2. Traditional Measure of Human Resources Success
The traditional method of measuring whether the HR departments were doing their job correctly was to look at how long it took to fill a vacant position, and how many positions were open at any given time.
The assumption was formed that as long as there was an open position that was filled within a reasonable amount of time, the staff of the Human Resources department was doing their job to standard. At some companies in Washington, DC., there were even bonuses offered for HR departments which managed to consistently fill positions rapidly.
Unfortunately for the companies that believed these bonuses were an incentive for a job well done, all of these practices led to HR departments hiring candidates to fill open positions that were essentially “seat fillers”.
While these people may have been good candidates, they were not necessarily the best people for the positions they were filling, leaving them frustrated with their jobs and the hiring companies in Washington with ineffective employees filling positions. Eventually, it became obvious that filling a position quickly was not a goal that truly reflected the tasks of the HR department.
