Advancing the Profession

In the past decade, the prominence of mission and values statements in the business world has grown by leaps and bounds. Companies around the globe have embraced the idea of having a coherent communication that defines who the company is, what it does, and what its intention is to do.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), of which Dallas HR is a part, also has a mission statement, which is as follows:

“SHRM serves the needs of the human resource management professional by providing the most essential and comprehensive set of resources available. In addition, the Society is committed to advancing the human resource profession and the capabilities of all human resource professionals to ensure that HR is an essential and effective partner in developing and executing organizational strategy.”

Seems simple, doesn’t it? We can all understand SHRM providing an essential and comprehensive set of resources for HR folks. There are more than 20 individual departments within SHRM designed to provide quick, easily-accessible information literally at your fingertips – through SHRMOnline (http://www.shrm.org), our national website, or a simple phone call away – to help you deal with the daily ins and outs of complex HR issues.

But what about “advancing the profession”? What exactly does that mean for you, the HR practitioner and professional, and how do SHRM and its local chapters, like Dallas HR, do it?

The first way in which SHRM and its local chapters advance the profession is by advancing the professional – by providing the means for those in HR to further develop their skills and knowledge of HR. On the national level, SHRM provides literally hundreds of educational opportunities, from our national conference to individual city seminars and self-study, for its members. On the local level, Dallas HR sponsors scholarships, PHR/SPHR certification courses and numerous class opportunities on subjects like Relationship Management for the HR Business Partner and Emotional Intelligence. In addition, events like our upcoming Diversity Conference and the nationally-recognized HR Southwest Conference all assist in increasing the awareness of current issues and command of the HR body of knowledge and general business knowledge for our members and all Dallas-area HR practitioners and professionals.

The second way in which this takes place is by increasing the visibility and value-add of HR to organizations and organizational leaders. In these days of changing workplaces and operations, more and more companies are seeing the value and importance of a well-trained and well-managed workforce – literally, the company’s “best asset”. SHRM and its local affiliates are stepping forward to present and market the HR professional, as it says in the mission statement, as an “essential and effective partner in developing and executing organizational strategy” – an asset manager, leading organizations by leading people. As a national organization of HR professionals, SHRM provides a visible, respected voice to both legislative and top business leaders. In the Metroplex, Dallas HR mirrors this effort by partnering with local media and organizations on events, such as the Dallas Morning News Diversity Career Fair and the Dallas Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work”, building strong relationships with local business leaders and legislators, and representing Dallas HR as a local voice for those with questions about HR. Finally, both SHRM and Dallas HR support the SHRM Foundation, which sponsors and drives research into HR “best practices” and how they can increase company bottom lines – in fact, Dallas HR provides the most financial support to the SHRM Foundation of any SHRM chapter!

To summarize, SHRM and Dallas HR advance the profession in two ways – by providing educational and development opportunities to people doing HR, and by expanding the visibility and value-add of these skilled HR professionals to businesses and business leaders. You can find out more about these opportunities and activities by visiting their websites – SHRM Online (http://www.shrm.org) or Dallas HR Online (http://www.dallashr.org). Take advantage of what your chapter and your organization have to offer!

Dan Weber, SPHR
Director of Communications, Dallas HR

Return to August Horizon