Competitive People Strategy: How to Attract, Develop and Retain the Staff You Need for Business Success

by Kevin Green

Overview

FINALIST: Business Book Awards 2020 - HR & Management Category

In order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, businesses need to unlock the skills, talent and capabilities of their people, both individually and collectively. While many business and leaders recognise this, they have until now lacked a strategic approach to achieving it.

Competitive People Strategy is a comprehensive roadmap showing how businesses can connect their human potential to their bottom line, and provides step-by-step guidance on how to create, test and measure a differentiated people strategy. Featuring tips and checklists throughout, it explores the core building blocks of leadership and organizational culture, as well as employee experience and engagement. It also examines the roles of effective talent attraction and management, and how to lead change and transformation. Central to the book is the importance of moving HR from a support function to becoming a creator of value and driver of business success.

Drawing upon insights from organizations including Royal Mail and Starbucks, as well as interviews with senior HR leaders, Competitive People Strategy is an essential guide to developing a people strategy which creates a purpose-driven culture, provides greater value to customers and achieves superior business results.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780749484545
Publisher:	Kogan Page, Ltd.
Publication date:	07/30/2019
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Kevin Green, Chartered CCIPD, is a non-executive director and strategic advisor to six fast growth human capital businesses. Prior to this, he was the Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the HR Director at Royal Mail and founder and Managing Director of Qtab, a leading HR consultancy who advised organizations including First Choice, Unilever, Bae Systems and the UK Cabinet Office.

Table of Contents

** Chapter - 01: Why a Competitive People Strategy matters; ** Chapter - 02: Strategy — how to compete and win; ** Chapter - 03: Building a differentiated people strategy; ** Chapter - 04: Leaders everywhere; ** Chapter - 05: Developing a winning culture; ** Chapter - 06: Talent attraction; ** Chapter - 07: Employee experience; ** Chapter - 08: Change and transformation; ** Chapter - 09: Great people management; ** Chapter - 10: Developing the people function

Editorial Reviews

"One of the most important and accessible HR books of the year."

People Management

"Kevin clearly outlines the importance of driving a coherent strategy in order to compete in an increasingly difficult labour market - where a business cannot be afraid to self-disrupt and diversify their offerings if they are to thrive, attract and retain talent. People and effective use of technology are at the heart of this and Competitive People Strategy underscores the all-too-common pitfalls to avoid and the real commercial and social upside of getting this right."

Bill Richards

"This book is a great and pragmatic read which responds to the issues organizations are confronted with. Kevin makes astute observations together with practical tools to assist with the ever-growing number of workplace challenges. This is not a boring corporate HR read - Kevin has solicited views, opinions and offers a practical set of solutions for HR professionals to raise their game and continue to integrate HR plans with the business strategy."

Jacky Simmonds

"Kevin is an HR professional with a difference - In his book he debunks the myth that all leaders should be extrovert salesmen and explains how to pull together the component parts of successful people strategy - all leaders of people should take note."

Mark Palmer

"Kevin has written a book that acts as a field guide for the changing times we live in. Getting and retaining the right talent has never been more challenging and Kevin offers practical advice or business leaders that will help them navigate the ever more complex landscape of people strategy."

Matt Alder

"At a time when the workforce is becoming more dispersed, remote and diverse, building and leading communities of workers will become one of the key disciplines of 21st-century business. This book provides inspiring insights in how to implement a total talent management strategy to improve performance and retain your talent."

Denis Pennel

"A must-read book for all leaders, articulating the steps to creating a competitive people strategy for commercial and ultimately broader societal good. AI is changing the face of work, creating more flexibility and a greater ease of removing the mundane, but there is a heightened need for creativity, innovation and intuition, which can only come from an engaged, energised and committed workforce."

Helen Pitcher OBE

"A great mix of theory, research and practical insight wrapped into a practical guide of how to make it happen. The comprehensive range of subjects covered coupled with the applied approach would benefit leaders in smaller companies as well as presenting HR professionals in larger organizations a guide on how to lead the people agenda."

Simon Conington

"The right people strategy is critical to business success. This book provides an invaluable insight into why this is the case and the thinking and approaches that are available to businesses to get the most out of their people. It is a must-read for HR Directors and CEO's alike."

Martin Hesketh

"This is a great book for those looking to give their people strategy an edge, whether they are a CEO or HRD. It's an easy read, very accessible and clearly articulates its key point that the most valuable people strategy is not one based on best practice, but rather one that puts a focus on a doing things differently. Kevin Green's refreshing message is essentially "find a small number of things that can authentically set your organisation apart from the rest, and do them brilliantly."

Ralph Tribe

"This is an excellent book for any leader who wants to achieve superior business results while also building a great place to work. It's full of sound business advice and practical ideas of how to get the best from your people."

Steve Ingham

"Kevin distils, codifies and then crafts the necessary focus on the future of work's undeniable constant: people. It's all about the people. No longer will people say "I'm not sure what to do about my people strategy" because it's all in this book. Enough guidance, enough back story and enough stimulation to just go and do it. So, if in doubt about the status of your people strategy, check in with this book and check out with Kevin's series of tools, recommendations and tactics."

Author of Transformational HR Perry Timms

"People, culture and organisational design are critical to understand when making investment decisions. Getting it right or wrong can, and so often does, define an investment outcome. This book shows leaders how great people engagement can achieve superior business returns."

Dawn Marriott Sims

"In Competitive People Strategy Kevin Green brings HR kicking and screaming into the 21st century - and shows every HR and business leader how to compete and win in the midst of the fourth Industrial revolution."

Colin Donnery

"This book is an "A to Z" for HR professionals. It offers an all-encompassing approach which shows how joined up thinking in relation to people can lead to business success. Confronting and energizing in equal measure."

Alison Hodgson VP People Virgin Media Ireland

"A powerful toolkit and an inspiring read for anyone looking to scale their organisation via their people."

Inc. Magazine Writer and bestselling author of The Terence Mauri

"An insightful and engaging look at the role people play in the success of businesses, especially if they are motivated, organised, and utilised in the right ways. Kevin talks from a position of authority having spent a lifetime in this arena, both as a CEO, HRD and also as a thought leader and change agent. A great read!"

Chris Moore

"In this book, Kevin brings a unique perspective to the strategic opportunities organisations can achieve through their people. Providing insight and direction not just for people practitioners, but for anyone leading an organisation who has questions about how to better drive performance and productivity."

Neil Morrison

"In this book, strategy meets people in a mix of practical steps and guided learning which will supercharge your approach to leadership and talent. Kevin brings a wealth of experience to the alignment of your employee experience to enable you to achieve your business outcomes. A must-read for all people-centric leaders."

Aaron Alburey

"This book provides many practical tips to help HR practitioners link their work to their business strategy and build a differentiated approach that creates competitive advantage through their people. I have personally benefited from using the Three Key Questions."

Quintin Heath

"It is a cliché, but nevertheless true, that there is a war for talent. Kevin Green has been in the trenches of that war for longer than most. He is also a clear and entertaining communicator, so his opinions are well worth reading."

Author of Surviving AI Calum Chase

"The importance of a forward-thinking, comprehensive people strategy to underpin our business strategies has never been more important. Kevin lends his experience and insights from many years as a business and HR leader to provide challenge as well as great practical advice on all aspects of people strategy, and the innovations needed in HR practices to help people and organisations to thrive in a fast-changing future."

Peter Cheese

"Winning in business is all about creating a competitive edge, and in Kevin's book he succinctly defines how to do this. He also takes us through how leaders should deal with the changes occurring in the modern workforce. This book explains how leaders can attract, motivate, engage and retain their talent. It's a must-read."

Peter Searle

"Kevin has cracked the code, successfully smashing the disciplines of business strategy and people management together, which is where they have always truly belonged. He provides a cogent formula across the entire people and organizational performance lifecycle, creating a timely call to arms and a practical pathway for leaders and change agents around the globe to create a far greater impact."

Steve Bernard