Investing in Your Company's Human Capital

Author: Jack Phillips
Copyright: 2005
# of Pages: 286
Price:  $34.95
Publisher: AMACOM
ISBN-13: 978-0814408537
Date of Review: January, 2006

This review originally appeared in Training Magazine and is reprinted with permission. See www.trainingmag.com.

Investing in Your Company's Human Capital. Here's another from Jack Phillips, moving from his prior work with training ROI to the broader realm of HR. Answering his own big questions (How much should we invest? Why should it matter? And what can we measure?) Phillips offers extensive ideas for helping HR move from a transactional function to a strategic partner. The book's strong points include exceptionally useful information on benchmarking, good criteria for effective measures (like "collectible", "controllable" and "interpretable"), and assessments of management support and commitment to a results-based HR function. And dispelling the myth of the "one best" practice, Phillips provides a wonderfully accessible guide to the qualities of "superstar" organizations.

I do question Phillips' recommendation of across-the-board measures like "employee satisfaction" surveys. I don't care if our worst/underperforming/marginal employees/slugs are satisfied. (I'd just as soon they weren't engaged, if only that would help them find the door.) A better measure? Do an employee satisfaction survey among your top performers. Don't do an exit interview when the slugs leave; ask your best performers why they stay. Focus on your top talent rather than your average. Invest in them, not all.

But the book is, overall, useful and worth a look, and unlike many others on the subject is less about philosophizin' and more about applyin'.

Review by : Jane Bozarth