The document provides guidance for developing an effective human resources strategy and plan. It outlines key components to include such as setting clear objectives with measurable targets, aligning HR activities with business goals, creating a timeline to plan projects, ensuring adequate resources, developing a communication plan to engage employees, and introducing feedback mechanisms to understand employee needs. The overall guidance is meant to help HR managers develop a successful plan to recruit, retain, and develop a strong workforce.

1. Human Resources Strategy Guide
Your Essential Guide for HR Planning Success

2. 02
Human Resources Strategy Guide
Businesses are demanding more and more of Human
Resources teams. Strategic priorities like change management
must be balanced with employee engagement, culture and
recruitment.
To juggle these demands, HR Managers need a plan that
successfully charts the course for the year ahead. An effective
Human Resources Plan makes it easier for organizations to
recruit, retain and reinforce the strong workforce needed to
achieve strategic goals.
This is the HR Plan your business needs this year.

3. 03
Human Resources Strategy Guide
You can’t plan for success if you don’t know when you’ve achieved
it. Failing to set objectives is a bit like setting sail across the ocean
without a map and compass – you’ll end up somewhere, but it could
be on the rocks.
Set clear objectives with targets you can track performance against.
These could be a hard metric, like achieving an 80% workplace
satisfaction rate, or a soft metric, like a 25% increase in employee
engagement.
Use last year’s performance as a guide and adjust these based on
known changes in the business this year.
Even if your key initiatives are quite broad, like improving your
onboarding program or strengthening the employer brand for
recruitment, set clear objectives for each.
Whatever your objective, make sure you have the means to
measure it.
Do you have a tool for collating information on employee attitudes
and beliefs? Can you measure staff engagement with platforms
like the company intranet? If not, invest in one (see section 4: Right
Resourcing).
Clear Objectives 01
Define a clear list of
priorities for the year,
each with a quantifiable
target to strive for.
Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely
objectives
are the best.
S M A R T

4. 04
Human Resources Strategy Guide
Strategic Alignment 02
Increase
Engagement
Build Advocacy
Reduce
Turnover
Improve
Training
Business Growth
Demonstrate a clear
relationship between
all HR activities and key
business objectives.
Human Resources influences and supports every area of a
business. But HR is only truly valuable when its efforts are aligned
to overall company goals. Passion projects or ‘want-to-dos’ are nice,
but may not help the company get where it needs to be.
Consider what the company’s strategic vision is. Then define
what the HR touchpoints are in supporting this. Touchpoints can
include staff capabilities, policies and processes, awareness and
engagement, training and support. This will help ensure alignment
between HR activities and business objectives.
Matching key HR activities to company goals helps position HR as
a genuine business-enhancing discipline. It proves the value of HR
activities to C-suite executives. It also makes it easier for you to
secure buy-in for key HR projects, and gives you confidence that
your hard work is well spent.

5. 05
HR Activity Schedule
Goal Task Action Status Responsible Involved Start Deadline Notes
Employee Wellness Program (example)
Employee
engagement
Program scoping
Confirm outline of
program
Program agreed Clara
Management
Team
24/02/2020 6/03/2020
Documentation
Write overview
document for internal
distribution
Draft completed for
review
Clara
Management
Team
9/03/2020 13/03/2020
Messaging
Create content for staff
messages
Creative brief provided
to designer
Hayley
Clara,
Marketing
16/03/2020 27/03/2020
Intranet update
Set up program
overview page in HR
section
Page created; IT to add
to homepage navigation
Hayley Clara, IT 16/03/2020 27/03/2020
Project Timeline 03
Download a free, editable HR
Activity Schedule Template to help
plan your year
Ever looked at a calendar and been surprised by how far through
the year it is? Then felt worried about how much there is left to do
in so little time? It happens to us all.
That’s why a timeline of key projects and supporting activities is
essential. It helps manage the different areas you’ll be working on,
from employee performance reviews and health and safety audits,
to launching a new workplace wellness initiative.
Consider achievement timeframes – not just your overarching
goal, but also dependencies and milestones you need to hit along
the way.
What results will you need to achieve by halfway through the
campaign, in order to hit your ultimate objective? How far should
you expect to be a week after the initial launch?
Create a clear and
comprehensive HR
schedule which makes
implementation a breeze.
Human Resources Strategy Guide

6. 06
Right Resourcing 04
If a good HR plan is the blueprint for success, resourcing is the
HR team’s toolkit. The right people, systems and knowledge are
essential – and if the business has any gaps, this is the time to fill
them.
Confirm your resource requirements by identifying what
capabilities the business needs to achieve its strategic goals. People
are the key. Ensure critical skills are covered by existing staff, upskill
where necessary and define any key vacancies that must be filled.
Where needs can’t be met by existing capabilities, budget must
be sought to hire or acquire what’s needed. Securing budget for
additional resourcing can be difficult.
Use the results achieved against last year’s objectives (see section
1: Clear Objectives) to help prove ROI. When senior executives
have confidence in the value of HR initiatives, they’re more likely to
approve future requests.
Confirm resource
requirements and fill critical
gaps so that performance
isn’t compromised.
Human Resources Strategy Guide

7. 07
Communication Plan 05
Message
Channel
Audience
Targeting
Device
Map out audiences,
messages, channels
and timing in a clear
communication plan
to improve campaign
effectiveness.
So you’ve got your plan, projects and people sorted – now you need
to get the word out. Awareness and employee engagement are the
rocket fuel to power your projects.
A communication plan maps out the channels, messages and
timings needed to reach every member of staff. Use this plan to
match the right message with the right audience.
Mobile employees, remote staff, millennials, frontline workers and
others will all consume messages differently.
Target message content and channel to the distinct needs of each
group. Some messages must be mobile-optimized; some short
and punchy; some delivered via employee engagement apps to
encourage interactivity.
Include regular follow-up comms to update staff on progress. Build
in some flexibility so you can pivot if circumstances change or if
certain projects need an additional push. Involve your Internal
Communications Manager early so they can help support.
Download a free Internal Communications
Strategy Template including comms plan
Human Resources Strategy Guide

8. 08
Feedback Loop 06
Employees
Human
Resources
People are at the core of all HR activities, so it’s essential to know
how they’re feeling. What’s the reaction to the latest initiative?
What’s concerning staff about the current business transformation?
What are their suggestions for improvements?
Feedback mechanisms collect staff sentiment in a range of ways.
Surveys give staff an anonymous channel to voice opinions and
provide HR more formalized results. A forum on the company
intranet allows staff to comment on any issue and gives HR a more
general ‘finger on the pulse’.
This feedback loop is a good way to track your internal NPS (Net
Promoter Score).
The percentage of staff who would recommend your company as
a great place to work provides an insight into overall workplace
health. Drilling down into responses by location, department or role
type can identify areas of concern to focus on before they fester.
Whichever mechanism you use, make sure to publish the results
and implement recommendations. This provides staff the
assurance that their voice is heard. The results also form a valuable
foundation for when you begin work on next year’s HR Plan.
Introduce two-way
feedback mechanisms
to tap into valuable
employee insights.
Human Resources Strategy Guide

9. 09
Human Resources Strategy Guide
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