SHRM has finally declared what all of us have secretly fretted over ever since the first “thought leader” said recruiters have a role in business outcomes.
“HR was never going to get a place at the table. The table was a myth,” confessed a spokesperson for the global Society for Human Resource Management. Explaining the decision of the 180,000 member organization to disband, the spokesperson declared, “HR is dead. We see no reason to continue on with this charade.”
The news was broken on the KnowHR blog, produced by the HR communications firm, iFractal.
Surprisingly, SHRM itself has not posted the news on its website. A search of Topeka failed to turn up other accounts. The lack of details is already frustrating practitioners who have invested time and money in earning SHRM certifications.
Blogger Frank Roche, a chemist and collector of journalism degrees, spoke with SHRM member Michael L. Ooser who lamented the devaluation of his SPHR designation.
“What will we do with our SPHR certificates?” Ooser is quoted as saying. “I spent all this time and money to get that piece of paper. Now it’s gone.”
Ooser could join the legions of former HR practitioners and recruiters in selling real estate or blogging and tweeting. His certification, however, could prove useful in applying for jobs overseas. Titles and especially obscure initials after a name are particularly valued in Britain, where there is an opening for CEO of the nation.
An ad in today’s Guardian seeks a “heavyweight capable of communicating at all levels” for the job of Prime Minister. It’s a temp position, but it does include free use of a house, good salary, unlimited expense account and the opportunity to “rub noses with World Leaders, Monarchs, Celebrities and the like.”