Job rotation is considered to be a very powerful tool to prepare leaders who understand various aspects of business and thus can steer the companies. Apart from being enabler for this important activity, how the function of HR itself fits into this scheme may be matter of interest. Whenever we talk of job rotation, there are many cases, where people from other functions moved to HR and proved their mettle. I believe that the most important requirement for a professional to be successful in any function is a positive mindset. It is a universal phenomenon, more so for HR.

While, a positive mindset makes one successful, a positive HR person can make himself as well as many others succeed. It is not difficult to attract astute business people to HR, once they are shown the value in this role and are convinced about the radical contribution HR can make. Certainly, they need to actually observe and feel that the top management considers HR a significant contributor.

Functions other than HR are its internal customers. What HR does is to support, guide and facilitate operations. Output of HR goes to operations for their use and benefit. But, operation’s output is not for the HR. Other functions are not there to serve HR. For this reason, having assessed what they received from HR, it may be fine to move professionals from other functions to HR. This will help them to address those issue on which, they expected HR to focus; but did not get the desired response. Having experienced the pain, they understand where the shoe pinches and are therefore, able to address practical issues effectively. However, it may not be equally practical for an HR person to shift to other roles. It is difficult for them to pick up operational intricacies. Very often we hear that a line supervisor is the best HR person, because for any employee they are the first point of contact. Has anybody ever said or heard that HR person is the best inspector, production man or maintenance manager?

In a slightly different perspective, it may be worthwhile to put young HR professionals in other functions as a part of their extended orientation program, so that they understand customer expectations before assuming direct and bigger roles in HR. On the other hand, strengthening an under-performing HR department by sending high-potential executives into HR can certainly be of great benefit. But much greater value can be added by making HR a standard rotation for extremely promising leaders to prepare future CEOs, who will be able to drive the organization through smart talent management.