The Challenge

Better information and analytics drive faster and better business decisions. In functions like finance and supply chain, that’s old news. In many organizations today, enormous energy is going into marketing and customer analytics. HR has not traditionally been viewed or managed as an “analytical” function, but that’s changing fast as available data, technological tools, and appreciation for the power of analytics all advance. We see enormous opportunity and innovation in applying analytics to HR. Also growing pressure – to maintain talent supply in the face of demographic imbalances and skills shortages, HR has got to use all the tools at its disposal, including more advanced analytics. In this two-day “Think Tank” session we will address six questions that will improve participants’ ability to put analytics to work.

Session Overview

1. What are the key challenges in measuring and improving HR performance? We will discuss trends and challenges in measurement and decision making around both the operational and business effectiveness of HR. What business decisions might benefit most from better descriptive or predictive analytics?

2. What roles can analytics play in meeting those challenges? We will outline the technical and behavioral sides of analytics, the range of analytical applications, the relationship between analytics and business experimentation, and frameworks for how analytical capabilities advance.

3. How can we use analytics to improve the operational performance of HR? Analytics are at work today in a variety of HR’s operational processes and throughout the employment lifecycle. We will explore a variety of examples with emphasis on where the payback lies and how to get analytics into the hands of line managers as well as HR professionals.

4. How can we use analytics to improve the business effectiveness of HR? Analytics can help us understand the connections between HR outputs and business performance, as well as drive more informed decisions regarding HR strategy and investment. We will explore examples.

5. What are the success factors and pitfalls in using analytics? We will discuss the pragmatics of what it takes to succeed with analytics initiatives, what problems to anticipate, and how to build analytical orientation and competence over time. What strengths can you leverage – and what weaknesses must you overcome – to put analytics to work?

6. How can HR build analytical culture and commitment across the organization? Any business unit or function can set a good example of using analytics to improve decision making. HR can also play a special role by recruiting for analytical capability and by building the expectation for fact-based decisions into to the organization’s performance management system.

Session Outcomes

The purpose of this Think Tank session is to share experiences and generate fresh ideas around these six questions. Exploration of the questions will be supplemented by pragmatic exercises and a panel discussion among experienced practitioners. Participants will develop a clearer perspective on the landscape of analytics in HR and be better able to find opportunities and follow through on the best ones. HR professionals can improve their own decisions through analytics, and they can help drive analytical orientation across the enterprise. As in all RBL Institute Think Tanks, we anticipate a highly interactive discussion where we learn and create together.

*Institute Members only. Contact Ginger Bitter for more information.