Human Resources (HR) Reigns Supreme: Jack Welch, Keynote Speaker at National HR Convention

"[If] there was ever a time to underscore the importance of HR, it has arrived. And sadly, if there was ever a time to see how few companies get HR right, it has arrived, too... If their company is in a crisis - or their own career - perhaps they've at last seen the light.  HR matters enormously in the good times.  It defines you in the bad."
                                                                                                         ----Jack Welch, BusinessWeek, March 12, 2009

Known throughout the world as the former Chairman and CEO of General Electric Company (GE), Welch was also named Manager of the Century by FORTUNE magazine in 1999.  

Since retiring from GE in 2001, he speaks and writes to audiences from around the world. He also teaches a course on leadership at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Welch’s Web site www.welchway.com states: “His goal is to help everyone who has a passion for success.”

Welch writes a weekly column, “The Welchway,” in BusinessWeek magazine, and he has authored a few international bestsellers. More importantly to me, as a business writer focusing on human resource topics, I am impressed by his growing and outspoken advocacy for the HR profession and its powerful impact on businesses.

If you’re familiar with Welch’s style, you’ll know what I mean. In researching his speeches and presentations, I find that he consistently communicates with his usual candor. He doesn’t mince words and, instinct tells you, he believes what he says. The following quote from his Web site is a good example:

“Look, HR should be every company’s “killer app.” What could possibly be more important than who gets hired, developed, promoted, or moved out the door? Business is a game, and as with all games, the team that puts the best people on the field and gets them playing together wins. It’s that simple.

You would never know it, though, to look at the companies today where the CFO reigns supreme and HR is relegated to the background. It just doesn’t make sense. If you owned the Boston Red Sox, for instance, would you hang around with the team accountant or the director of player personnel? Sure, the accountant can tell you the financials. But the director of player personnel knows what it takes to win: how good each player is and where to find strong recruits to fill talent gaps.”

Why is this important? A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) announcement captured my attention. Welch has agreed to be a keynote speaker during its annual national convention to be held in New Orleans. The convention scheduled for June 28-July 1, 2009, is hosted by SHRM—the world’s largest professional association devoted to human resource management.

Welch is scheduled to speak and engage the audience in a dialogue on Sunday, June 28, from 2:30-4:00 p.m. For more information, contact SHRM at 1-800-283-7476 or visit online at www.shrm.org. 

To learn more about what Jack Welch has to say about HR's importance for business, read this HRTools Insight.

Jack Welch, an international figure, best-selling author and Manager of the Century, writes and speaks often about the importance of HR leadership in helping businesses grow and prosper.