition

The value proposition of our human resources consultancy is centered on providing expert, tailored HR solutions that drive business success. We understand the challenges that companies face in attracting, retaining, and developing talent in a competitive market.

Our commitment to delivering strategic HR services is designed to enhance organizational capabilities, improve employee engagement, and ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations.

We are dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in HR practices, enabling our clients to focus on their core business activities while we manage their human resources needs.

As a pillar of support for businesses, we strive to be more than just consultants; we aim to be partners in our clients' growth, contributing to the development of their human capital and the overall success of their organization.

Project Owner

The project owner is a seasoned human resources professional with a wealth of experience in various industries. With a strong background in strategic HR management and a passion for organizational development, they are well-equipped to lead a consultancy that provides effective solutions to complex HR challenges.

Armed with a deep understanding of labor laws, best practices in talent management, and employee relations, the project owner is committed to helping businesses achieve their objectives through effective people management.

With a vision of empowering businesses to maximize their human capital, the project owner is dedicated to providing innovative HR strategies and fostering a culture of excellence within the consultancy and its client organizations.

Their commitment to professional integrity and a results-driven approach makes them the driving force behind this project, aiming to elevate the standard of human resources management for businesses seeking to thrive in today's competitive landscape.

The Market Study

Market segments.

The market segments for a human resources consultancy are diverse and multifaceted.

Firstly, there are small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may not have in-house HR capabilities and require external expertise to manage their workforce effectively.

Secondly, large corporations seeking specialized HR services such as leadership development, change management, or talent acquisition strategies form another significant segment.

Startups and fast-growing companies also represent a market segment, as they often need assistance with scaling their teams and establishing robust HR processes.

Lastly, individual professionals seeking career coaching, resume building, and personal branding services can be targeted as a niche segment within the broader market.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis of the human resources consultancy business reveals several key points.

Strengths include a deep understanding of HR laws and best practices, a network of industry contacts, and the ability to offer personalized services tailored to each client's needs.

Weaknesses might encompass the challenge of staying updated with constantly evolving HR regulations and the potential for high client dependency.

Opportunities can be found in the growing trend of outsourcing HR functions, the increasing complexity of employment legislation, and the rising focus on employee well-being and development.

Threats may include intense competition from other HR consultancies and the possibility of economic downturns affecting clients' budgets for consultancy services.

Competitor Analysis

Competitor analysis in the human resources consultancy space indicates a market with both large, established firms and smaller, niche consultancies.

Direct competitors include other HR consulting firms offering a similar range of services, as well as online platforms providing automated HR solutions.

These competitors vie for clients by showcasing their expertise, client testimonials, and success stories.

Potential competitive advantages for our consultancy could be specialized knowledge in certain industries, a personalized approach to client service, and innovative solutions to HR challenges.

Understanding the unique selling propositions and weaknesses of competitors is crucial for carving out a distinct market position and ensuring client loyalty.

Competitive Advantages

Our human resources consultancy stands out due to our comprehensive approach to HR management and our commitment to delivering measurable results.

We offer a suite of services that includes not only traditional HR functions but also cutting-edge solutions like data-driven talent analytics and employee engagement strategies.

Our dedication to staying ahead of HR trends and investing in continuous professional development means that we can provide our clients with the most current and effective advice.

Moreover, our personalized service model ensures that each client receives attention tailored to their specific challenges and goals, fostering strong, long-term partnerships.

You can also read our articles about: - how to start an HR consulting practice: a complete guide - the customer segments of a HR consulting practice - the competition study for a HR consulting practice

The Strategy

Development plan.

Our three-year development plan for the human resources consultancy is designed to establish us as a leader in the HR solutions industry.

In the first year, we will concentrate on building a robust client portfolio by offering bespoke HR services and solutions tailored to the specific needs of businesses.

The second year will be focused on expanding our services to include online HR tools and resources, as well as developing training programs for HR professionals and management.

In the third year, we aim to broaden our reach by forming strategic alliances with industry associations and expanding our team to include specialized consultants in areas such as diversity and inclusion, talent acquisition, and employee wellness programs.

Throughout this period, we will uphold our dedication to excellence, client satisfaction, and staying ahead of HR trends to serve our clients effectively.

Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas for our human resources consultancy targets small to medium-sized enterprises in need of professional HR services and larger corporations seeking specialized HR projects or training.

Our value proposition is delivering expert HR advice, compliance, employee development, and performance management to enhance our clients' workforce and operations.

We offer our services through direct consultancy, online platforms, and interactive workshops, utilizing our key resources such as our experienced HR professionals and our network of industry experts.

Key activities include HR audits, policy development, employee training, and legal compliance checks.

Our revenue streams are derived from consultancy fees, subscription-based online resources, and training program enrollments, while our costs are mainly associated with professional staff, marketing, and technology investments.

Access a complete and editable real Business Model Canvas in our business plan template .

Marketing Strategy

Our marketing strategy is centered on demonstrating the tangible benefits of professional HR services.

We aim to educate potential clients on the importance of effective HR management and the value it adds to their business. Our approach includes targeted LinkedIn campaigns, HR workshops, and thought leadership articles.

We will also establish partnerships with business networks to gain referrals and credibility.

Additionally, we plan to leverage testimonials and case studies from satisfied clients to showcase our expertise and results.

Risk Policy

The risk policy for our human resources consultancy focuses on mitigating risks associated with regulatory compliance, client confidentiality, and service quality.

We adhere to strict confidentiality agreements and data protection laws to safeguard client information. Our consultants are well-versed in employment law and stay updated on legislative changes to ensure compliance.

We maintain high service quality through continuous training and professional development of our consultants. We also have a financial management strategy to ensure stability and growth.

Professional indemnity insurance is in place to protect against potential legal claims, ensuring we can provide top-tier HR services with confidence.

Why Our Project is Viable

We are committed to establishing a human resources consultancy that addresses the evolving challenges faced by businesses in managing their human capital.

With our expertise in HR practices, dedication to client success, and adaptive service offerings, we are poised to make a significant impact in the market.

We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to enhance the operational efficiency of our clients' businesses and are prepared to adapt our strategies to meet their changing needs.

We are optimistic about the future of our human resources consultancy and the value it will bring to our clients and the industry as a whole.

You can also read our articles about: - the Business Model Canvas of a HR consulting practice - the marketing strategy for a HR consulting practice

The Financial Plan

Of course, the text presented below is far from sufficient to serve as a solid and credible financial analysis for a bank or potential investor. They expect specific numbers, financial statements, and charts demonstrating the profitability of your project.

All these elements are available in our business plan template for a human resources consultant and our financial plan for a human resources consultant .

Initial expenses for our human resources consultancy include setting up a professional office environment, investing in HR-specific software and technology, legal and compliance costs, developing a strong online presence, and engaging in networking events to establish connections with potential clients. Additionally, costs will be incurred for branding, website development, and targeted marketing strategies to reach our intended market.

Our revenue assumptions are based on a thorough market analysis of the demand for HR consulting services, taking into account the increasing complexity of employment laws and the need for specialized HR expertise among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

We anticipate a gradual increase in client acquisition, starting conservatively and expanding as our reputation as a trusted HR advisor grows.

The projected income statement reflects expected revenues from our consulting services, direct costs (such as salaries of consultants and administrative staff), and operating expenses (office rent, marketing, professional development, etc.).

This results in a forecasted net profit that is essential for assessing the long-term viability of our consultancy.

The projected balance sheet presents assets unique to our consultancy, such as office equipment, software licenses, and liabilities including any loans and anticipated operational costs.

It provides a snapshot of the financial standing of our human resources consultancy at the end of each fiscal period.

Our projected cash flow statement details the inflows and outflows of cash, enabling us to predict our financial needs at any point. This is crucial for maintaining a healthy cash balance and steering clear of liquidity issues.

The projected financing plan outlines the specific sources of funding we intend to tap into to cover our initial costs.

The working capital requirement for our consultancy will be diligently tracked to ensure we have sufficient funds to support our day-to-day activities, such as paying for office utilities, consultant salaries, and other recurring expenses.

The break-even analysis for our venture will show the level of service engagement necessary to cover all our costs, including the initial investments, and to begin generating profits.

It will signal the point at which our consultancy becomes financially sustainable.

Key performance indicators we will monitor include the client retention rate, the average revenue per consultant, the profitability margin on our services, and the return on investment to gauge the efficiency of the capital we have deployed into the business.

These metrics will assist us in measuring the financial health and overall success of our human resources consultancy.

If you want to know more about the financial analysis of this type of activity, please read our article about the financial plan for a HR consulting practice .

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2.2 Writing the HRM Plan

Learning objective.

• Describe the steps in the development of an HRM plan.

As addressed in Section 2.1 “Strategic Planning” , the writing of an HRM strategic plan should be based on the strategic plans of the organization and of the department. Once the strategic plan is written, the HR professional can begin work on the HR plan. This is different from the strategic plan in that it is more detailed and more focused on the short term. The six parts described here are addressed in more detail in Chapter 4 “Recruitment” , Chapter 5 “Selection” , Chapter 6 “Compensation and Benefits” , Chapter 7 “Retention and Motivation” , Chapter 8 “Training and Development” , Chapter 9 “Successful Employee Communication” , Chapter 10 “Managing Employee Performance” , and Chapter 11 “Employee Assessment” .

How Would You Handle This?

Compensation Is a Touchy Subject

As the HR manager, you have access to sensitive data, such as pay information. As you are looking at pay for each employee in the marketing department, you notice that two employees with the same job title and performing the same job are earning different amounts of money. As you dig deeper, you notice the employee who has been with the company for the least amount of time is actually getting paid more than the person with longer tenure. A brief look at the performance evaluations shows they are both star performers. You determine that two different managers hired the employees, and one manager is no longer with the organization. How would you handle this?

As you can see from this figure, the company strategic plan ties into the HRM strategic plan, and from the HRM strategic plan, the HR plan can be developed.

The six parts of the HRM plan include the following:

• Determine human resource needs. This part is heavily involved with the strategic plan. What growth or decline is expected in the organization? How will this impact your workforce? What is the economic situation? What are your forecasted sales for next year?
• Determine recruiting strategy. Once you have a plan in place, it’s necessary to write down a strategy addressing how you will recruit the right people at the right time.
• Select employees. The selection process consists of the interviewing and hiring process.
• Develop training. Based on the strategic plan, what training needs are arising? Is there new software that everyone must learn? Are there problems in handling conflict? Whatever the training topics are, the HR manager should address plans to offer training in the HRM plan.
• Determine compensation. In this aspect of the HRM plan, the manager must determine pay scales and other compensation such as health care, bonuses, and other perks.
• Appraise performance. Sets of standards need to be developed so you know how to rate the performance of your employees and continue with their development.

Each chapter of this text addresses one area of the HR plan, but the next sections provide some basic knowledge of planning for each area.

Determine Human Resource Needs

The first part of an HR plan will consist of determining how many people are needed. This step involves looking at company operations over the last year and asking a lot of questions:

• Were enough people hired?
• Did you have to scramble to hire people at the last minute?
• What are the skills your current employees possess?
• What skills do your employees need to gain to keep up with technology?
• Who is retiring soon? Do you have someone to replace them?
• What are the sales forecasts? How might this affect your hiring?

These are the questions to answer in this first step of the HR plan process. As you can imagine, this cannot be done alone. Involvement of other departments, managers, and executives should take place to obtain an accurate estimate of staffing needs for now and in the future. We discuss staffing in greater detail in Chapter 4 “Recruitment” .

Many HR managers will prepare an inventory of all current employees, which includes their educational level and abilities. This gives the HR manager the big picture on what current employees can do. It can serve as a tool to develop employees’ skills and abilities, if you know where they are currently in their development. For example, by taking an inventory, you may find out that Richard is going to retire next year, but no one in his department has been identified or trained to take over his role. Keeping the inventory helps you know where gaps might exist and allows you to plan for these gaps. This topic is addressed further in Chapter 4 “Recruitment” .

HR managers will also look closely at all job components and will analyze each job. By doing this analysis, they can get a better picture of what kinds of skills are needed to perform a job successfully. Once the HR manager has performed the needs assessment and knows exactly how many people, and in what positions and time frame they need to be hired, he or she can get to work on recruiting, which is also called a staffing plan . This is addressed further in Chapter 4 “Recruitment” .

Recruitment is an important job of the HR manager. More detail is provided in Chapter 4 “Recruitment” . Knowing how many people to hire, what skills they should possess, and hiring them when the time is right are major challenges in the area of recruiting. Hiring individuals who have not only the skills to do the job but also the attitude, personality, and fit can be the biggest challenge in recruiting. Depending on the type of job you are hiring for, you might place traditional advertisements on the web or use social networking sites as an avenue. Some companies offer bonuses to employees who refer friends. No matter where you decide to recruit, it is important to keep in mind that the recruiting process should be fair and equitable and diversity should be considered. We discuss diversity in greater detail in Chapter 3 “Diversity and Multiculturalism” .

Depending on availability and time, some companies may choose to outsource their recruiting processes. For some types of high-level positions, a head hunter will be used to recruit people nationally and internationally. A head hunter is a person who specializes in matching jobs with people, and they usually work only with high-level positions. Another option is to use an agency that specializes in hiring people for a variety of positions, including temporary and permanent positions. Some companies decide to hire temporary employees because they anticipate only a short-term need, and it can be less expensive to hire someone for only a specified period of time.

No matter how it is done, recruitment is the process of obtaining résumés of people interested in the job. In our next step, we review those résumés, interview, and select the best person for the job.

After you have reviewed résumés for a position, now is the time to work toward selecting the right person for the job. Although we discuss selection in great detail in Chapter 6 “Compensation and Benefits” , it is worth a discussion here as well. Numerous studies have been done, and while they have various results, the majority of studies say it costs an average of $45,000 to hire a new manager (Herman, 1993). While this may seem exaggerated, consider the following items that contribute to the cost:

• Time to review résumés
• Time to interview candidates
• Interview expenses for candidates
• Possible travel expenses for new hire or recruiter
• Possible relocation expenses for new hire
• Additional bookkeeping, payroll, 401(k), and so forth
• Additional record keeping for government agencies
• Increased unemployment insurance costs
• Costs related to lack of productivity while new employee gets up to speed

Because it is so expensive to hire, it is important to do it right. First, résumés are reviewed and people who closely match the right skills are selected for interviews. Many organizations perform phone interviews first so they can further narrow the field. The HR manager is generally responsible for setting up the interviews and determining the interview schedule for a particular candidate. Usually, the more senior the position is, the longer the interview process takes, even up to eight weeks (Crant, 2009). After the interviews are conducted, there may be reference checks, background checks, or testing that will need to be performed before an offer is made to the new employee. HR managers are generally responsible for this aspect. Once the applicant has met all criteria, the HR manager will offer the selected person the position. At this point, salary, benefits, and vacation time may be negotiated. Compensation is the next step in HR management.

Determine Compensation

What you decide to pay people is much more difficult than it seems. This issue is covered in greater detail in Chapter 6 “Compensation and Benefits” . Pay systems must be developed that motivate employees and embody fairness to everyone working at the organization. However, organizations cannot offer every benefit and perk because budgets always have constraints. Even governmental agencies need to be concerned with compensation as part of their HR plan. For example, in 2011, Illinois State University gave salary increases of 3 percent to all faculty, despite state budget cuts in other areas. They reasoned that the pay increase was needed because of the competitive nature of hiring and retaining faculty and staff. The university president said, “Our employees have had a very good year and hopefully this is a good shot in the arm that will keep our morale high” (Pawlowski, 2011).

Determination of compensation systems is a balancing act. Compensation should be high enough to motivate current employees and attract new ones but not so high that it breaks the budget.

Nathan Rupert – Venice Beach Tightrope Walker – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The process in determining the right pay for the right job can have many variables, in addition to keeping morale high. First, as we have already discussed, the organization life cycle can determine the pay strategy for the organization. The supply and demand of those skills in the market, economy, region, or area in which the business is located is a determining factor in compensation strategy. For example, a company operating in Seattle may pay higher for the same job than their division in Missoula, Montana, because the cost of living is higher in Seattle. The HR manager is always researching to ensure the pay is fair and at market value. In Chapter 6 “Compensation and Benefits” , we get into greater detail about the variety of pay systems, perks, and bonuses that can be offered. For many organizations, training is a perk. Employees can develop their skills while getting paid for it. Training is the next step in the HR planning process.

Develop Training

Once we have planned our staffing, recruited people, selected employees, and then compensated them, we want to make sure our new employees are successful. Training is covered in more detail in Chapter 8. One way we can ensure success is by training our employees in three main areas:

• Company culture. A company culture is the organization’s way of doing things. Every company does things a bit differently, and by understanding the corporate culture, the employee will be set up for success. Usually this type of training is performed at an orientation, when an employee is first hired. Topics might include how to request time off, dress codes, and processes.
• Skills needed for the job. If you work for a retail store, your employees need to know how to use the register. If you have sales staff, they need to have product knowledge to do the job. If your company uses particular software, training is needed in this area.
• Human relations skills. These are non-job-specific skills your employees need not only to do their jobs but also to make them all-around successful employees. Skills needed include communication skills and interviewing potential employees.

Perform a Performance Appraisal

The last thing an HR manager should plan is the performance appraisal. While we discuss performance appraisals in greater detail in Chapter 11 “Employee Assessment” , it is definitely worth a mention here, since it is part of the strategic plan. A performance appraisal is a method by which job performance is measured. The performance appraisal can be called many different things, such as the following:

• Employee appraisal
• Performance review
• Career development review

No matter what the name, these appraisals can be very beneficial in motivating and rewarding employees. The performance evaluation includes metrics on which the employee is measured. These metrics should be based on the job description, both of which the HR manager develops. Various types of rating systems can be used, and it’s usually up to the HR manager to develop these as well as employee evaluation forms. The HR manager also usually ensures that every manager in the organization is trained on how to fill out the evaluation forms, but more importantly, how to discuss job performance with the employee. Then the HR manager tracks the due dates of performance appraisals and sends out e-mails to those managers letting them know it is almost time to write an evaluation.

Human Resource Recall

Have you ever been given a performance evaluation? What was the process and the outcome?

Communication Is Key in Performance Evaluations

(click to see video)

Communication is imperative in any workplace, but especially when giving and receiving a performance evaluation.

Key Takeaways

• Human resource planning is a process that is part of the strategic plan. It involves addressing specific needs within the organization, based on the company’s strategic direction.
• The first step in HR planning is determining current and future human resource needs. In this step, current employees, available employees in the market, and future needs are all analyzed and developed.
• In the second step of the process, once we know how many people we will need to hire, we can begin to determine the best methods for recruiting the people we need. Sometimes an organization will use head hunters to find the best person for the job.
• After the recruiting process is finished, the HR manager will begin the selection process. This involves setting up interviews and selecting the right person for the job. This can be an expensive process, so we always want to hire the right person from the beginning.
• HR managers also need to work through compensation plans, including salary, bonus, and other benefits, such as health care. This aspect is important, since most organizations want to use compensation to attract and retain the best employees.
• The HR manager also develops training programs to ensure the people hired have the tools to be able to do their jobs successfully.
• Of the parts of HR planning, which do you think is most difficult, and why? Which would you enjoy the most, and why?
• Why is it important to plan your staffing before you start to hire people?
• What is the significance of training? Why do we need it in organizations?

Crant, J., “How Long Does an Interview Process Take?” Jobsinminneapolis.com, December 2, 2009, accessed October 28, 2010, http://www.jobsinminneapolis.com/articles/title/How-Long-Does-an-Interview-Process-Take/3500/422 .

Herman, S., Hiring Right: A Practical Guide (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1993), xv.

Pawlowski, S., “Illinois State University to Get Salary Bump,” WJBC Radio, July 11, 2011, accessed July 11, 2011, http://wjbc.com/illinois-state-university-faculty-to-get-salary-bump .

Human Resource Management Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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7 Employee Development Plan Examples to Help Your Team Succeed

Why do you need employee development plans, let alone employee development plan examples? No employee can ever (or would ever want to) stand still. There is almost always room for improvement, ways in which you can apply learning and development concepts to build new skills and help your employees meet their career goals.

But that process doesn’t happen magically. You need a strategic employee development program to achieve professional growth and optimize your performance management.

According to a 2022 Society of Human Resources Management report, 48% of employees call training opportunities a significant factor in choosing their job. Meanwhile, more than three-quarters are more likely to stay in their current role and organization if they get that opportunity.

But building strategic development opportunities can still be a struggle. Sure, you can put a mentoring program in place. But ultimately, modern L&D needs to be customized to each employee to truly build their competency.

Getting there means building roadmaps for your employee training program. Those roadmaps, in turn, are exactly why you need an employee development plan.

What is a professional development plan?

As we’ll highlight in this article, employee development plan examples can diverge quite heavily from one another. But they all tend to fall under a general definition we can use to get us started:

A professional or employee development plan is a written document that outlines how your employees, both individually and as a team, can meet their professional goals. It pulls from and builds toward performance reviews, making them more relevant and actionable to help team members improve and meet both short-term and long-term goals.

5 key features that the best employee development plan examples tend to share

Not all professional development plans are created equal. Some may focus on leadership skills, while others are designed for onboarding. Some lead to formal certifications, while others are closer connected to more informal mentorship programs. But all of them tend to share a few key features designed to make them effective:

• Time-bound. While some employee development plan examples focus on it more than others, all plans should have at least some specific time frame attached to evaluate initiatives after their completion.
• Milestones. In addition to an ending time, regular milestones help employees and supervisors check in on their progress and ensure a higher chance of success.
• Evaluation of current skills. Establishing a baseline of your employees’ skills allows you to perform a skills gap analysis and makes it easier to measure the growth in your employees’ skill sets.
• Action-oriented. Any effective employee development plan should have actionable steps specifically designed to build that above-mentioned roadmap. Those steps help to create a more intentional training plan.
• Measurable. Whether they’re designed for career growth or to help achieve company goals, development plans should be specific and include the right metrics to easily measure learning effectiveness .

The employee development plan examples shared below all include these components. As you build your own development plans and templates, keep these factors in mind to maximize your chances of success.

How does the right plan help you meet your business goals?

Put simply, a development plan makes the process of development initiatives more concrete. By outlining exactly what should be achieved and how it can be achieved, this type of growth plan can go a long way in helping your individual employees and your team meet crucial development goals.

Just as importantly, the right plan can also drive employee engagement . Especially when focusing on skill development related to an employee’s career or leadership development, telling your team members how they can get there and providing the support to do so has a significant impact on job satisfaction and employee retention.

Seven employee development plan examples you can implement right now

That’s it for the generalities. Now, it’s time to jump into the employee development plan examples specifically designed to nurture more high-performing employees.

1. Time-based individual development plan

As its name suggests, this plan orients itself around a timeline on which to achieve crucial employee goals. It’s typically based around a twelve-month calendar to align with annual employee performance reviews.

This type of plan can be built on individual goals or skills to be developed as the core variable. It should define an outcome for either of those variables, along with the timeframe at which it can be achieved. That ties the goals of the plan directly to the timeline, shown in a calendar view or Gantt chart to keep a visual overview.

2. Team-based action plan for development

Employee development plan examples don’t have to be limited to individual team members. This option creates an action plan for the entire team, helping to build core competencies as you look to improve performance and cohesion across the operation.

This plan starts with an assessment, often in the form of a SWOT analysis of where the team currently is. The insights gained help create a roadmap to fix weaknesses and build on strengths. In addition to overarching team goals, each team member should also have specific goals and objectives to achieve that lead to those larger goals.

3. Career development plan for team members

It’s time to think broadly. Ultimately, a successful career is as beneficial for the company as it is for the employee in question. It’s why career development is a leading factor not just for employee engagement but also for improving the productivity of your workforce.

A career development plan should begin with an outline of the employee’s career goals. These goals are then compared to current skills via skill gap analysis. The outcome of that analysis, in turn, can lead to a more specific plan on what skills to prioritize and develop.

Unlike some of the other employee development plan examples on this list, a career development plan can stretch over multiple years. Still, attaching specific timelines—like a three-year or five-year time frame—can help employees and managers alike keep track of their success.

4. Skills-based development plan for new employees

Training is a core piece of onboarding, and the right plan can help you make sure that every new employee is well-prepared for success. This type of plan helps your newest team members develop soft skills like communication skills, connecting typical onboarding lessons and seminars to a results-oriented plan for productivity.

Any skills-based development plan begins with establishing exactly what skills should be addressed. From there, it’s about establishing the employees’ current level of proficiency in the skill set and a timeline for how they can close the gap.

The best part about this type of plan is that it can easily be standardized. Because every new hire must go through the same steps, you can easily build a new employee development plan template that applies each time someone starts working in a given team.

5. Succession planning and development plan

In an ideal organizational flow, junior employees strategically learn the skills needed to move into more responsibility and ultimately into leadership roles. A strategic succession plan can help you get there.

Similar to the above onboarding plan, this version outlines the key skills needed to succeed in leadership. It then establishes exactly how proficient junior, manager, and senior leadership employees should be in those specific skills. That outline then establishes a roadmap you can easily apply to more specific, time-based plans for each employee.

6. Professional development and upskilling plan

Professional development, of course, can also go beyond specific succession or career planning. Upskilling remains one of the most underinvested types of L&D, and this type of plan can help you prioritize it.

The core idea is building a development plan based on skills your employees can benefit from. Think of it less as career growth and more as internal growth. For instance, any employee can benefit from better communication or organizational skills, regardless of their specific roles or career paths.

7. Self-evaluation and development plan

Finally, don’t underestimate the potential power of engaged employees looking to evaluate and track their own progress. Especially for self-motivated employees, this can become an important part of employee growth. For your organization, supporting these self-starter employees can lead to significant benefits.

This is the least structured of the employee development plan examples mentioned in this guide. It should provide general guidelines to your employees, like a suggested timeline or fields to enter goals and skills to be developed. Other than that, it’s up to your employees to complete, which makes it a powerful plan, especially in combination with some of the more structured options above.

From examples to implementation: How to get started

Regardless of the exact type(s) you implement, employee development plans can be invaluable to successful L&D. They structure the entire process, helping managers and employees understand exactly where to focus, what to work toward, and how to evaluate success.

But, of course, a plan is just the beginning. You also need the means to implement it, which is where the right LMS system comes into play.

How are your employees training their skills? How can you ensure that the plan’s implementation goes as well as its planning? Why not turn to the #1 global learning platform? Book your demo with Docebo today to learn how you can make the most out of your employee and team development plans.

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