There is a major factor preventing HR Analytics from really taking off and that is, somewhat ironically, HR professionals ourselves. Let’s face it, if we were all truly excited about the possibilities that HR Analytics provide, then we wouldn’t have people constantly asking, “is this the year HR Analytics breaks through?" - it would have happened already.
So what’s the problem? What’s holding us back from putting the data we already hold to use, to help us make better decisions?
Reluctance to engage
When I have discussed analytics and reporting with other HR professionals, I have found a real reluctance to engage which goes well beyond the old stereotype of HR not liking to deal with spreadsheets or numbers. I find HR is often quite dismissive of the end results, with “it doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t know already” a common refrain.
This attitude seems to be born out of a fear that HR Analytics somehow replaces what they do already. I’ve been told before by an HR Business Partner that they didn’t need reporting to tell them what is going on in their area; they already knew because they were out in the business talking to managers and employees.
Analytics is only a tool
And this seems to be the heart of the matter; HR Analytics is not a replacement for HR professionals talking to the business. In fact, it relies on HR professionals being out there talking to the business. HR Analytics is not a miracle solution to all business problems, but rather is about providing additional insight to supplement what the HR team is already doing, not replace it. If HR Analytics is to be successful in your organisation, this is the key message you have to get across to your team; along with the simple fact that they all have a vital part to play in the process.
Three key messages to sell HR Analytics
If you are interested in developing your HR Analytics capability in your business, here are three key messages you can use to get your HR team on-board and excited about Analytics:
1. It does always tell you something you didn’t know already
Analytics might well show something is going on that you already knew about, but that is a good thing. Having hard data provides you with objective proof that you can take to the business, as part of your case for making an intervention or replicating certain good practice in other areas. It also allows you to track the progress of any project you implement as a result and show how you are changing things. This all helps give you credibility with the rest of the business as you prove the positive impact HR has.
2. It’s okay to find out something you didn’t know already
Part of the fear of analytics, and the worry about being replaced, seems to be driven by the question, “what if it does find something we didn’t know about?” If analytics unearths a trend that HR hadn’t already identified, this isn’t a failing on HR’s part. It’s a sign of success that it has now been identified and can be addressed. No one is perfect, and we can’t expect to catch everything; rather the message is that HR has found a problem and will solve it, not Analytics.
3. HR has a critical role in delivering Analytics
Analytics is not the data you hold, the reporting you produce, or the tools you use to produce those reports; it is the interpretation of that data in light of business context. If your reporting shows a worrying trend or outlying performance, this doesn’t mean anything until you know the context behind it. The best placed people to ask for that context are the HR professionals who are already talking to the business; they can either explain it or help dig into it so the underlying causes can be identified and a decision taken on whether it can be ignored or action taken.
Ultimately HR Analytics should enhance and add another dimension to what you are already doing, but it is not the responsibility of just one Analyst or Analytics team to deliver; it relies on the whole of HR engaging with it, interpreting the outputs, and taking those findings out into the business.
For help and advice with your HR Analytics please get in touch 020 3457 0894.
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