Human Resources as a Strategic Partner
...having HR report to the CEO as a strategic partner will be discussed as well as an assessment of the consequences of not having HR report to the CEO as a strategic partner. Another topic of discussion will be the identification of key business competencies HR executives need in order to develop appropriate risk management programs. Lastly, a description of an optimal career path for a senior HR executive will be given. According to many HR gurus, HR has shifted from being an administrative entity to becoming strategic partners. Since this is the shift, it would make sense for HR to report directly to the CEO or President of the organization. Employees are resources that should be used optimally in order to help the organization gain a competitive advantage. A HR executive would be the ideal partner to give input and insight on the use of human resources in the organization. In order for this strategic partnership to work, the HR executive must have key competencies in order to function effectively. The main qualification or competency of an HR executive, in my opinion, would be postgraduate work. Education is not just passing courses. Students of higher learning have the capacity of broadening their minds, which is necessary in order to keep up with the changes in HR. Another competency of a HR executive would be leadership ability. Not all people can be leaders. The ability to lead and have people follow is ideally innate, but leadership ability can be taught. Good and effective leaders are needed to accomplish organizational goals. Having a HR executive with good and effective leadership ability would be an asset to the organization. Yet another competency is confidence and a strong personality. These attributes are key because in order to be able to...