This responds to HR Fiddles While Organizations Burn

Just wanted to say I thought this article was excellent! I hope to see more articles in the future addressing this issue and offering more specific advice on strategic behavior and mindset for HR professionals who want to be taken seriously.

Natasha Kurtz, PHR

Human Resources

Holden Industries, Inc.

Deerfield, Ill.

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Excellent article. I find it most interesting as it pertains to the dilemma that I have been experiencing in my current job search situation. It has been extremely difficult to break through the HR world to find those CEOs who are looking for the type of HR profile that you describe which dovetails well with my background.

I rose through the ranks of my previous organization from the Finance discipline then transitioned into the HR arena as the head of function. Having the business knowledge and pulse on the organization's needs was instrumental in bringing credibility to not only my role in HR but also to the function.

I completely agree that there needs to be a shift from back-office mindset to front-office mindset and am inspired by your article which gives me hope that I will find such an employer that is seeking my talent and what I have to offer to its organization.

Good reading and well done.

Janice Jarrett, SPHR, MBA

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First let me say I really enjoyed the article as it "stepped on my toes" which was a good thing. It made me look ahead and realize that I need to be working on tomorrow more than I am.  

Finding a way to do this is my big challenge because we have a union shop. In planning for the future and considering replacing those who may be retiring within the next five to 10 years, I find that I don't know how to prepare for this because of our structure. The hourly, union, employees have to sign for their jobs and are awarded the job by seniority and can't train any where else while assigned to their current job.  

To stay within our contract terms, I can't train these employees to be able to replace someone that may be retiring two years from now in a different department.  

Do you have any suggestions on how I should prepare in our environment?  

Rita Holcomb

Director of Human Resources

Family Savings Federal Credit Union

Gadsden, Ala. 

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I thoroughly enjoyed your article "HR Fiddles While Organizations Burn" in the July 11 edition of HREOnline. Your comments and observations mirror my experience over the past 20 years. Having worked my way up the corporate food chain I have realized that HR truly needs to be strategic and HR leaders must know how their organizations use/abuse their talent and how the money is made.

I have recently been seeing more job postings for Human Resources Business Partner that describes that importance that forward looking organizations are putting on strategic HR.

Thank you again for hitting the preverbal "nail on the head". I will be sharing this information with my HR network and colleagues who have been stuck on what to do once they got to the table.

Michael Audelo

ResumeConnect.com