Revolutionising HR with the Aid of Analytics

With tons of workforce data at their disposal, organisations are looking in the same direction: HR analytics. Despite the fandom, it is a skill few possess. Professors Steven McCartney and Na Fu, Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin shed light on how companies can successfully capitalise on HR analytics to enhance organisational performance and employee satisfaction.

Revolutionising HR with the Aid of Analytics, a CoBS Research Pod. Related research: McCartney, S. & Fu, N. (2019 August) “Linking HR Analytics to Organizational Performance through Evidence-Based Management”, the 79th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM), August 9-13, 2019, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

It is unlikely that candidates signing up for Google’s recruitment procedure have any idea of the forces that lead to their hiring – for Google has developed a sophisticated and data-centric approach to recruitment and development through the combination and analysis of various candidate and employee data. This includes biographical, employee attitude, behavioural, and personality data.

Using this information, Google is able to assemble a list of predictors of performance, and through the application of an algorithm they can identify if candidates share these characteristics, finally offering a score which predicts the candidate’s likelihood of success. Google’s secret weapon? HR analytics – but done well.Data, data, data – these days it’s a word that enters every business conversation. It seems some get it right, but most don’t. Steven McCartney and Na Fu describe HR analytics as the transformation of workforce data into organisational insights through the application of various statistical and measurement techniques, which then enable managers to make better workforce decisions.

Until a while back, HR analytics were accessible to only the most elite. Back in 2009, Google was one of the first companies to which people analytics was unique, and now many have followed suit. Indeed, HR analytics is now a LinkedIn buzzword. Despite its fandom, people analytics is a skill few possess. A 2020 LinkedIn study that surveyed 7,000 talent professionals revealed that 55% of professionals still need help putting basic people analytics into practice.

Professors Steven McCartney and Na Fu, Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin shed light on how companies can successfully capitalise on HR analytics to enhance organisational performance and employee satisfaction.