Punk Rock Human Resources

There is a well known organization that represents a bevy of HR practitioners. The association is The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and it describes itself accordingly:

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest professional association devoted to human resource management. Our mission is to serve the needs of HR professionals by providing the most current and comprehensive resources, and to advance the profession by promoting HR’s essential, strategic role. Founded in 1948, SHRM represents more than 225,000 individual members in over 125 countries, and has a network of more than 575 affiliated chapters in the United States, as well as offices in China and India.

SHRM is a prestigious institution that has very successful and prominent leaders within its membership and on its board. I have personally benefited from those leaders — many of whom act as teachers within the association — and my own knowledge, skills and abilities have grown because of my association with SHRM.

There is a real opportunity out there for anyone from SHRM who is interested in representing the world of the Human Resources. The US Presidential campaign, the recession, and the strength and growth of Web 2.0 are touch points where HR leaders can speak to global citizens and share our knowledge and advice. I wonder why SHRM isn’t out there — on the television, in the print media, and on forefront of new technology — speaking to the global marketplace and addressing issues on workforce management, talent development. There is an opportunity to speak to the world and help business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and fellow employees define the way we work, live and — at the very least — earn money in the 21st century.

Last week’s news cycle was a great example of how SHRM could be out there — on blogs, on cable news, in the print media — speaking to the recession, to the political campaign, the war in Iraq, the US health care crisis, and to the issues around Lilly Ledbetter and equal pay. Through a simple but focused media outreach program, SHRM could be promoting HR’s essential, strategic role in the American workforce. Instead of hearing from HR professionals, I was bombarded with workforce and employment experts who were academics, lawyers, and entrepreneurs; none of them identified themselves as HR practitioners nor did they even mention the words ‘human resources’.

It’s as if HR is a non-existent member and not participating in a conversation that we should be leading.

If ever there was a profession (and a professional association) in need of rebranding, it’s HR (and SHRM). Advancing our profession — the mission of SHRM — means linking into new technology and demonstrating our relevance to the global workforce. You don’t demonstrate relevance by sponsoring a few debates on CNN and then waiting for the media to come to you and ask questions.

I guess the simple question is this: with thousands of members and hundreds of employment-related issues in the news — including the world’s most important job interview — where in the world is SHRM?