How has the focus of HR planning evolved?

Historically, in times of greater environmental stability, HR planning focused almost exclusively on matching HR demand with HR supply. Its primary purpose was ensuring that the right number and type of people were available at the right time and place to serve relatively predictable business needs that resulted from business plans created in relatively stable environmental conditions. If the business was growing at a rate of 10 percent, for example, top management would continue to add to the workforce by 10 percent: It worked before; it would work again. Today, however, environmental conditions seldom remain stable for long. As a consequence, HR planning that anticipates the need for major changes in the business changes is of greater strategic value.