Centralized v. Decentralized Human Resources
 September 9, 2005

We are seeing a trend toward decentralized HR capabilities. As firms attempt to put more HR fire power into large regional and international offices, they are getting away from having one “super expert” at the mother ship office. The move is to have a strong HR generalist in each office. Often, each of these generalists will have an area of expertise (benefits, training, payroll, etc.) and will then serve as the firm-wide guru. Advocates say it tracks their firm’s client service ethic by being able to handle more issues and respond to more questions on site rather than simply being a conduit to the home office. It also provide a more rewarding position for the local HR manager and provides them with greater growth potential for future career moves. Advocates also believe any increased salary cost is off set by fewer hiring mistakes and a reduction in lawyers’ and staffs’ Catbert view of the HR function.