The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy and Performance

Description

he HR Scorecard—authored by Brian Becker, Mark Huselid, and Dave Ulrich—lays out a powerful, seven-step framework for transforming HR from administrative to strategic. Based on a study of nearly 3,000 organizations, the authors show how aligning HR systems with business strategy delivers measurable value: companies that adopt “high-performance work systems” and integrate HR metrics see significantly higher market value and shareholder returns. The book outlines practical methods to embed HR practices—like talent acquisition, performance management, and knowledge-sharing—into the strategic framework of the firm. HR deliverables are tracked using scorecards that resonate with CEOs and line managers, demonstrating HR’s direct impact on execution and firm performance.

Along the way, the authors define and measure the “HR architecture,” aligning HR systems with strategic goals, and highlight that improving HR implementation by 35 % or a high-performance HR index by 35 % corresponds with the same approximate rise in shareholder value. Designed as both a conceptual and hands-on guide, The HR Scorecard equips HR leaders to become strategic partners by demonstrating proven financial returns through disciplined HR practices.