ABSTRACT
The need for robust monitoring and reporting of the people measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) was critical to the changing role for HR departments in the move from administrators to strategic contributors. This step change in the expectations required from key functions by senior management of course has been seen before, in the manner that Finance sought to make a similar journey some time before HR. The key lesson for HR is that it must obtain the same standard of quality in its decision-support and reporting as Finance. The finance function has built a credible reputation as the guardian of the corporate capital base by introducing and then owning the process of capital utilization metrics that any new investment must be judged against. The challenge for HR is to create a similar level of authority in its sphere of operations, so that it is part of the decision-making process, not just involved in the implementation.
