University of Minnesota - (CEMBA) UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Redefining HR
Book

Redefining HR

Transforming People Teams to Drive Business Performance

Lars Schmidt
Kogan Page, 2021
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HR expert Lars Schmidt says his profession needs a paradigm shift. He argues for an employee-first approach – one grounded in empathy and psychological safety. While Schmidt’s vision is not new, he does make a compelling, vital and refreshing case for building a humanistic company culture grounded in learning and coaching – while at the same time not shying away from using advanced people analytics and AI to achieve your organizational goals.

Summary

Companies that don’t put people first are cracking.

Nearly every economic, financial, political and business challenge companies face is currently about people. The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear: Companies that refuse to put their employees first will suffer the most. In response, modern HR must attune to people and organizational needs more than ever, while stepping away from a compliance-driven, transactional mind-set.

To make this transformation, HR leaders must develop a broad and deep knowledge of not only the myriad facets of their own field – diversity and inclusion, analytics, performance reviews, compensation, coaching, employee development, and more – but the wider business and societal trends that shape it.

Possess a deep knowledge of your company – and the industrial, sociopolitical and economic trends that guide it.

Today’s forward-thinking HR leaders – Chief People Officers (CPO) or Chief Human Resources Officers (CHRO) – understand the business, industry and sociopolitical trends that shape them. They partner with business leaders to push...

About the Author

Lars Schmidt is the co-founder of HR Open Source, a nonprofit that aims to democratize access to modern HR practices. He has also worked in HR and other roles at National Public Radio (NPR).

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