Workforce planning is the ongoing balancing act that ensures the right individuals with

the right skills at right place at the right time, to meet a organizations current and future
objectives (Lepak & Gowan, 2010).
According to Lepak and Gowan (2010), environmental influences are the pressure that
exists outside companies that managers must consider to strategically manage their employees.
The number of employees keeps on changing in different departments of an organization.
Managers need to study the factors such as employee turnover and company growth challenge to
make workforce planning decisions to maintain the necessary number of employees. For making
the workforce planning decisions, different factors should be considered. Environmental factors
such as labor force trends, technology, globalization and ethics and social responsibility have
impact on managers workforce planning decisions.

Labor force trends: There is workforce diversity so managers should reevaluate while
making decisions on workforce planning. Managers should recruit and select individuals so that
he/she can eliminate the direct or indirect discrimination in working place. Labor force keeps on
changing as per the change in market. Manager should also focus on providing various benefits
to the labor such as retirement benefit, bonus, incentives, other various benefits that helps to keep
labor secure even though after their retirement. Labor seeks their opportunity in market.
Managers have to gather up to date information about labor force trend for making decision on
workforce planning.

Technology: Technology keeps on changing day by day. Proper use of technology gives
the competitive advantage to the organization. Technological advancement has changed the
thinking about work from labor because technology has changed the way of interaction, sharing
information, coordination and communication with other employees. Due to the use of
technology in organization, an employee must possess a basic knowledge of computer to perform
their job. Employees can perform their job sitting at a place. As technology as facilitated the
organization and employees, it has created more challenges in staffing decisions, performance

evaluations and training and development which has impact on workforce planning decision for
managers.

Globalization: Globalization has facilitated many organizations to compete in

international level setting up their business i.e. production and service facilities in other
countries, or establishing international joint ventures or partnership. Today organizations are
operating in global market which has created both challenges and opportunities to manage the
employees. While making decision on workforce planning manager require understanding the
differences in cultural values and beliefs of global labor market that influence the working
relationships among employees. Globalization has impact in workforce planning as the
employees sent to work in other country has to work with local labor with understanding their
culture.

Ethics and social responsibility: Every organization is bounded with ethics and social
responsibility. Company, employees and its employees are accountable for ethical behavior.
Company has also demonstrated their interest in fulfilling their social responsibility. But there is
no clear ethical standards and the social responsibility which has impact on managers workforce
planning decisions.

In coming five years, globalization will have the greatest impact on workforce planning.
Globalization has facilitated many organizations to compete in international level setting up their
business i.e. production and service facilities in other countries, or establishing international joint
ventures or partnership and it will continue to facilitate organization to work with local labor and
local market. Working with local labor and working on other countries environment and
understanding their cultures, coordinating with the employees and dealing with increasing
workforce diversity; globalization will have the greatest impact on workforce planning.

In conclusion, work force planning is all about ensuring the right individual of right skill
at right time at right place to achieve the organizational goal effectively and efficiently. While
making decision on workforce planning manager need to consider all the internal and external
factors to ensure the right individual at right time according to the situation. External factor like
environmental factors need to be considered very wisely as they are not in control of
organization. Manager need to analyze the environmental factors properly while making
decisions regarding workforce planning. An environmental factor doesnt remain constant so it
has directly and indirectly impact on workforce planning. Environmental factors has created both
challenges and opportunity to the workforce planning so managers should accept the challenges
and grab the opportunity for making decision in workforce planning.

References
Lepak, D., & Gowan, M. (2010). Human resources management: Managing employees for
competitive advantage.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

short term only.