Book excerpt: Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of human resources programs (HR) is critical for success in today's business world and is an absolute requirement for HR professionals who are part of the senior executive team. Responding to the current accountability demands that continue to challenge human resource professionals, this updated edition illustrates the use of ROI methodology as a communication tool that strengthens the relationship with senior management as well as a process-improvement tool that enhances and improves HR's contributions to the bottom line. With this guide, human resource managers will prove their value to their companies by learning how to measure ROI in a variety of programs, policies, practices, and solutions; develop the ROI of HR with basic, step-by-step instructions; and collect, analyze, and report data with sophistication.