In a nutshell, we think that the following seven items comprehensively describe the responsibilities of the job:

• Identify and Validate Short, Medium and Long Range Staffing Requirements
• Develop Make Or Buy Planning To Meet Those Requirements
• Execute A Development Program For "Make" Decisions
• Develop Potential Employee Pipeline Adequate To Meet "Buy" Requirements
• Build Staffing Vendor Relationships To Meet Variances
• Implement Human Capital Metrics Systems
• Create, Maintain and Improve an "Employment Brand"

What we are suggesting in these seven bullet points is a complete reorientation of the traditional HR function with additional performance oriented responsibilities in Marketing, project/product success and at the bottom line. The accountability that should be embedded in the job would be too much for most existing HR managers to bear. Given the fact that the web environment makes success or failure on all of these issues quantifiable, we anticipate more structured performance reviews and a modification in the resource allocation process.

You might wonder where all of the juicy stuff we normally write about falls in this new hierarchy.

Recruiting, Training, Assessment, Development, Contract Staffing, Internet Research, Applicant Tracking, Payroll, Benefits, Referral Programs, Candidate Pool Development, Hiring Workflow and Employee Communications Systems are all tactical ways to implement these responsibilities. At the top level of an organization, the policy question begins with "Why?".

Why do you need a workforce? Why should we perform this function in house? Why do we have a training program? Why are we researching the net? and so on are the business of the CTO

The lesson of the first five years of Electronic Recruiting is that the elements of marketing, from intelligence gathering to advertising and copy development to distribution and supply management have become a feature of the face of 21st Century Employment Management. The simplest vendor research in the HRIS arena makes it clear that competitive advantage and flexibility are only available to the diligent, detail oriented vendor management functions. Cycle Time reductions, in recruiting or talent development, are inadequate in a constrained labor market. Requirements must be anticipated and planned for.

Talk about this notion with folks from HR. You'll be able to tell the survivors from the soon to be missing with one single vector: the willingness to take responsibility for results. Proponents of old school HR will whine and moan about not having adequate authority, involvement or "charter". This is the victim mentality produced by years of soft measurement and inappropriate participation in the production of real results.

The winners will embrace these notions, understanding that the freedom to contribute measurably is the hallmark of real adult corporate citizenship.

- John Sumser © TwoColorHat. All Rights Reserved.