Question

Inside Rails' is an organisation with 15,000 employees scattered all over Ghana in their seven branches. To provide for future manpower needs of the enterprise, in terms of sales, number, age, i.e., to provide the right number of employees with the right talents and skills at the right time to perform right activities the set objectives and to fulfil the corporate purpose, manpower needs used to be calculated initially at the corporate office itself.

For the post of Chief Draftsman in the graded pay structure of GHȻ 2000 -3200 plus taking into consideration the needs of the entire organisation with its various branches the manpower needs were to be assessed. While assessing the manpower needs the following information are generally collected:
(1)Details of previous selections
(2) The availability of manpower on hand
(3) Actual sanctions
(4) Present holdings
(5) Vacancies
(6) Anticipated vacancies for the next one year - (a) due to normal wastage, (b) due to diversification, and (c) due to unforeseen circumstances.
(7) Surplus if any anticipated from other divisions of the organisation; and
(8) Any other special consideration. An addition of 20 per cent over the net vacancies arrived at is generally made, to arrive at the total requirements. While working out the requirements for this category which is at the highest supervisory level and is the feeder category for managerial promotions, the anticipated vacancies on account of expected promotions are also taken. 20 per cent of the total vacancies arrived at are filled up by open market recruitment with graduate engineers while 80 per cent is by promotion of diploma holders. Those who are recruited directly from open market are given training for one year and then only posted to the working posts.
Though they are called trainees, they are counted against working posts since their processed requirement profile for the years 2000 and 2001 with the following information collected from various sources. The following particulars were available:
(1) Number available on hand for promotion --- 13
(2) Number of posts on hand --- 22
(3) Number on rolls --- 20
(4) Anticipated requirements to be filled on account of retirement, wastages, etc --- 6
(5) Total requirement --- 7
Action was initiated and the process was carried through, till the time of fixing a date for selection and interviews. It was, however, seen one day prior to the date of interview, by the Chief of Personnel when someone who had come to interview paid a courtesy call on the Chief and when he called for the papers since he did not know about the selection, that the actual requirements would get considerable reduced. It was also seen that if the process was carried through and if seven persons were selected this would create problems and discontentment amongst the staff since atleast the last few out of the seven would not fit in. The Chief of Personnel was perplexed.
Questions
1. How and why has this situation arisen?
2. Was there anything wrong in the system?
3. Suggest an improvement
4. How would you solve the situation? By canceling the entire procedure so far completed and start afresh the manpower planning to see the needs or make adjustment now, or by going through the process and face the situation of excess when it arises? Elaborate on your suggested answer.

Answer 1

1. The situation has arisen due to a lack of proper communication and coordination within the organization. The manpower needs were assessed initially at the corporate office, but the actual requirements were not updated before the selection process began. This led to an overestimation of the manpower needs, causing problems and discontentment amongst the staff.
2. Yes, there was something wrong in the system. The organization did not have an updated and accurate assessment of their manpower needs. There was also a lack of communication and coordination between different departments, leading to an inefficient selection process.
3. An improvement would be to establish a system for regular and updated assessments of manpower needs. This system should involve all departments and branches of the organization to ensure accuracy and consistency. There should also be better communication and coordination between departments to avoid inefficiencies and errors in the selection process.
4. The best solution would be to cancel the entire procedure so far completed and start afresh with an updated and accurate assessment of manpower needs. It is important to have the right number of employees with the right talents and skills at the right time to fulfill the corporate purpose and achieve the set objectives. Going through the process and facing the situation of excess when it arises could lead to further problems and discontentment amongst the staff. Starting afresh with an updated assessment would ensure that the organization has the right number of employees with the right talents and skills to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively.