The Differentiated Workforce: Translating Talent Into Strategic Impact

Do you think of your company's talent as an investment to be managed like a portfolio? You should, according to authors Becker, Huselid, and Beatty, if you're interested in strategy execution.

Many companies fall into the trap of spending too much time and money on low performers, while high performers aren't getting the necessary resources, development opportunities, or rewards. In The Differentiated Workforce, the authors expand on their previous books, The HR Scorecard and The Workforce Scorecard, and recommend that you manage your workforce like a portfolio - with disproportionate investments in the jobs that create the most wealth. You'll learn to:

Rise above talent management "best practice" and instead create a differentiated workforce that can't be easily copied by competitors
Differentiate those capabilities in your company that are truly strategic
Identify your wealth-creating "A" positions
Create a new relationship between HR and line managers, and articulate the role each plays in a differentiated workforce strategy
Develop the right measures for your organization

Based on two decades of academic research and experience working with hundreds of executives, The Differentiated Workforce gives you the tools to translate your talent into strategic impact.

Brian E. Becker is a professor of human resources in the School of Management at SUNY Buffalo. Mark A. Huselid and Richard W. Beatty are professors of human resource management in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University. Huselid and Beatty consult extensively in organizations and speak frequently to practitioners in the HR professional associations around the world.