Having already outlined in the Introduction the broad content of HRM at Work, we can now move on to explain how the book might be used. We think it is best to work one’s way through the book sequentially, given the first four chapters set the backdrop within which specific areas of HR practice are designed, the next two review the work of HR professionals and line managers, and Chapters 7–13 deal with different components of HR/L&D practice. The final chapter provides information about research skills and project management. This means that readers can get a ‘feel’ for the context within which HRM operates, and the roles of the main people dealing with HR issues, before going on to look at specific areas of practice.

However, depending on how the course is delivered, this can be amended easily as each chapter is separate in its own right as well as being integrated with others. If students are doing a course in International HRM, it might be preferable to look at Chapter 4 before Chapter 3, and if the tutor feels it makes more sense to examine individual areas of HR practice (such as resourcing and talent management) because that is more familiar to their students, before looking at some of the earlier and more strategically-oriented chapters, then that can also work. Other people might like to start with Chapter 5 on HR professionals and Chapter 6 on line managers because that relationship is important in their daily interactions at work, which is also fine. Either way, some students might feel more secure looking at topics with which they feel more comfortable first, while others find the building blocks which set the scene from an outside-in perspective make more sense.