Making use of e-learning may require HR departments to gain better knowledge of current technical tools at their fingertips, but ultimately, "the entire organization [must] line up to the same set of common goals and ensure that everyone is rowing in the same direction," only then can one "achieve a higher level of organizational performance." (Greengard, 2003, p.1) Human resources must provide a holistic vision of how organizations can realize their special vision. Of course, as Schnoover states, "human resource organizations will need to provide online access to products and services as well as face-to-face support in their application," and thus may need to be the "ambassadors of a more high-tech approach than before.(Schoonover, 2002) But it is also the HR professional's duty to make sure that even the most technically sophisticated suggestion, innovation, or change, meets the human needs of the organization in terms of orienting, training, and taking a realistic view of the current workplace's battery of skills.

By enabling employees to reach the goals of their department, their personal goals, and helping shape such specific areas into an overall organizational vision, HR departments can provide a fundamental, generalizing influence and vision for the better that focuses on the human dimension of the organization, and still maximizes employee performance. HR must be about balance, not fragmentation, and bring the human dimension of the organization together to meet organizational goals. For example, in one school district, an HR organization had to use a trimmed budget to still create an effective new-teacher orientation and keep a successful mentoring program afloat. In short, it had to keep its finger on the pulse of the needs of the teacher, and keep what was good about these programs, but still make sure that it stayed within a feasible budget. (Greengard, 2003, p.2)

One key area Schnoover ignores is that of diversity -- and again, diversity is an area that affects every organizational deparment and component,...

To adequately keep abreast of the diversity IQ of the organization, an HR department must engage in vigorous and rigorous orientation training and re-training programs, as well as facilitate problems that may arise between individual employees. It must keep its eye on "Organizational charts and reporting structures. There should be both women and minorities reporting directly to senior managers, and both should receive their fair share of promotions into senior-level jobs." (Leonard, 2003)
Also, in an age of greater globalization, HR departments must make sure that employees going abroad are well-trained in the manners and mores of doing business in other areas of the world, as well as ask: "How many women and minorities in your organization are offered such opportunities?" are going aborad in general, as the face of the company of the future. (Leonard, 2003)In short, the future of HR must remain focused on value-maximizing the human factor. However much HR avails itself of technical support, and must conform to organizational bugetary needs, its point-of-view must not becomes so segmented that it cannot deploy the human elements of the organization to realize an organizational vision. Futhermore, by remaining sensitive to the training and diversity needs of every department, it can still have a critical value-maximizing role within any organization.

Works Cited

Greengard, S. (Mar 2002) "Optimas update: the best get better - Workforce Optimas

Awards 1991-2002: A Retrospective - human resources best practices." Workforce. Retreived 17 Nov 2006 at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FXS/is_3_82/ai_98542332

Lenoard, Bill. (Jul 2002) "Ways to tell if a Diversity Program is measuring up." HR

Magazine. Retreived 17 Nov 2006 at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_7_47/ai_89025013

Schoonover, Stephen C. (2000)"HR Competencies for the Year 2000:The Wake-Up

Call!" HR Magazine.