[Verse 1] When the world went to war in nineteen forty-one America needed workers, the job had to get done The War Manpower Commission stepped up to the plate Regulating hiring and wages across every state Women left their kitchens for the factory floor Building ships and planes like never seen before New policies were needed for this changing crew HR had to evolve and learn something new [Chorus] War changed everything, pushed us to grow Testing, training, systems we now know From Army classification to college degrees HR became professional with new expertise ASPA, psychometric, GI Bill education Building the foundation for every corporation [Verse 2] The Army General Classification Test showed the way Screening minds and talents for the roles they'd play Psychometric testing moved from war to work Corporate hiring practices got a major perk No more guessing games or picking by a hunch Data-driven decisions packed a powerful punch Military systems taught us how to classify Match the right person to the job, here's why [Chorus] War changed everything, pushed us to grow Testing, training, systems we now know From Army classification to college degrees HR became professional with new expertise ASPA, psychometric, GI Bill education Building the foundation for every corporation [Bridge] When the soldiers came home with the GI Bill in hand First wave of college managers spread across the land Universities opened personnel management doors Academic discipline like never before Nineteen forty-eight brought ASPA to life Later known as SHRM, cutting through the strife No longer just clerical, we earned our place Professional standing with knowledge and grace [Chorus] War changed everything, pushed us to grow Testing, training, systems we now know From Army classification to college degrees HR became professional with new expertise ASPA, psychometric, GI Bill education Building the foundation for every corporation [Outro] From wartime necessity to professional pride HR found its purpose with knowledge as our guide The quantum leap was taken, we earned our rightful place Human Resources professionals with wisdom, skill, and grace
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