Human Resource Transformation by William J. Rothwell; Robert K. Prescott; Maria W. TaylorISBN: 9780891063087
Publication Date: 2010
Human resource transformation has seized the imagination of operating managers and HR practitioners alike. HR transformation is about reinventing, reconceptualizing, and rechartering what HR is— without assuming that HR is or should be “what we have always done in HR,” “what everyone else is doing in HR,” or “what appears in standardized HR college textbooks.” It means more than just applying technology to HR, containing the costs of HR, reducing the ratio of HR staff to organizational employees, or outsourcing HR activities (Lawler et al., 2004), although these efforts may play a part in a strategic review of HR’s purpose in an organization (Christensen 2005; Fischer 2003; Reddington, Williamson, and Withers 2005). A 2006 survey of one hundred large employers revealed that the key business drivers for HR transformation include (1) attracting, retaining, and growing talent (67 percent); (2) supporting the business by focusing HR on core capabilities (47 percent); and (3) supporting business changes (41 percent) (Miller 2006). Other drivers exist, of course, though those listed are representative of many of the most common ones.