HR is always in firefighting mode — managing hiring, retention and daily chaos. This leaves them little time to drive long-term business growth.
Why? Because most organizations don’t have a strategic HR plan aligned with company goals.
Without a clear HR plan, your company may waste resources, hire the wrong people or lose top talent to competitors.
This guide covers 6 steps, proven frameworks and ready-to-use HR templates to help you create a strategic HR plan that delivers results.
What is an HR plan? (With a Free HR Strategy Template)
An HR plan assesses workforce needs to meet goals, maintain productivity and prepare for future hiring needs. The process leads to an HR plan — a written document often created with HR software.
Its structure is similar to most strategic business plans and HR managers or company leaders update it annually.
HR plan vs. HR strategy vs. workforce planning
HR plans, strategies and workforce planning all support people management. But they serve different roles in business operations.
HR plan
An HR plan outlines specific activities like hiring, training and employee benefits. It supports short-term business goals while aligning with broader company objectives.
For example, a retail company creating a plan to onboard 50 seasonal employees before the holiday rush is an HR plan.
HR strategy
An HR strategy is a long-term approach aligning HR initiatives with broader business objectives. The strategies can focus on attracting new talents, retaining them or developing new leaders.
Think of a tech startup implementing an HR strategy to build a strong employer brand and attract top developers over the next 2 years.
Workforce planning
Workforce planning uses data to assess labor needs, skill gaps and industry trends. It helps you ensure that you have the right people in the right roles. For example, a manufacturing firm looking to reskill its staff can use this plan for best results.
How to create a strategic HR plan (Step-by-step guide)
A good HR plan can shape a workforce that drives business success. So, how do you build an HR plan that fills roles and fuels growth? Follow these step-by-step strategies:
1. Assess current employees’ skill levels
Creating a good HR plan requires assessing employees’ current skill sets. You’ll then need to compare the data to your operational needs to move forward. This exercise helps you identify gaps and inform your hiring decision.
You can use a Skill Gap Checklist to identify missing competencies within the workforce and to compare current employee skills against role-specific requirements.
Here’s one template that you can use to take an inventory of leadership skills in your company:
Another way to assess skills is to give employees a questionnaire they can fill out. This Employee Competency Assessment Template can help:
This kind of survey data helps identify the best roles for each person. It can also tell you if employees need upskilling or if teams need new hires.
2. Forecast your labor needs based on available information
A key part of your strategic HR management plan is preparing for future workforce shifts. This includes internal shifts, like promotions and external factors — like automation.
To build a reliable labor forecast, use structured approaches like:
- Trend Analysis – Track patterns in employee turnover, hiring rates and industry employment trends. For example, your office space and staffing strategies may change if remote work increases.
- Workforce Demographics Study – Analyze age distribution, skill gaps and employee tenure. This helps predict retirements and hiring needs. If many employees are nearing retirement, you need succession planning.
- Succession Planning Forecasting – Spot key leadership roles that may open up. Build a pipeline of internal candidates to fill them. This prevents leadership gaps and ensures continuity.
Also, consider using a simple forecasting model to fill the labor shortage. One effective tool is PESTLE Analysis, which evaluates external factors impacting your workforce:
- Political – New labor laws may affect hiring policies.
- Economic – A recession might slow hiring, while growth phases may demand rapid expansion.
- Social – Shifts in work-life balance preferences may increase demand for hybrid roles.
- Technological – AI can automate tasks and cut roles while creating demand for tech specialists.
- Legal – Changes in employment regulations might require adjustments in HR policies.
- Environmental – Climate-related factors could influence remote work adoption.
A well-rounded labor forecast can help your company stay nimble and prepared for workforce changes.
3. Revisit your organizational design
Organizational design structures how a business operates to achieve its goals. In HR planning, it shapes reporting structures, decision-making and workforce distribution.
When reviewing your organizational structure, choose a model that fits your company’s size, culture and goals. Here are the 3 most common organizational charts:
- Hierarchical Structure – A top-down model with clear authority lines, ideal for large companies with defined roles.
- Flat Structure – Fewer management layers encourage flexibility and collaboration, common in startups.
- Matrix Structure – Employees report to multiple managers, balancing functional expertise and project-based work, commonly used in multinational companies.
Here’s an example of a Matrix Org Chart that visualizes how different teams within a company function:
You can train a new manager to use this chart to identify the people responsible for leading teams and making decisions. Company leadership may use it to assess and fix areas that need improvements.
Venngage has a ton of organizational chart templates you can choose from:
Related: Types of Organizational Structure [+ Visualization Tips]
4. Outline how you will manage and retain talent
Retaining top talent today takes more than competitive pay. It requires engagement, growth and long-term commitment.
Here are some high-impact but actionable retention strategies that can help you improve employee loyalty:
- Flexible work policies like hybrid schedules, compressed workweeks and remote options improve work-life balance and increase job satisfaction.
- Culture-based retention fosters an inclusive workplace by aligning company values with employee expectations. Encourage collaboration and introduce mentorship programs to reinforce belongingness.
- Create an AI-driven engagement strategy to analyze sentiment, predict attrition or create tailored career plans. Platforms like Peakon and Glint help HR teams address workplace concerns before they lead to turnover.
- Offer ongoing training and leadership coaching to help employees see a future in the organization. Personalized skill-building programs can improve engagement and prevent stagnation.
Studies show that employees are more engaged in their work when they feel it is meaningful, fulfilling and (moderately) challenging. Your HR plan should consider how to inspire such feelings or what can you do to motivate people to stay.
A well-structured HR training and development often plays a crucial role in achieving this. Here’s a talent management template that outlines a clear training and development plan:
Encourage employee development to keep staff motivated and focused on growth. A culture of continuous learning ensures they feel supported and challenged.
Using an Employee Development Plan template like this one can help:
You can customize this template in Venngage for employee learning and development in your industry.
Related: 6 Employee Development Ideas for Efficient Training
5. Align your workforce planning with your budget
Managing human resources isn’t cheap. Without a clear HR budget plan, you may overspend on hiring, training and benefits — something every smart business wants to avoid.
Your HR plan should forecast finances to control costs and maintain efficiency. Use AI to track hiring expenses, reduce turnover and improve the recruitment process.
AI-driven tracking systems can reduce hiring costs by automating resume screening. Similarly, predictive analytics can help prevent costly turnover.
To make financial planning easier, use the HR Budget Report template like the one below:
Need to compare a forecasted budget with past spending while planning your HR budget? Use this Budget Comparison template:
A bar graph is usually great for data visualization use cases. Just enter any values to Venngage’s editor, swap out the text and you’re ready to create an annual HR report.
Related: 10+ Expense Report Templates You Can Edit Easily
6. Establish KPIs for HR planning objectives
Measurable results are crucial in HR planning. They show if your strategy is working.
By tracking HR metrics, your company can make necessary adjustments for sustainable growth. Your human resource plan should outline specific key performance indicators (KPIs) that you should measure.
The HR KPIs may include headcounts, turnover rates, demographics, time to hire or employee satisfaction scores.
Here’s a generic satisfaction survey template you can customize to feel the pulse of your employees:
Once you’re ready to organize those HR KPIs in a document, you can use this recruiting template to keep tabs of all metrics in one place:
How to use an HR plan template effectively
An HR plan template helps improve processes, align them with organizational goals and boost efficiency. Consider the following steps to make the most of an HR plan template:
1. Select a suitable template
A plan is just a paper until you have a tangible template to start executing your strategy. A template sets the foundation for a plan that actually works. And it all starts with you choosing the right template.
Choose a template that fits your organization’s needs and goals. For example, a hiring roadmap template can enhance recruitment, while a performance plan supports employee growth.
Make sure the template covers key areas like recruitment strategies, development plans and compliance.
Related: 10 Hiring Experts Share Their Recruiting Tips [Infographic]
2. Customize the template to reflect your brand
Templates can be tricky — if you use a generic one, so can your competitors.
But a one-size-fits-all HR plan won’t cut it if you want to improve your employer branding. Every organization has unique goals, culture and challenges and the templates you choose should reflect that.
Customize your template to reflect your brand, making it more than just a generic document. Adjust language, visuals and structure to align with your company’s culture, values and goals.
Related: How to Use “My Brand Kit” to Brand Your Designs and Save Time
3. Engage stakeholders in the planning process
Involve key stakeholders, including department heads and team leaders, in the process to make sure everyone is aligned on the plan. This can help you get the necessary buy-in and timely feedback before you execute on the plan.
The insights can provide valuable perspectives on workforce needs and departmental objectives. It’s the best way to make your HR plan more comprehensive and effective.
4. Set and track goals that you can measure
Define clear, measurable goals within the HR plan to facilitate tracking and assessment. Incorporate KPIs that align with organizational objectives, enabling continuous monitoring and timely adjustments.
5. Ensure the template is flexible for adaptation
The whole idea behind using a template is to make your process easier, faster and scalable. If you can’t re-use a template with minimal tweaks, you don’t have a template — it’s a rigid layout.
Design your HR plan templates to be flexible. It should let you make adjustments as your needs grow or external factors change. This flexibility ensures the plan remains relevant and effective over time.
Related: 10+ Customizable HR Report Templates & Examples
Once finalized, share the HR plan templates across the organization to ensure transparency and to make sure everyone is on the same page. Just like involving stakeholders early on, this step is important to make sure all teams are aligned and you can gather feedback to tighten the plan further.
For example, hiring managers can suggest updates to the onboarding checklist template. HR personnel can refine the performance review to better fit department-specific goals.
7. Regularly monitor and revise the plan
Establish a regular cadence to track how well your teams are adopting the HR plan templates — or how it’s contributing to their processes. Gather insights on any challenges, inefficiencies or gaps to update the HR plan templates accordingly.
Regular assessments help you incorporate feedback, track milestones and adjust your HR plan.
Next, we’ll explore free HR plan templates for different HR use cases, offering practical tools to implement the strategies discussed.
Free HR plan templates
Having effective HR plan templates can improve processes and ensure organizational success. Below are 10 HR plan templates that are purpose-built to address specific HR needs:
1. Job offer letter template
An offer letter template simplifies hiring by providing a clear, professional format for job offers. It includes key details such as position title, salary, benefits, start date and company policies:
A clear offer letter sets expectations, enhances the candidate experience and streamlines onboarding. Standardizing this document can also ensure brand consistency and legal compliance across all hires.
2. HR staffing plan template
This template helps you forecast staffing needs based on organizational goals and market trends. It includes sections for role requirements, recruitment timelines and budget considerations.
Use this template to speed up talent acquisition or improve workforce management:
3. HR strategic plan template
A comprehensive HR strategic plan combines various HR initiatives with the organization’s strategic objectives. It encompasses goal setting, action plans and performance metrics.
Use this template to show how the HR’s efforts are contributing to the company’s growth:
4. Employee onboarding plan template
An employee onboarding template helps integrate new hires into the company culture and roles in a structured way. It includes checklists for orientation, training schedules and mentorship assignments.
Use this template to ensure a consistent onboarding experience, boost employee satisfaction and improve retention:
5. New employee onboarding plan checklist template
A new employee onboarding checklist covers all the necessary steps for onboarding. It includes preparatory tasks, orientation activities and integration steps. This helps make the transition for new hires as smooth as possible:
6. HR employee training plan template
This HR training plan template outlines key training programs for employees. It includes schedules, objectives and evaluation methods. This ensures employees receive consistent and effective training, boosting performance and development.
7. HR project action plan template
Whether it’s a performance improvement plan or a recruitment drive, this template outlines the necessary actions, assigns responsibilities and sets deadlines.
It ensures that you can complete all action items successfully:
8. Employee quarterly performance review template
Regular performance reviews help boost engagement, identify training needs and enhance overall productivity. This template provides a structured framework for evaluating employee performance every quarter.
Use it to ensure fair and consistent evaluations and promote employee development:
9. Working contract agreement template
A working contract template clarifies job roles, expectations and legal terms for employers and employees. It covers employment duration, pay, benefits, confidentiality and termination policies.
Standardize contracts to ensure compliance, lower legal risks and set clear expectations:
10. HR project plan template
This template helps HR teams organize and manage projects efficiently by outlining tasks, timelines and resources. It ensures clarity, accountability and on-time project completion:
FAQ about HR plans
How long should an HR plan be?
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the length of an HR plan. But you don’t want a 20+ page document. One to five pages should suffice. Be concise and use data visualization to make your HR plan easy to follow.
Do I need an HR contingency plan?
It’s a good idea to develop an HR contingency plan to ensure there’s a plan B if your initiatives don’t go as planned.
For example, let’s say you need 5 new hires to meet workforce demand. But if you’re struggling to find talent, you can use a workforce restructuring contingency plan to fill the gap.
Is an HR plan different from an employee development plan?
Yes. An HR plan is a strategic document that addresses an organization’s workforce needs. An employee development plan focuses on guiding individuals toward their professional goals.
The human resource planning process may include employee development tactics. However, it is not tailored to each employee like an employee development plan.
Make your HR planning processes effortless
You don’t need a crystal ball to feel confident about your people moving forward. With a solid HR plan and strategy in place, you’ll prime your workforce — and all business endeavors — to succeed in even the most competitive of markets.
Human resources planning and creating strategic business plans in general, doesn’t have to be exhausting.
With Venngage’s wide range of professionally designed templates and user-friendly editor, you can create a good plan in just a few minutes.
