HRM - should we mourn the demise of the HR department?

A hat tip ti Simon McCrossan for spotting this thought-provoking opinion piece in the Times this morning.  It questions the role and relevance of the HR department in modern business.  This would make a good stimulus piece on a lesson that considers how an HR department can contribute to a business.

The article could also be used in conjunction with Graham Salisbury’s superb blog series on the role and activities of HR Managers (see links below)

The Changing Face of Human Resources

The HR function has probably undergone more changes than any other over the last half century. Many of those areas that were once considered to be the responsibility of HR Managers (or Personnel Managers as the majority were called before the turn of the 21st Century) have been transferred to line managers, leaving HR Managers to (in theory!) concentrate on matters of more strategic importance.