| The role of the Human Resources Department | | | | the changing landscape of Human Resources |
| has changed dramatically over the past 30 years | | | | management in the years to come, strategic |
| and will become increasingly more strategic in | | | | planning will be the key for HR to meet those |
| nature in the future, said a leading light of the HR | | | | needs and to succeed. The key to HR planning for |
| community in the recent 2006 Annual Conference | | | | the future begins with one simple question that |
| and Exposition of HR practitioners in Washington, | | | | HR professionals have to ask themselves, says |
| DC. | | | | Craig: "If we are successful in the years to come, |
| Rita Craig, president of the Craig Group and a | | | | what will our customers and competitors be |
| long-time professional HR consultant, said the role | | | | saying about us?" With the answers to this |
| of HR has changed from a primarily administrative | | | | question, HR practitioners can formulate a clear, |
| position to one that is more strategic. Times | | | | shared vision and a sense of direction for the |
| certainly have change from those days when the | | | | organization. |
| HR department was called the "smile and file" | | | | As a possible starting point in providing answers |
| department since in that era, the primary | | | | to the key question, Craig suggested the following: |
| qualifications for HR were simply a friendly | | | | Focus resources on key goals and strategic |
| disposition and an ability to file. | | | | measures, create and sustain long-term |
| She said that the emerging trends in HR call for | | | | performance, and create a living document that |
| HR professionals to take the lead in planning for | | | | can change when necessary. |
| the future and becoming strategic business | | | | In closing, Craig warned against "powerful and |
| partners in their organizations. She identified | | | | pervasive barriers" that prevent HR professionals |
| several other trends in the industry, as follows: (1) | | | | from being effective in their roles. She pinpointed |
| a shrinking talent pool, (2) An increase in | | | | these as resistance to change, failure to |
| outsourcing, (3) A more intense focus on work | | | | implement plans, the wounds of past strategic |
| life balance; (4) Changing workplace demographics, | | | | planning failures, and failure to anticipate the |
| (5) Greater need for talent management, (6) | | | | impact on people, process and organizational |
| Ethics requirements, and (6) Globalization. | | | | structure. |
| But the key appears to be strategic planning. With | | | | |