When an organization is under fire because of certain individuals’ behavior, it’s normal to point fingers and try to find who else is at fault besides the perpetrators. Employees look to HR for remedies, because our profession is centered on people and their performance within organizations. But the reality is more nuanced.
hank.jackson
Hank Jackson is the President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management.
History
- Member for
- 11 years 11 months
Articles by Hank Jackson
Today, as we recognize and thank the military servicemen and servicewomen who have given so much to our country, let’s not forget the other important ways veterans serve our nation—by providing needed skills and expertise in our workplaces.

Where did you work today? You may have put time in at the office, but you also may have tackled tasks on a plane, in a coffee shop, at home and even on vacation.
What a difference a decade makes. In 2007, the most pressing issues for HR were succession planning and leadership development. HR analytics was in its infancy, and we were still feeling our way through the metrics. Annual reviews were the norm, as opposed to the constant feedback employees expect today. And social media was viewed by management as a threat to productivity, not the essential business tool it is today.
There’s a popular saying in some HR circles today: “The ‘war for talent’ is over—and talent won.”
We have seen this so-called war wax and wane with economic cycles, evolve with new technology, and intensify under globalization. It should now be clear to everyone that, whether we’re in good economic times or bad, in a period of stability or disruption, the skills shortage is an ever-present challenge.
SHRM CEO Hank Jackson and SHRM Board Chair Coretha Rushing visit the “Commitment Wall” at #SHRM17, where participants are confirming what they are “All In” for.
In March, our profession reached a major milestone when SHRM awarded its 100,000th certification—just two years after launching the SHRM-SCP and SHRM-CP program. Practitioners who hold these credentials are the advance team for tens of thousands more who will pursue SHRM certification—and, importantly, recertification—in the coming years.
On behalf of SHRM, and in honor of National Volunteer Week, I want to express my gratitude to you, our generous Volunteer Leaders all over the country.
There are times in our lives when we make a deliberate choice to give our best; to wholly dedicate ourselves to a project, cause or calling. A moment when we decide to go "all in" for who or what we believe in.
Throughout its history, HR has steadily evolved, and now the pace of change is escalating at speeds never seen before. Our modest personnel administration origins have matured into directing the very future of work, and our success is now defined entirely by results, not process. A constant theme of the HR profession has been the transformation of our work. It used to happen every decade or two, but now it is continuous.
The next generation of HR leaders are working in our organizations today. Are we giving them enough opportunities to be key players?
Today, the final Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime rule was set to go into effect, but 10 days ago, a Texas district judge issued a preliminary injunction halting the rule. Although it is possible that the government could successfully appeal the decision, it’s more likely that any changes to the overtime rules will wait for the incoming Administration.
On some of the world’s most visible stages, women appear to be making huge professional strides. In the U.S., we had our first female presidential candidate from a major party and the U.K. chose its second female prime minister. Women are outnumbering men by a 3-to-2 ratio on college campuses, and they have earned more doctoral degrees than men for seven straight years. Even at this year’s Summer Olympics, the U.S. fielded a team of athletes made up of a female majority for the first time.
SHRM is proud to announce that the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams have been accredited by The Buros Center for Testing, a pronouncement that the HR credentials meet the highest standards in testing.
The number of U.S. job openings recently reached 5.9 million—an all-time high. Yet with an unemployment rate of under 5 percent, the nation is already near what many economic experts consider "full employment." As we look to explain why jobs are so hard to fill, we can expect a fresh wave of concern from politicians and pundits. Questions and opinions abound: Has the U.S. run out of willing workers?
There was a time when only HR professionals were concerned about the nuts and bolts of employee benefits such as paid leave, telework and health care. Perhaps a top recruit asked a question or a female worker expecting her first child sought clarification on the Family and Medical Leave Act. Or maybe it was HR’s perennial favorite time of year: open enrollment season.
Not any longer. Employee benefits have gone mainstream.
The 21st century has been marked by historic changes and breakthrough discoveries. Knowledge and society have progressed more in the past 100 years than they did in the previous 1,000. Today, we live and move at an accelerated pace. The same holds true in business.