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.

As a field, human resources has been slow to evolve, despite a great need and opportunity for change. Human Resource Excellence delivers the newest findings about what makes HR successful and how it can add value to today's organizations. Tracing changes in a global sample of firms across the US, Europe, and Asia, this landmark volume provides an international benchmark against which to measure a company's HR practice. For over twenty years, USC's Center for Effective Organizations has conducted the definitive longitudinal study of the human resource management function. Analyzing new data every three years, the Center charts changes in HR and offers guidance on how human resource professionals can drive firm performance. In this latest survey, Edward E. Lawler III and John W. Boudreau conclude that HR is most powerful when it plays a strategic role, makes use of information technology, and has tangible metrics and analytics. Their insights offer an essential understanding of HR's changing role in strategy, big data, social and knowledge networks, and the gig economy.

"Achieving Excellence in Human Resources Management: An Assessment of Human Resource Functions" is the Center for Effective Organizations' (CEO) fifth study of human resources in large corporations. The only long-term analysis of its kind, this text compares data from CEO's earlier studies to data collected in 2007--12 years of data in total. Like CEO's previous research, this project measures whether the HR function is changing and on gauging its effectiveness. Edward E. Lawler III and John W. Boudreau pay particular attention to whether HR is changing to become an effective strategic partner. They also analyze how organizations can more effectively manage their human capital. The results show some important changes, and indicate what HR needs to do to be effective in the years to come. The text identifies best practices and effective organizational designs. This is a must-read for scholars and practitioners engaged in Human Resource Management.

" Achieving Strategic Excellence offers a unique and practical perspective based on solid research on how HR impacts business success. The inclusion of data from senior line managers adds a dose of reality to how the HR function has actually changed. This important work is a must-read for HR professionals as well as business leaders seeking to maximize human capital." -- Daryl D. David, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Washington Mutual, Inc.
" This latest update of CEO's longitudinal HR study provides almost a decade of perspective on the challenges and changes in the HR function. HR leaders in all industries and stages of career experience will find Lawler, Mohrman, and Boudreau's conclusions insightful and provocative with some interesting twists. The strategic HR journey continues . . ." -- Mary Eckenrod, Chair Elect, The Human Resource Planning Society; Vice President, Global Talent Management, Kraft Foods

Hardbound. As we approach the new millennium, the field of strategic HRM is still in its infancy. This volume provides a glimpse into the future of strategic HRM research as seen through the eyes of a number of leading researchers. The 21st century presents the opportunity for advancing our understanding of the role of people in organizational success. This volume will provide a strong foundation toward that end.

Since 1995, USC's Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) has conducted the definitive longitudinal study of the human resource management function in organizations. By analyzing new data every three years since then, the Center has been able to consistently chart changes in how HR is organized and managed, while at the same time providing guidance on how professionals in the field can drive firm performance. Global Trends in Human Resource Management, the seventh report from CEO, provides the newest findings about what makes HR successful and how it can add value to organizations today. Edward E. Lawler III and John W. Boudreau conclude that HR is most powerful when it plays a strategic role, makes use of information technology, has tangible metrics and analytics, and integrates talent and business strategies. To adapt to the demands of a changing global marketplace, HR is increasingly required to span the boundaries between its function, the organization as a whole, and the dynamic environment within which it operates. This report tracks changes in a global sample of firms that shows how HR differs across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, providing an international benchmark against which to measure a company's practice and shows how HR can adapt in a rapidly changing landscape.

HR professionals have made major strides toward becoming strategic partners. But they need to do more - by generating value through savvy decisions about talent. HR leaders typically assume that, to make such decisions, they must develop sophisticated analytical tools from scratch. Even then, the resulting tools often fail to engage their peers. In Retooling HR, John Boudreau shows how HR leaders can break this cycle - by adapting powerful analytical tools already used by other functions to the unique challenges of talent management. Drawing on his research and examples from companies including Google, Disney, IBM, and Microsoft, Boudreau explains six proven business tools leaders already use. And he shows how HR can apply these tools to talent management. Examples include: * Using engineering tolerances to find pivot points that job descriptions miss * Using inventory and supply-chain analytics to ensure a ready supply of the right talent * Applying logistics tools to optimize succession planning and leadership development * Adapting consumer research tools to find untapped value in total rewards Retooling HR builds on Boudreau's bestselling book Beyond HR, which traces HR's evolution as a decision science. For HR professionals seeking to sharpen their decision-making prowess, this provocative new book blazes an innovative new path.

Proven HR strategies that can have a real impact on organizational success

This book demonstrates how some of the world's most admired and prominent organizations are redefining HR leadership by using evidence-based change to inform human capital decisions that optimize efficiency, effectiveness and strategic impact. The authors present the five foundational principles to the new HR decision science: Logic-driven analytics, segmentation, risk leverage, synergy and integration and optimization.Includes practical suggestions and approaches to help executives put the book's principles into actionContains insight based on the experiences of leading global organization such as PNC Bank, CME Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Deutsche Telekom and Shanda Interactive EntertainmentFeatures in-depth case studies of 6 international companies: Coca-Cola, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, IBM, Ameriprise Financial, Royal Bank of Canada and Royal Bank of Scotland

This groundbreaking book reveals a new approach to deliver sustainable change and business results. It is enhanced with success stories from leading companies that engage leadership and involve employees in ways that make a lasting impact on their companies.

This Short Introduction to Strategic Human Resource Management provides a concise treatment of the key elements of strategic HRM using an innovative risk-management approach. It emphasizes the importance of the decisions, processes and choices organizations make about managing people and shows how workforce management directly affects strategic organizational outcomes. It provides guidance for managers on how to make better human capital decisions in order to achieve strategic success more effectively. Reflecting an increasing uncertainty in global business, Cascio and Boudreau consider ways of dealing with risk in managing human capital. Numerous examples in every chapter illustrate key points with real business cases from around the world.

This Short Introduction to Strategic Human Resource Management provides a concise treatment of the key elements of strategic HRM using an innovative risk-management approach. It emphasizes the importance of the decisions, processes and choices organizations make about managing people and shows how workforce management directly affects strategic organizational outcomes. It provides guidance for managers on how to make better human capital decisions in order to achieve strategic success more effectively. Reflecting an increasing uncertainty in global business, Cascio and Boudreau consider ways of dealing with risk in managing human capital. Numerous examples in every chapter illustrate key points with real business cases from around the world.