The Big Book of HR, 10th Anniversary Edition

Barbara Mitchell, Cornelia Gamlem

• Publisher: Career Press
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN: 9781632657411
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

2023 First Place winner for Adult General Nonfiction from the National Federation of Press Women

Finalist, Career Book Category, 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

The complete guide to human resources processes, issues, and best practices by two of the most seasoned and respected HR professionals.

Managing people is the biggest challenge any organization faces. It’s a challenge that has grown even more difficult over the past decade. Since The Big Book of HR was first published, we’ve seen dramatic changes in the workplace and the workforce. This 10th anniversary edition incorporates discussions and reflections on these changes and examines new and emerging trends useful for any business owner, manager, or HR professional, with the most current information to get the most from their talent—from strategic HR-related issues to the smallest tactical details of managing people.

The Big Book of HR, 10th Anniversary Edition includes up-to-date information about:

• The challenges of remote and distributed workforces
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Workplace harassment and its prevention
• Changing technology and its impact on every facet of people management
• Pay equity and its effect on transparency in compensation
• Benefits that meet the needs of a multigenerational workforce
• State and local laws that are addressing societal changes
• Gamification and other training strategies

1

Introduction to HR

HR—human resources—is the function actively involved in setting strategy around the people who do the work that moves organizations toward the achievement of their missions, visions, and goals. HR professionals and executives are advisors to leadership who develop strategic workforce plans that link to the organization's strategic plan to ensure that the right people are on board so that the firm can meet its objectives. HR partners with line management to provide development opportunities to maximize the potential of each and every employee. HR advises management on total rewards programs (compensation and benefits) and rewards and recognition programs designed to minimize costly employee turnover and to maximize employee engagement and retention.

The year 2020 brought significant changes and challenges to organizations and the HR function. How we work was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and HR met and led those challenges, many of which are discussed in detail throughout the chapters in this book. During 2020, under the guidance of HR, organizations increased flexibility, mainly by managing remote workers; adjusted benefits; created safe workplaces where remote work was not possible; and implemented productivity and listening tools. Amid the digital transformation that took place, HR led human-centric leadership in their organizations, an approach requiring leaders to listen to their employees and then take time to understand and discuss underlying problems, welcome new approaches, and create growth opportunities for employees. They shined the light on the employee experience and showed that the HR profession is bold, innovative, and noble at its core.¹

It was not by chance that HR leaders did such an exemplary job. They were able to do so because they were business leaders, people who understood the economics of business—how the organization is funded if it is a nonprofit or how it makes money if it is a for-profit organization. They knew how to read and understand a profit and loss statement, create and manage a budget, and understand profit centers. They were versed in marketing, finance, and other operational areas of the business.

If you are just starting your HR career and want to set yourself apart and add value, you can:

• Actively participate in discussions around your organization's business objectives.
• Ask the right questions to help your organization meet its goals and achieve its mission.
• Find a way to do things more efficiently by partnering with other leaders in your organization.
• Determine how people and processes contribute to the bottom line.
• Communicate effectively to be able to influence other leaders.
• Think strategically by anticipating challenges and resolving potential problems.
• Lead change initiatives and manage costs related to employees.
• Demonstrate your proficiency in all of the HR-related functions covered in this book.
• Exhibit trust. In addition to always keeping your word, this includes always providing a feedback loop to employees and managers. Never leave people hanging, even if the feedback is bad news.
• Always act in an ethical fashion and protect the organization.

You may be an HR professional just starting out or further along in your career, a manager, or a business owner without HR support who needs to gather information on how to hire, develop, or fire an employee. This book is intended for anyone who works with people and who wants to maximize the impact employees have to ensure the success of the organization.

How to Use This Book

The Big Book of HR has 27 chapters and is organized into five sections. Although there are strong links between HR practices, for the most part, each chapter deals with one topic or one function and is designed to stand alone. Where doing so makes sense, we refer you to other chapters in the book for more information or to the appendix, which is filled with additional resources. In some cases, we refer you to a website for additional information.

	Indicates a reference to a web page.
	Points you to another chapter or appendix for additional information.

Before we begin introducing the functional areas of HR, we discuss HR and technology in Chapter 2. Technology is an overarching function impacting every aspect of human resources.

Section 1: Talent Acquisition (Chapters 3–8)

Section 1 explains how you get started to determine what kinds of employees and what number of employees your organization will need to meet its strategic goals and objectives. We look at the legal issues around the rights of employees before discussing the recruiting process, including where to find candidates, how to interview and select the best applicant, how to make a job offer, and then how to welcome new hires successfully into your organization.

Section 2: The Employee Experience (Chapters 9–12)

Section 2 explores the critical areas of engaging your employees so that they are as productive as possible and then retaining them for your organization. Both of these functions have major impact on your bottom line. This section looks at the role flexibility plays in the retention process and also gives you information on how to craft rewards and recognition programs that will work for your organization.

Section 3: Total Rewards (Chapters 13–17)

Section 3 looks at the legal issues around compensation and benefits, then introduces the basics of compensation and pay systems and ways to ensure pay equity. It leads you through the steps to develop a salary structure and then discusses the increasingly complex but critical area of employee benefits.

Section 4: Employee Development (Chapters 18–22)

Section 4 delves into the critical importance of providing development opportunities for your employees by working through the process of determining your organization's needs. It looks at the many ways to provide development, including training and mentoring, and the positive impact coaching has in your employee development strategy. Finally, it discusses performance management, looking at traditional approaches and the recent focus on feedback.

Section 5: Employee Relations (Chapters 23–27)

Section 5 examines many areas of employee relations—a positive culture and policies, communications, and investigations—and labor relations. It then looks at the special topics of workplace harassment and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) before discussing risk management and ending the employment relationship. Each of these topics has a huge impact in the life cycle of employment.

Appendix: Additional Resources

This section has supplemental information to help your organization manage your human resources processes and maximize productivity.

What's New in the 10th Anniversary Edition

The field of human resources and people management is hardly a static one. So much has changed since the first edition of The Big Book of HR was first published in 2012. Many of those changes are incorporated in this edition and are summarized below. You will be able to spot new information by looking for the following symbol:

Indicates information that is new to this edition.

Section 1: Talent Acquisition

There is nothing more important than having the right people in the right places to move your organization forward. Since your employment brand is increasingly important in hiring the best talent available, this section is expanded. Anyone who is part of the talent acquisition process should receive training to ensure the brand is maximized. Some new topics that are included are mobile recruiting, performing preemployment assessments, and training managers to interview. Finally, this section includes an expanded discussion about onboarding leaders.

Section 2: The Employee Experience

Since 2012, the ways work is accomplished and where it is accomplished have shifted dramatically. This edition places an increasing emphasis on the employee experience and the importance of creating a culture where employees feel value. The chapter titled “Flexibility and Work” highlights the changing landscape of working, along with success factors and challenges for working remotely. Chapter 12 disusses emerging issues in employee rewards and recognition, including peer rewards, and use of gamification.

Section 3: Total Rewards

Minimum wage increases, pay inequity, paid leave, and wage transparency are increasing concerns being addressed at the state and local level, as are changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act made by the Department of Labor. Guidance and tips on conducting pay equity audits are included in this section. This edition takes a closer look at finding and using salary survey data from both traditional sources and newer available sources. Since compensation is such a lingo-centric world, a glossary of select compensation terms has been added. With changes...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Introduction to HR
• Chapter 2: HR and Technology
• Section 1: Talent Acquisition
• Section 2: The Employee Experience
• Section 3: Total Rewards
• Section 4: Employee Development
• Section 5: Employee Relations
• Conclusion: Emerging Trends and Challenges
• Appendix: Additional Resources
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index