Describe human resource planning as a source of information for decision-making. Many people might assume that the number of unpleasant and undesirable jobs has declined. This is not true—many Americans work in dirty, grimy, unsafe settings:
Chicken-processing facilities are unpleasant, dangerous, and unhealthy; workers often cut themselves because space is tight. Jobs such as these are becoming increasingly common
Deliverable: Write responses to questions in a single paragraph format and include references for each answer.
What industry sectors are most likely to add jobs during a down economy? During an improving economy?
Are there employment sectors that are essentially unaffected by economic fluctuations?
Managers attempt to forecast the future supply of and demand for jobs and employees. One major uncertainty is which jobs may become more or less popular in the future.
What are some very new kinds of jobs of which you are aware?
What jobs on the 2014 list may be in danger of disappearing in the near future?
How relevant are the concepts of competencies to the jobs in a chicken-processing plant?
What information sources would be of most significance regarding jobs in a chicken-processing plant?
Are dirty, dangerous, and unpleasant jobs an inevitable part of any economy?
Chapter 6: Human Resource Decision-Making in Organizations
What role might HR play in helping to enhance employee engagement?
How easy or difficult would you expect it to be to transform disengaged workers into engaged workers?
HR managers use two kinds of data. One type is based on employee education, skills, experience, demographics, and so on. The other is information from external sources
Can a manager ever have too much information? Why or why not?
What issues arise when a firm looks at its employees’ posts on social media sites to gain information about them?
Do you think evidence-based management seems like common sense? If so, why wasn’t it advocated earlier?
Are there circumstances in which evidence-based management might not be the best approach?
Costco has a policy of not hiring business school graduates. Could automated evidence-based management ever replace human decision makers? Why or why not?
Industry Sectors and Economic Fluctuations
During a down economy, industries focused on immediate needs, essential services, and counter-cyclical activities are most likely to add jobs, including healthcare (which remains essential regardless of the economy), debt collection and recovery, discount retail/repair services (as consumers seek cheaper alternatives to new purchases), and government sectors funded by stable taxes. Conversely, during an improving economy, job growth surges in discretionary spending sectors like hospitality and leisure, construction, finance and real estate, high-tech manufacturing, and specialized consulting, as businesses invest and consumers spend more freely. Employment sectors that are essentially unaffected by economic fluctuations are generally those providing life-sustaining, non-deferrable services, such as public utilities (power, water), basic food production, and core government services (police, fire, sanitation), though even these may face budgetary constraints (BLS, 2024; Cascio & Boudreau, 2016).
New and Disappearing Jobs
Some very new kinds of jobs that have emerged recently include Prompt Engineers (who design effective text prompts for generative AI models), Drone Operators/Pilots, Data Ethics Officers (who govern the ethical use of large data sets), Cloud Solutions Architects, and Chief Remote Work Officers (managing distributed workforces). While the "2014 list" is unspecified, typical jobs of that era most in danger of disappearing or being significantly transformed in the near future due to automation and AI include routine, repetitive, and administrative tasks such as Data Entry Clerks, Telemarketers, Insurance Underwriters and Claims Processors, and potentially some roles in Manufacturing Assembly and Truck Driving (due to autonomous vehicles), as technology increasingly replaces p
Sample Answer
Human Resource Planning as a Source of Information for Decision-Making
Human Resource (HR) planning serves as a vital source of information for organizational decision-making by systematically forecasting the future supply of and demand for labor, thereby identifying potential gaps or surpluses in the workforce. This process provides data on the current state of the workforce (skills, competencies, demographics), future staffing needs based on organizational strategy, and projections regarding external labor market trends, allowing managers to make informed choices about recruitment, training, succession planning, and budget allocation to ensure the right people are in the right jobs at the right time. For example, by projecting a need for a specific technical skill, HR planning allows the firm to decide whether to "buy" (recruit) or "build" (train) that talent, directly impacting operational efficiency and strategic success (Jackson & Schuler, 2013; Cascio & Boudreau, 2016).