resources function was essential for the company ’ s strategic plan to succeed . In her first two weeks on the job Janet discovered : § Job descriptions were inconsistent , long but vague lists of high level “ duties and responsibilities ” and qualifications § Job titles didn ’ t reflect the work people did , used instead as a framework for budgeting and compensation as many were doing unique work requiring different knowledge and skills . § Aside from providing a coordinating function , human resources had outsourced recruiting to third parties who presented candidates based on their internet postings and other sources . No matter the level or criticality of the open position , human resources rarely conducted interviews or assessments before or after handing over the third party resumes to the hiring organization and would get involved again only when a candidate was selected . § HR ’ s participation in the onboarding process of new employees was limited to having them attend a half-day orientation session where , between a video and a slide presentation about the company , they filled out benefits-related , payroll , ID and other paper forms . § Training and Development ( T & D ) had largely been outsourced to several companies that provided generic on-line courses . § The recent departure of several mission-critical employees disclosed no systematic means of capturing expertise from employees ; when they left , their knowledge left with them . § The Performance Employee Evaluation Program didn ’ t align with anything , was viewed by managers and individual contributors alike as a burdensome annual chore that interfered with people ’ s “ real jobs .” The management of talent is one of a handful of strategic services human resources can offer . The decline of traditional HR functions through automation , self-service , and outsourcing demands a “ culture change ” within human resources : adopt a business focus by an organization still structured largely around benefits administration , time and attendance reporting , labor cost processing , and similar transactional operations .