Cambridge Business Association
HR from the Outside In
Book

HR from the Outside In

Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources

Dave Ulrich, Jon Younger, Wayne Brockbank and Mike Ulrich
McGraw-Hill, 2012
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Editorial Rating

8

Recommendation

Human resources stalwarts Dave Ulrich, Jon Younger, Wayne Brockbank and Mike Ulrich articulate an authentically new level of leadership for HR, one that will vault HR professionals to the forefront of decision making in their organizations. The authors encourage HR leaders to expand their scope to include crucial external stakeholders. “Working from the outside in” means determining – not simply implementing – strategy; shaping the corporate culture, not just upholding it; and using information technology to seize opportunities. getAbstract is confident that this book will deliver a clear advantage to any HR professional or leader. The HR world stands on the brink of transformation and, this time, companies are asking HR to lead the way.

Summary

The Faces of Human Resources

If you are an HR professional, you are trying to be an analyst, business partner, consultant, coach, leader, innovator, strategist, technologist, and more, and all at once. Sound HR leaders get involved in strategy, advise line managers, and develop integrated practices that engage the workforce and make the organization an attractive place to work. For all that, they mostly focus inward. You have to ask yourself if you are backing the business up or managing it?

The transformational leap for HR calls for marshaling the underleveraged power of information flow, technology and external stakeholders. That means widening your perspective about identifying your stakeholders so you encompass all pivotal external participants – including customers, partners, investors, suppliers and community members. These groups can be the gateway to sustainable organizational success.

Strategies to accomplish this outreach include: 1) Invite partners into your training sessions; 2) co-create employee performance measures with clients and suppliers; 3) build your reputation as an employer and external leader; 4) manage the community’s overall perception...

About the Authors

Prolific authors Dave Ulrich and Wayne Brockbank are professors at the University of Michigan and consultants at RBL Group, where Jon Younger is a lead strategist and director. Mike Ulrich is a graduate student in business.

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