Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD) will be trimming its human resources staff soon, according the the company. The largest home improvement retailers in the U.S. seeks to trim its HR staff by a total of 1,000 employees, with the goal of having more help on its sales floors instead of on administrative tasks.Home Depot officials said that it won't be handling human resources issues on a store-by-store basis any longer, opting instead to handle employee HR from a district-wide perspective. It will shift HR tasks mostly to telephone-based support and will be adding 200 people for a new human resources call center, according to the company.
Is this a wise move? It will save the retailer costs from a headcount burden at each store that may not be the best use of its labor force, but then again, having HR in-store does probably have an advantage. Maybe it's not enough from a cost perspective. If the retailer can shift more headcount to the sales floor, that is always a good thing.
In addition to the HR personnel moves, the retailer said that it will shift stocking crews at some of its stores from the overnight shift to the day shift, as there just isn't enough work for some overnight crews at this time. Since the mortgage mess continues to spook the entire country at this time, home improvement retailers are seeing a good brunt of the mess.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-09-2008 @ 10:15AM
Susan said...
Who are YOU trying to kid????!!!!! If you think we believe by firing all of the HR's it will put more hours on the floor, you're NUTS!!!! Frank, you as the new CEO - - SHOULD put more hours on the floor. Go back to the old style training, there is nothing like hands on!!!! It takes money to make money and so far you guys are spending it everywhere but where it needs to be. On the Employees!!!!!!!! Happy Employees Make Happy Customers!!!!!
4-09-2008 @ 7:23PM
b.m. said...
For get the H.R's! Home Depot dont need them..Well at my store we dont.I have been sexually,gender,sexual orientation and retaliation harrassed for the last 2 plus years..My H.R. infact seems to me to promote this behavior..also I feel that Home Depot also condones this..So Yes get rid of the H.R's its only a free for all anyway!
4-17-2008 @ 9:06PM
Sue said...
Now that our "New" HR is gone..we are already seeing a difference in our store.The clicks have started back up again with some of the management and thier "friends" excessive breaks among some associates take place..not enough aprons on the floor.Variances not being followed..where would a phone call get me if I had a problem?Are you going to take some notes over the phone and get back to me?Customer service is top priority...caring for the Associates that make our customers want to come back to our store is only worth $8.00-$15.00 /hr on the average per Associate to you.I realize there is much you need to do for your investors...but don't forget those that help bring back our customers.
4-26-2008 @ 1:06AM
CMC said...
They may as well fire them all. The Home Depot (at least the store that I have had experience with) is the most badly managed organization that I have ever encountered (no, I am not a current or former employee). The HR individual at the University City store in Charlotte once observed multiple managers degrading an employee during a meeting (the employee wasn't present) and, at the end of the meeting, said dismissively, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas".
With outstanding adherence to the law like that, who needs 'em in the first place?