How Should We Approach Renaming Our Central Personnel Department to HR? Seeking Advice and Sample Letter

In my organization, we have a department called Central Personnel Department. The company is a reputed and branded one worldwide and has been in existence since the early sixties. Since then, the department has been known as CPD. We want this department to be renamed as the Central HR Department. It is, therefore, requested to please advise on how to proceed on this matter. A sample letter informing all concerned is also solicited.

Regards,
SRC

Hi,
In this case, there are a few challenges involved:

- Communication to all the present and possibly past employees.
- Communication to all the concerned authorities/liaisoning bodies (external as well as internal).

Communication to all present employees can be made through regular circulars, announcements, mailers, etc., as per the policy and dimensions of the organization. Past employees may need the same information for further reference. This information can be disseminated in different phases via various channels to all concerned.

All concerned authorities where contact details are provided, as CPD needs to be updated. The same needs to be revised in the organizational record, mentioning requisite approvals, for any audit purposes.

All the best.
Regards

Dear supratim_c, Are we talking about some Navratna PSU, "The company is a reputed and branded one worldwide and has come into existence in the early sixties, and since then, the department is known as CPD"? If it is so, then my friend, the issue is not technical but rather a matter of jurisdiction and approval from the proper authority. In such matters, it is difficult to force the issue; however, do keep lobbying for it. You might be aware that many members tried to rename the NIPM (National Institute of Personnel Management), the premier all-India Institute of HR professionals, but so far, it has not yielded any result.

Many professionals have diverse opinions - some think that calling humans a 'resource' actually dehumanizes them. Some would prefer some other term like 'People Management'.

Once you get the proper approval from the competent authority, everything else - such as communicating the change - will follow.

Warm regards.