Letters - Letter to the Editor

HR Magazine, Jan, 2003

We're Already at the Table

I eagerly leafed through the November issue to the much-anticipated article by Joe Vocino on HR compensation ("HR Feels Pinch of Economic Slowdown"). But when I began reading, I got that familiar, sinking feeling. No, I am not referring to the modest pay increases reported for this year. (Although I wasn't thrilled about that either!) What troubled me is something more subtle than that.

Vocino begins his article like so many others before him. He writes, "... HR is becoming a strategic business partner." (Emphasis added.) He follows it with, "... giving further credence to the pivotal role HR plays in the success of an organization."

Becoming? Further credence? I don't know about anyone else, but I have arrived!

Why must we, as HR professionals, constantly question our own validity in business? Worse yet, when we are not questioning it, we go overboard reaffirming our place in the business world through "rah-rah" speeches on how important we are to organizations. I attend countless conferences and read reams of articles in which we congratulate ourselves on our importance. At the same time, we pout because our organizations are too dim to recognize our contributions.

Think I am off-base? Pull out the same November issue and turn to p. 8. There you will find Susan Meisinger, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), declaring that SHRM must "Ensure HR is recognized for its contributions to business success " and "Enhance the capability and credibility of the HR profession."

Need more evidence? Flip to p. 12 and read (in disgust) the little gem about how HR professionals are whining about not being respected by management.

Enough already! As a profession we risk the legitimacy we have fought hard to attain when we constantly carp about recognition and credibility.

We've got to stop questioning our credibility in one breath and in the next giving ourselves a virtual standing ovation. We should continue to offer indispensable service and expertise. Credibility and recognition will come as a result.

HR must stop being the Sally Field of the corporate world. Yes, they really do like us! Don't believe it? Read p. 12 again and notice the first column ("Demand for HR Executives Rising Sharply This Year").

If you are unlucky enough to work for an organization that doesn't recognize the value of HR, one of two things may be at play: Either you work for a bad company and should immediately move to one that is looking for talented FIR folks, or maybe you're the problem.

Scott Mazo, SPHR

Costa Mesa, Calif.

Shallow Survey

I spend inordinate amounts of time defending our competitive wage positions to employees. All too frequently they mention some magazine survey to defend their claim of being underpaid. Now you are doing it too!

For true compensation professionals, surveys that are conducted not only by industry, but by sales, by size, by location, etc., are the source of our magic in defending our compensation proposals and ranges to CEOs and CFOs. Headline-grabbing magazine surveys destroy the very fiber of the in-depth analysis we use to support our positions.

Please, let the industry trades sell their magazines on their survey headlines. You don't need to do it. It's too superficial to have any meaning.

William Felts

Danbury, Conn.

Editor's note: The November article "HR Feels Pinch of Economic Slowdown" summarized compensation data for HR jobs in a variety of industries and functional areas. Regional breakdowns and additional data can be obtained in the full report by visiting www.imercer.com or by calling (800) 333-3070.

HR Magazine welcomes letters from readers. Submitted letters are subject to editing and are the property of the magazine. To submit a letter, visit our web site at www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/contact or fax us at (703) 535-6489.