Unit Ii Article Critique

Unit II Article Critique

John Mejia

Columbia Southern University

In Claudia Lacey Kelly’s article, “Critical roles with new emphasis”, she discusses the importance of the HR executive role in large companies. She stresses that in today’s business world, the role of the HR executive must have thorough background in strategic planning and also strong business knowledge. Kelly states that HR executives must take on a more business partner approach, “companies want their HR leaders to be champions of business performance who take a holistic approach to motivating and developing talent” (Kelly, 2009, para. 2) and sees their position as one that has several important factors that contribute to both the success and future of a company.

One factor that Kelly brings up is the fact that HR personnel have a direct affect on compensation. Compensation comes from different forms ranging from payroll, retirement packages, insurance benefits and other incentive programs. Kelly believes that “HR business partners must take the lead in designing compensation programs that reinforce desired behaviors and drive the key objectives of the business” (Kelly, 2009, para. 4). I agree with her on this matter by the fact that for a majority of employees, compensation is one of their main concerns, which usually will fuel their desire to perform their jobs. If a HR implements a successful compensation plan, employees will feel more inclined to work and also turnover rates can be reduced since employees will be less likely to leave just because of the compensation packages they receive. This also can attract potential employees who are job searching and see the benefits and retirement package a company delivers.

Not only is compensation an important factor to employees but also to the business as a whole as it is one of the largest expenses. “CEOs are looking to their HR executives to reexamine compensation practices to achieve a better balance between the organization's short-term...