lucky that I still have this naive view - I know it's not that simple when you've got a hiring department and a set 'way we do things around here'. The solution is really simple - combine them. That is what the corporation that I work for has done. I am the HR/IT Director and I am a member of the core executive management team and report directly to the CEO. If you are in a business where you are having trouble finding the right candidates for highly specialized skill sets that are critical to the company then you need to create specialized solutions to keep those critical positions filled with the best people possible.