High-Impact HR: Transforming Human Resources for Competitive Advantage

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Both books are based on the premise that the role and function of human
resources must change, not only for the health of the organization but
for the very survival of HR as a discrete department or service. From
this common base, each heads in a fundamentally different direction.

Re-inventing presents a revised, up-to-date way to view and deliver the
traditional HR functions (performance measurement, leadership
development, compensation plans, etc.). It advocates HR restructure to
become a corporate consulting centre.

In contrast to this internal focus, High-Impact suggests a more drastic
shift, with many traditional HR functions farmed out to the line
departments, freeing HR to take on a strategic role in achieving the
organization’s business (profitability) objectives. The concept that
HR has to be aligned with the rest of the organization in delivering
value to the external customer is a radical change for folks entrenched
in the in-house services role.

The strategies in Re-Inventing focus on the survival of the HR
department; in High-Impact, the proposed strategies focus on the
survival of the organization.

Both books discuss change and transition. High-Impact takes the lead in
recognizing that in the change from an internal support department to an
accountable business unit, the key question is what can HR stop doing?
What specific work can be abandoned in order to concentrate on the new
strategic outcomes?

Re-Inventing takes times to look at why HR services must change
(globalization, growth of technology, etc.). The style is that of a
textbook, with case studies and lots of illustrative tables and charts.
Of value to the HR professional is the well-developed material on core
competencies.

High-Impact is the more readable of the two works. It also has the edge
in versatility, as it incorporates an outline of how to use it for
training.