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HR places a disturbingly high premium on what it calls "communication skills" and what you and I call "talking." A survey found that 83 percent of HR professionals cited training in communication skills (they spent their college years in Watercooler 101?) as important to getting a job in the field, while only two percent cited the importance of classes in finance. Actually knowing how the business runs doesn't much register with HR. Using HR as talent spotters makes about as much sense as asking the florist for help filling out the roster on your basketball team.

The HR industry has noticed that (as CBS News once put it), "Everyone hates HR." But its inclination is to what all failing industries do: dig in their heels. "The consensus in the industry," wrote Times of London columnist Sathnam Sanghera, after reviewing some HR publications, "is that the only way to rescue HR is to elevate its importance."

Fortunately, business is moving the other way, to reduce HR departments by outsourcing its paper-pushing functions; PriceWaterhouseCoopers, for instance, estimates it can shave 15 to 25 percent off your HR costs. These humans are simply not resourceful enough. We should be glad HR is going the way of acid-wash jeans.

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