People Analytics: Enabling Capability

Organisations use data to help drive strategy, including HR strategies. People analytics is the use of data and statistical analysis to make informed decisions about people-related issues.

Historically, HR made decisions based on intuition and past experiences. With advancements in technology, most HR professionals are now applying people analytics to recruitment and development of people capability. So much so, that people analytics has improved HR functions in 94% of organisations.

Helping your people add value

How do we make the most of the talent, energy and potential of our people to add value to what we do?

Analyse our value streams to identify the waste people experience as they try to do their jobs. Capture feedback from staff and customers.

Identify the types of people who make teams work and results happen. Design better ways of working and better ways to develop people. Show people their voices are heard.

We can also meet skills gaps through careful hiring and personal development. People want to succeed. Help them do so.

People Analytics: Practical Application

It is a challenge to hire Early Career talent due to the lack of experience and skills. The focus here shifts to personality traits and, in certain cases, diversity targets. In a previous role, I managed the attraction and recruitment of Early Careers (Degree Apprenticeships, Internships, and Graduate) programmes for a Big 4 professional services firm in the UK. Half-way through the recruitment cycle, management communicated new diversity and inclusion (D&I) targets for the organisation. Our team had to change our strategy and used people analytics to attract the desired talent. Our approach was proprietary and targeted candidates based on demographics, achievements, and underrepresented groups.

The change in strategy led to more interaction with schools, university course leaders and university societies that our firm would not previously have engaged with. Our efforts achieved the new D&I targets, reduced recruitment times and increased the diversity of the workforce. An increase in workforce diversity aligned with our diverse client base and ensured the organisation maintained competitive advantage.

This use of analytics for recruitment can equally be applied to realising and optimising people’s skills within existing teams.

The Importance of Capability

With recruitment efforts on the downward trajectory in New Zealand, it is even more important to focus on the capability of your existing team. Creating the right capability to execute your strategy is crucial. That means understanding constraints on performance and barriers to success and developing your people. 

Where are the gaps in your capability?  How can you address them? How can you leverage your existing data and knowledge? Are your teams set up to succeed? What processes and systems would help?  We can help.

Rich Downey, Consultant, Hague Consulting Ltd. © Hague Consulting Ltd 2024.