16 THE ROI OF HUMAN CAPITAL
than backward. Accounting provides concrete measures of
the past. HRP produces leading indicators and measures of
intangibles. Most important, it makes connections that
drive predictability. The basis of success today is informa-
tion about tomorrow, available today.
People and Informatio n
The knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the workforce sepa-
rate the winning companies from the also-rans. It is a com-
plex combination of factors. Still, people are not the only
force behind the inherent power of human capital. If the key
to wealth creation were only head count, then the dullest,
lowest-level person would be as valuable as the brightest,
highest-level person. In actuality, it is the information that
the person possesses ...