HR Knowledge Book
Organised, fact-checked HR knowledge for interviews and group discussions in India. Each chapter has a full version and a revision-notes version. Facts current to October 2026.
New here? Start with Start Here for priorities and a study plan. Use the search box to jump to any topic.
- 00Start Here: How to Use This Book
What this is. A knowledge book on human resource management for HR interviews and group discussions in India. It started from the HR Direction compendium (2026–27), but every chapter has been rewritten, expanded and fact-checked against primary and professiona…
- 01Talent Acquisition
The difference between recruitment, selection and talent acquisition; the end-to-end hiring process; sourcing channels; the reliability and validity of selection methods and how to design structured interviews and assessment centres; fairness and legal require…
- 02Pay Structures: From Job to Salary
How organisations decide what to pay for each job and each person: the principles behind pay decisions, job analysis, job evaluation, grading, salary benchmarking, pay ranges, the measures used to position individuals within a range, and how annual increments …
- 03Performance Management
The purpose and cycle of performance management; goal frameworks (KRAs, KPIs, OKRs, SMART goals); competencies and the “how” of performance; appraisal methods from MBO to the balanced scorecard, BARS and 360-degree feedback; rating scales, forced distribution …
- 04Learning and Development
The purpose of learning and development (L&D) and its key terms; diagnosing whether a performance problem needs training; how adults learn; training needs analysis; writing learning objectives; instructional design (ADDIE, Gagné); training methods, coaching an…
- 05Engagement, Well-being, Employee Experience and EVP
The concepts of engagement, satisfaction, employee experience and well-being and how they differ; the main engagement models; what drives engagement; how engagement is measured and turned into action; attrition and retention; how engagement differs between pla…
- 06Organisation Design, Job Architecture and Workforce Planning
How strategy shapes organisation structure; the parameters of organisation design; the main structure types and when each fits; spans of control and layers; job design; job architecture and competency frameworks; workforce planning, including demand and supply…
- 07Organisational Behaviour and Culture
Personality and individual differences; values and attitudes; perception, attribution and decision biases; theories of motivation; groups and teams; conflict and negotiation; power and influence; leadership; organisational culture (Schein, the Competing Values…
- 08Change Management
Types of organisational change; why change efforts succeed or fail; how individuals experience change and why they resist it; the main change models (Lewin, Kotter, ADKAR, McKinsey 7S, Bridges, Appreciative Inquiry); roles in change and stakeholder management;…
- 09HR Analytics, HR Technology and AI
The types and maturity of HR analytics; a structured analytics process; data foundations; the statistical ideas every HR professional needs; the main HR analyses (attrition, pay equity, selection, absenteeism, engagement, networks); metrics and dashboards; wel…
- 10Industrial Relations and the Industrial Relations Code, 2020
The concepts and theories of industrial relations; the constitutional and legal foundations of Indian labour law; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and its key definitions; trade unions and union recognition; collective bargaining and settlements; standing o…
- 11Labour Codes II: Wages, Social Security, Working Conditions and POSH
Why India consolidated its labour laws and where implementation stands; the Code on Wages, 2019; the Code on Social Security, 2020, including maternity benefit, employee compensation and the new framework for gig and platform workers; the Occupational Safety, …
- 12Group Discussions: India HR Topics
How group discussions (GDs) are run and assessed in Indian campus and corporate selection; how to prepare and structure contributions; methods for case and abstract GDs; and fifteen recurring workplace topics, each with context and data, arguments on both side…