(1) assessing current human resources
Managers begin HR planning by inventorying current employees. This inventory usually includes information on employees such as name, education, training, prior employment, languages spoken, special capabilities, and specialized skills. Sophisticated databases make getting and keeping this information quite easy.
An important part of a current assessment is job analysis, an assessment that defines a job and the behaviors necessary to perform it.
Using this information from the job analysis, managers develop or revise job descriptions and job specifications. A job description is a written statement describing a job - typically job content, environment, and conditions of employment. A job specification states the minimum qualifications that a person must possess to successfully perform a given job. It identifies the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to do the job effectively