Human resource management

Map the impact on your company's network.

John and Peter are two salesmen for the XYZ corporation. John sells twice as much as Peter. John earns twice as much as Peter, right? Wrong. John may even earn less. The XYZ corporation’s sales compensation plan is not unique in the modern business world. In the past decade many companies have turned to sophisticated […]

Hire for attitude, and train (a lot) for skill.

It's not the only startup to make that mistake.

Instead of focusing on who’s “ahead,” focus on who’s actually best-suited to the top job.

What the best talent scouts do.

Be fair and don’t panic.

They leverage a vibrant mix of connection and action to advance high performers into leadership.

I was just a year out of college, and interviewing for a sales assistant position at PaineWebber. One of my prospective bosses offered me $24,000. I countered with $27,000. He pulled out his calculator like a gun from a holster, punched in $3,000, divided it by 52, and in a clipped tone responded, “That’s only […]

Making a tough conversation easier.

Talent management matters most when organizations tend to it least.

They cost almost nothing.

It depends on your business.

Tell them a compelling story.

The more time data analysts and business people spend together, the more productive both groups become.

Hitting the hiring bull’s-eye is one of an executive’s most important—and most difficult—responsibilities. Ten common mistakes can get in the way, but a pointed and systematic approach can virtually guarantee success.

Many degrees don’t teach students the skills they’ll need in the future.

Three strategies for managers.

Abuse. And it's not only a problem for Twitter.

How they can help overcome partisanship and special interests.

Implicitly raises the question of what Peterson should do to extricate himself from his difficulties. Should he consider resignation, go directly to the...

Explores how the human resource function at Apple Computer can best support the company's strategy. Analyzes the culture and morale at Apple. Apple has...

The adoption of information technology (IT) in public services in India has been uneven and fraught with numerous difficulties. The case describes a context...

This case describes the founding of Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee in 2017 and its path to surpassing Starbucks as the largest coffee chain in China...

Are you a good boss--or a great one? Good bosses can handle the day-to-day work of running a team. Great bosses go beyond that, finding ways to help employees...

The case illustrates the role of performance measurement and analytics in translating TD-Canada Trust's service model of "comfortable banking" into operational...

Collaborator. Communicator. Connector. Coach. As a mid-level manager, you're being tasked with more than ever before. You're expected to lead innovation,...

Supplements the Adam Baxter series.

The case details the challenges faced by Lisa Thomas of LaMont Engineering after the company is acquired by Munday Consultants, Inc. Thomas, who supported...

In 2014 The Alta Gracia clothing factory in the Dominican Republic was doing something quite unusual in the industry; it was paying its employees a living...

Since 2000, Infineum International Limited had been expanding rapidly throughout the Asia Pacific region. The company launched its inclusion and diversity...

Rosenbluth, the third largest U.S. travel agency, uses the Internet to serve new customers with a high-service strategy. Rosenbluth acquires Biztravel.com...

Explores how the human resource (HR) function at Apple Computer can best support the company's strategy. Describes in detail the HR function. The function...

In November 2014, The Dow Chemical Company was faced with the prospect of a proxy battle with prominent hedge fund and activist investor Third Point Management....

Rose Adams, the CFO of Haley-Midland, Inc., dispensed with pleasantries and started right in on her questions for Jim Sweeney, the senior vice president...

Rick Drumm (his real name), once a teen-age drumming contest winner, is facing the most promising, but also the most challenging, career transition in...

Worldwide Equipment Ltd. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning equipment. The Beijing regional sales...

How HR can lead. If you read nothing else on reinventing human resources, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review...

Reckitt Benckiser plc has developed an executive compensation system. This case outlines the structure of the system, its emphasis on performance-based...

Ostensibly a case about employee turnover in a small construction component company, Wood Structures, Inc. is actually a snapshot of the whole company....

Map the impact on your company's network.

John and Peter are two salesmen for the XYZ corporation. John sells twice as much as Peter. John earns twice as much as Peter, right? Wrong. John may even earn less. The XYZ corporation’s sales compensation plan is not unique in the modern business world. In the past decade many companies have turned to sophisticated […]

Hire for attitude, and train (a lot) for skill.

It's not the only startup to make that mistake.

Instead of focusing on who’s “ahead,” focus on who’s actually best-suited to the top job.

What the best talent scouts do.

Be fair and don’t panic.

They leverage a vibrant mix of connection and action to advance high performers into leadership.

I was just a year out of college, and interviewing for a sales assistant position at PaineWebber. One of my prospective bosses offered me $24,000. I countered with $27,000. He pulled out his calculator like a gun from a holster, punched in $3,000, divided it by 52, and in a clipped tone responded, “That’s only […]

Making a tough conversation easier.