The demand for organizational accountability has never been greater. The
future of work, talent, and employment are changing at an unprecedented
pace, and organizational decisions about how to invest in people are
under increasing scrutiny. Leaders realize their decisions about human
resources are crucial in an uncertain and interconnected world, yet
decisions about people remain among the least systematic and
evidence-based, compared to resources such as money and technology.
Investing in People draws upon state-of-the art practice and research
across disciplines including psychology, economics, accounting, and
finance to provide HR professionals and leaders with proven guidelines
for evaluating key HR initiatives. It is based on a comprehensive
framework that clarifies and supports strategic linkages between
investments in human capital and important outcomes that senior leaders
most care about, such as talent acquisition, engagement, learning,
customer service and higher financial returns. Readers will master
crucial foundational principles such as risk, return, and economies of
scale and use them to evaluate investments objectively in everything
from work/life programs to training. Also included are powerful ways to
integrate HR with enterprise strategy and budgeting and gain decision
buy-in from business leaders outside HR.
