On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why HR and IT Need to Make Peace

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why HR and IT Need to Make Peace When IT has an unfilled opening, the entire organization feels it. Projects stall, daily processes slow and productivity drops. Thats why human resources often kicks into overdrive to try andfill IT positions as quickly as possible. They know that technology is so deeply ingrained into every department that its critical for the bottom line to get IT running as smoothly and quickly as possible. Unfortunately, filling a position in IT often becomes a lengthy and messy process, says Chris Brown, vice president of human resources for West Unified Communications in Chicago. For example, some HR people lack the technical knowledge to recruit the right IT candidate or may not understand how this person needs to function in IT and cast too widely for candidates. On the other hand, IT typically more than any other department, wants more interviews of candidates, and that can slow down the process, he says. IT can be very risk averse. They fear making decisions, and may distrust any possible hire who they dont already have a connection to, Brown says. Or, they may say about a candidate, We love this guy! . Got anymore? Difficulty in filling open IT slots is just one of the issues that can make HR and IT seem at odds with one another. The problems are not new: a 2006studyof the IT and HR relationship found that IT employees were concerned that if they get on the wrong side of HR, their careers could be in trouble really quickly, and HR would always get even if IT didnt play the game the way HR wanted. Still, while some contend that HR and IT relationships are getting better, its not happening quickly enough in some cases. HR and IT have to manage technological change together. They have tocome to the table togetherwith their respective expertise look at what needs to be achieved from both sides, then work on their own implementations,notesKevin Streater, former head of IT industry engagement at the Open University. Brown believes that IT and HR need to improve communications, so (read more here)