Shareholders today look beyond just financial profitability, to areas like innovation and sustainability; customers look beyond the product and service to the ethereal experience; employees look beyond just a job or a career, to how the organization provides them with capability development to facilitate the contribution. And finally, the society at large looks beyond business results to bring value to the society they operate in. Overall, organizations are looking to build on the intangibles because those are the expectations of the stakeholders. Welcome to the world of ‘return on intangibles’, more than ‘return on investments’!

HR and business leaders have a new role as curators of people. As HR 3.0 paradigm emerges, the people are seeking an increased say in how they are being attracted, retained, engaged and inspired.