SEPTEMBER 2019HR TECH OUTLOOK 19I feel very optimistic about the HR function and get the impression that we have never been closer to become a function that professionally uses data and analytics to deliver insights, diagnostics, scenarios, and predictions to deliver real value to the businesses that we support. But, I also personally observe a gap in our ability to exploit the potential of the digitization of HR especially on the topic of analytics. We get lost in the maze of data (creating analysis that serves no purpose). We do not work effectively with other functions to shed light holistically on specific business problems. We misjudge that analytics are only as good as the decisions it tries to influence, and we often do not anticipate and sometimes ignore the complexity of execution of these decisions.The analysts who are specializing in data and analytics and the HR folks who are facing the business, both the teams need to collaborate to make this work. The evolution of our Martin Jessen, VP, HR Strategic Customers and Segments, Schneider ElectricCXOInsightsBRINGING HR ANALYTICS A BIT CLOSER TO THE BUSINESSfunction has been breathtaking. Just within the last few years, many of us have observed how many critical processes have become digitized from performance management, rewards, and learning to talent management. Moreover, other functions are often digitizing at an even faster pace than our function: finance, sales, customer relations, marketing, and offer management. All this produces enormous amounts of data. There are only very few themes where we are not able to access factual data of reasonable quality.Then, observe the business leaders that we partner with. Not a week passes by where we are not receiving a CXO report that confirms that talent is a top priority, and without the right people, their companies will not deliver on their missions. There is a huge expectation out there that our function develops talent and HR solutions that are based on thoughtful analytics--because making people decisions based on intuition (rather than factual analytics) is a business risk that business leaders are no longer prepared to take.But I think we are still stepping into some very basic but fundamental traps that hinder us from exploiting our capabilities. I would like to dig deeper into two common traps that I have observed:Why is no one asking why?Attrition analytics....I am so tired of attrition analytics. Many of today's HR analytics departments appear to have been created just for this reason. But it is quite discouraging to see a representative from our function go to a business with the most fantastic attrition analytics (including predictive of course) and the business leader responds: `sorry but I don't have much attrition and it doesn't seem to be a problem for me....". It gets worse when the HR representative then interrupts with: "... but see here when you do the following simulation...." Please stop! We are wasting time of our own efforts. Even worse, we are wasting time of our business leaders who carefully have to manage their time and efforts to concentrate their focus on developing and transforming their businesses. Purpose is king--if there is no business problem, we have no problem to solve and no one will have the time or energy to listen to us. Analytics have to be aligned with urgent as well
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