Reviewed by Jennifer Teague for Readers' Favorite

If you are a leader of any kind in your company and are looking for ways to motivate your workforce and utilize employees to their fullest potential, this book is a great place to start. Human Capital Management: Leveraging Your Workforce for a Competitive Advantage by Mark Salsbury is about a little-known but important part of management theory. Not to be confused with Human Resources Management, the author provides his own definition of this concept: "[It] is an organizational practice by which the human capital assets of an organization oars collectively leveraged to gain a competitive advantage". This book provides a good foundation from the start about the five attributes of Human Capital Management. It is helpful because most books in this genre tend to "keep you guessing until the end" by revealing key points as they are explained. But this book gets straight to the point. There are principles to HCM, which the author explains, but he also encourages the reader to take action. It gives real-world examples of past successful endeavors in the field (and how NOT to do it) as well as ways on how to start utilizing the concept in your workplace.

Human Capital Management is uncomplicated even though it is explaining a complex practice. There is very little jargon so it is easy to understand, no matter your profession or how long you have been in a leadership position. The visuals also take difficult concepts and make them easier to comprehend. Also, if you're on-the-go but still want to get the nuts-and-bolts of the book, Mark Salsbury puts major points in bolded print for easy access. One part I found interesting is the explanation of the difference between a mission and vision statement. Until now, I did not realize there is a difference, but they are two separate and necessary parts to a successful organization. I highly suggest this book for leaders at all levels and Human Resources professionals.