1. The Basic Themes and Features
In this book, we use several themes and features to emphasize particularly important
issues, and to provide continuity from chapter. First, HR management is the
responsibility of every manager –not just those in the HR department. Throughout this
book, you’ll therefore find an emphasis on practical material that you as a manager will
need to perform your day to day management responsibilities. Even if you are a
supervisor or manager in a fortune 500 company trying to accomplish some HR-related
task (like interviewing a job candidate), you may find you need more support than your
HR department can provide. Even the largest employers may not always provide the sorts
of day to day instructions and support that their line manager need. We have therefore
included, in each chapter, special “when you are on your own” boxed features. These
show you in practical term how the manager or small business owner who is “on his or
her own” can accomplish some of the chapter’s key HR tasks.
Second, the intensely competitive nature of business today means HR managers
must always stand ready to defend their plans and contributions in measurable terms. You
will therefore find frequent references throughout to measuring HR’s performance.
Chapter 3 explains how to use HR Scorecard to measure HR’s Effectiveness in achieving
the company’s strategic aims, and each chapter after that provides an illustrated example.
Third, the HR manager must design his or her department’s HR system relative to
achieving the company’s strategic aims. This book therefore discusses strategic planning
for HR managers fully in chapter 3, and uses the HR scorecard features to illustrate how
HR influences and supports the company’s strategic plan.
Fourth, HR managers increasingly rely on information technology to help support
the company’s strategic aims. “improving Productivity through HRIS” features in each
chapter illustrate how managers use technology to improve the productivity of HR.