Workforce Planning

This document discusses workforce planning strategies and communication methods during downsizing. It explores the implementation of downsizing methods in Nestle, focusing on systematic strategy, organization redesign strategy, and workforce redesign strategy. The document also provides recommendations for retaining high-performing employees during downsizing.

Workforce Planning
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Table of Contents
Answer 1 (c)................................................................................................................................................2
Answer 1 (d)................................................................................................................................................3
References...................................................................................................................................................6

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Answer 1 (c)
To conduct a downsizing exercise, in Nestle, the downsizing method would be adopted
differently by applying systematic strategy, organization redesign strategy and workforce
redesign strategy. The implementation of workforce reduction strategy will help the human
resource consultant to minimize the number of employees and eliminate the headcount. The
strategy will be adopted in a reactive manner that will provide a short-term response to
minimizing profits. On the other hand, the organization redesign strategy will focus on the
removal of work instead of minimizing the employees (Bergström & Arman, 2017). It will
emphasize the activities such as reducing overall working hours, merging units, consolidating,
redesigning tasks, removing hierarchical levels and abolishing functions. The human resource
consultant will make efficient use of organization redesign strategies to adopt downsizing
strategies. Moreover, with the help of a systematic strategy, the consultant will present a holistic
view based on organizational change.
Therefore, the effective adoption of downsizing strategy will embrace all the aspect and
dimensions of Nestle, involving interventions, design processes, production methods, customer
relations, and suppliers. However, the downsizing strategy will be adopted with the help of
applying systematic strategy as it will focus upon the values and attitudes of the employees and
the intrinsic culture of the organization efficiently and effectively. These will help Nestle
employees to create and implement downsizing ideas within the organization. Furthermore,
applying workforce reduction strategy will inhibit long-term adaptability and will target short-
term payoff (Carriger, 2017). It will be chosen as it is a quick implementation process that
focuses on the employees. On the other hand, organization redesign strategy will be chosen as it
will be focusing upon the units and jobs of Nestle that inhibits immediate payback. It especially
targets the organizational work executed by the employees. Moreover, the use of systematic
strategy will target long-term payoff and will be focusing upon the culture of the organization. It
will inhibit short-term cost savings.
It is essential for Nestle to implement employee communication method differently on the basis
of the implementation of downsizing method. The human resource consultant of Nestle will have
to confirm the details of downsizing before the announcement. It will allow employees to
receive correct information before the downsizing (López Bohle, Chambel & Diaz-Valdes

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Iriarte, 2018). The method will be adopted by recurring meeting with the employees that will
improve interaction with the employees and strengthening relationships with them to achieve the
organizational goals. While conducting a downsizing exercise, the human resource consultant
need to prepare all the difficult questions the staffs might ask regarding the downsizing and the
future of their jobs. The HR consultant need to select a proper approach like an open-door policy
that will enable the employees to discuss their downsizing ideas with the consultant. Another
way through which the communication method will be implemented is through mentoring and
onboard procedures. He need to schedule a private declaration to the managers an hour before
the announcement of downsizing.
The human resource consultant have to be confident, respectful, clear, honest and timely while
adopting the employee communication method differently. He must explain the causes for the
downsizing, the long-term strategy for recovering the downsizing and the opportunity after the
changes. He must also consider the downsizing on time so that employees can get time to
decompress (Bear & Hwang, 2017). The consultant need to determine whether the problem is
related to too many staffs or too little profits. He must respect the dignity of the employees. Until
downsizing is clearly defined to the employees and the whole management team, the past will
interrupt the future and can lead to repeated downsizings with little progress in the efficiency of
Nestle.
Answer 1 (d)
 It is highly recommended that at the time of downsizing when there will be confusion and
uncertainty, the HR managers should meet with small teams of the staffs and listen to their
staffs, leave the old identities and develop new identities and solutions for retaining the high
performing employees (Tsai & Yen, 2018). The employees of the company will be looking
to the managers for reassurance during the downsizing of Nestle Singapore
 The HR managers need to ensure special attention to the high performing employees of
Nestle Singapore. They must be given more motivation and support and help them to
perceive that downsizing of the company has opened new channels for their promotion as
well as new opportunities for them
 Downsizing might lead to a negative impact on the high performing employees as they might
think that the company has not given adequate value to their skills and performances. It may

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affect the teamwork at the time of working together (Venusita & Wijayanti, 2019). So the
managers have to retain the high performing staffs to involve them and to find solutions to
address the efficiency of the teamwork
 The HR managers must discuss the difficult and short-term measures to encourage the high
performing employees for their future positively. With the changes due to the downsizing of
the company, the managers must look forward to brighter and securer prospects for retaining
the high performing employees (Gharib, Kahwaji & Elrasheed, 2017). The managers must
motivate them to share their thoughts and try to sympathize with the employees
 The HR managers need to explain the fact that the HR managers along with other
management people will be there to talk over for the job questions, performances,
uncertainties and the ways to overcome the hurdles in the way of their retention. The
managers have to polite and sincerely acknowledge everybody for trying to realize the causes
of downsizing and appeal for their willingness, attention, and concerns and to put forward
their additional efforts to overcome these difficult phases (Tanwar & Prasad, 2016)
 The HR managers must communicate with the high performing employees for the purpose,
make a picture of its outlooks, share the strategies and assure the staffs of their roles. Moving
through downsizing while retaining the high performing employees needs commitments to
assess the retention. Developing a plan for retaining the high performing employees is a
crucial responsibility of the HR managers (Chou, Shen, Chiu & Chou, 2016). So after
developing the plan, the HR managers should listen to the staffs, give challenges, motivate
for taking risks and identify their achievements
 Retention plan after downsizing of employees in Nestle Singapore is vital for the HR
managers as it will help to retain the high performing employees. So the managers need to
perceive the support to the high performers through good rewards, recognition, and
opportunities for development which can enhance the retention of the top performers of the
company
 Retaining high performing employees is all about the survival of the company. The company
relies highly on the top performing employees for innovation, winning market shares,
impressing the investors, engaging new customers, closing new agreements and retaining the
clients (Dewah & Mutula, 2016). So the HR managers need to retain, steal, develop and
engage the high performing employees of Nestle Singapore

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 The HR managers can use trend analysis to determine the demand for labor in Nestle
Singapore. It will help to analyze the needs of labor in the company. Trend analysis will take
the fluctuations caused by downsizing and changes in the operations of the company into
account; It will help the managers to evaluate the labor requirements of the company and
retain the top performers of Nestle Singapore (Deery & Jago, 2015)

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References
Bear, S. E., & Hwang, A. (2017). Downsizing and the willingness to mentor. Journal of
Workplace Learning, 29(2), 82-94.
Bergström, O., & Arman, R. (2017). Increasing commitment after downsizing: the role of
involvement and voluntary redundancies. Journal of Change Management, 17(4), 297-
320.
Carriger, M. (2017). Does size matter? The impact of the size of downsizing on financial health
and market valuation. Journal of Strategy and Management, 10(3), 313-325.
Chou, S. Y., Shen, G. C., Chiu, H. C., & Chou, Y. T. (2016). Multichannel service providers'
strategy: Understanding customers' switching and free-riding behavior. Journal of
Business Research, 69(6), 2226-2232.
Deery, M., & Jago, L. (2015). Revisiting talent management, work-life balance and retention
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472.
Dewah, P., & Mutula, S. M. (2016). Knowledge retention strategies in public sector
organizations: Current status in sub-Saharan Africa. Information Development, 32(3),
362-376.
Gharib, M. N., Kahwaji, A. T., & Elrasheed, M. O. (2017). Factors affecting staff retention
strategies used in private Syrian companies during the crisis. International Review of
Management and Marketing, 7(2), 202-206.
López Bohle, S. A., Chambel, M. J., & Diaz-Valdes Iriarte, A. (2018). Job insecurity, procedural
justice and downsizing survivor affects. The International Journal of Human Resource
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Tanwar, K., & Prasad, A. (2016). Exploring the relationship between employer branding and
employee retention. Global Business Review, 17(3_suppl), 186S-206S.
Tanwar, K., & Prasad, A. (2016). Exploring the relationship between employer branding and
employee retention. Global Business Review, 17(3_suppl), 186S-206S.

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Tsai, C. F., & Yen, Y. F. (2018). Moderating effect of employee perception of responsible
downsizing on job satisfaction and innovation commitment. The International Journal of
Human Resource Management, 1-25.
Venusita, L., & Wijayanti, M. N. (2019). Turnaround Strategy of Financially Distressed
Company: Empirical Study of Manufacturing Company Listed on Indonesia Stock
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