Unit 1 Introduction To HR Analytics
Unit 1 Introduction To HR Analytics
Unit 1 Introduction To HR Analytics
Introduction to HR Analytics
This method of data analysis takes data that is routinely collected by HR and
correlates it to HR and organizational objectives. Doing so provides measured
evidence of how HR initiatives are contributing to the organization’s goals and
strategies.
HR analytics provides data-backed insight on what is working well and what is not so
that organizations can make improvements and plan more effectively for the future.
Productivity
Engagement
Retention
Implementation
Evolution
1. 1978
An article titled ‘The measurement imperative’ proposed the idea of measuring the
impact of HR activities with collected data on the bottom line of the business. The
proposed activities included staff retention, staffing, compensation, competency
development, etc.
The idea marks the beginning of the data capturing activity in HRM and its
application in organizations.
2. 1990
With growing development in the field of and HR measurement integration with more
business dimensions, the predictive and assessment models became a subject of
study. But still, the field of HR analytics remained unknown to many organizations
and they couldn’t realize its potential.
The emergence of HR accounting and utility analysis was witnessed and this added
new dimension and measurement data to quantify HR. Researchers not only drew
the inference from business firms but from other sources too. One such research is
on the metric model adopted by Billy Beane, the general manager of the USA
baseball team to select team members.
Early Adopters
Though HR Analytics found its growth by late 2000, many organizations were still
confused with its adoption and its implementation. Some known MNCs were able to
foresee its potential of HR analytics and its benefits to the organization and took
initiatives to deep dive into this field.
1. Google
In 2009, Google started ‘Project Oxygen’ to find the qualities and attributes of an
effective manager. The project gained global recognition in 2011 when it published
the data-based findings and was found to very relevant and effective across different
industries.
The success of the project boosted research regarding the benefits of analytics in
workforce management. Around 20 articles were published on topics of Talent and
workforce analytics by Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Forbes,
Fortune magazines, etc.
The articles not only supported the application of analytics in workforce management
but also found some shortcomings of the ‘Project Oxygen’ like positive co-relation
between academic grades and employee performance. But ‘Project Oxygen’ laid the
foundation for a dynamic shift from traditional metrics-based HR measurement to
Predictive analysis of HR analytics.
2. IBM
IBM acquired an employment and retention service company, Kenexa in 2012. With
its cloud-based solutions combined with Oracle, Tableau, and SAP, IBM discovered
ways for talent management by analyzing the voluminous big data of HR.
Potential Realized
1. Microsoft
Microsoft found the employee attrition as a major challenge across its various
business units. It deployed HR analytics tools to generate a statistical profile of
employees who were likely to leave the organizations.
The company found that majority of these profiles were of the direct college hires
and those who had not been promoted even after being with the company for 3
years. These insights allowed Microsoft to take several HR interventions like the
assignment of mentors, changes in stock vesting, and income hikes to better
manage the employee and control attrition.
2. Mindtree
Employee Turnover
Risk assessment
Profile management
Productivity index
With HR analytic tools, Mindtree can predict employee turnover for the next 90 days
from employee data. This has enabled them to generate insights from data analysis
and fed those insights into forecasting models for employee hiring.
Using analytic tools, HR also manages high-risk employees and uses the data to
make better management decisions.
3. ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods Inc. saw many of its key employees leaving the organization. The
company then deployed predictive analytics software to predict the likeliness of an
employee leaving the organization. With this data, the company then created a
model to identify the factors behind employee attrition, and around 200 factors were
fed into the model.
The analysis reflected that pay isn’t among the top 10 significant factors contributing
to employee attrition while it is internal recognition that is having a high correlation
with employee attrition.
4. Wipro Ltd.
Wipro is using HR analytics to boost employee retention and combined with social
media analytics, it is also finding new skills and talent through Human Capital
Management. With labor mobility, Wipro has transitioned from a cloud-based oracle
system to its own Wipro HR sprinter for augmenting talent management. Using this
HR analytics software, Wipro can see the trends of each employee, the data of
employees, and their predicted behavior with just a click.
HR information systems Data Sources
Recruiting. Recruiting data gathered from the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is
the first common data source in the HRIS. This includes the number of candidates
who applied, their CVs and other characteristics, as well as data about the
recruitment funnel, recruitment sources, selection, and so on. This system is the
most common input for recruiting metrics.
Demographic data. Another key data source is HRIS employee records. This
includes the employee ID, name, gender, date of birth, residence, position,
department, cost center specifications, termination date, and so on. These
demographic data are often included in an analysis as control variables. Also, when
data is combined manually, this is often the database that is enriched with data from
other systems by matching the employee’s ID as a unique identifier.
Job architecture. Job architecture, also referred to as global grading or job leveling,
is a framework that serves as a foundation for remuneration. Different roles are put
into salary scales that have bands and grades with maximum reward levels. Different
roles apply to different salary scale levels.
Succession planning. Succession planning schemes are also part of the HRIS. The
amount of data depends on the maturity of the organization’s succession planning
practices. Example data includes leadership development data, managerial bench
strength, and data about which people are next in line for positions.
Talent development. Talent development data is a bit of a weird one out. Talent
programs often consist of courses and workshops that are often included in the
learning management system. However, the broader approach to developing talent
is another key piece of information that can be retrieved from the HRIS.
Exit interview. Depending on the organization, exit interview information may also
be stored in the HRIS. This provides information on the reasons why employees
have left the organization. This data can be used for analyses aimed at reducing
employee turnover.
HR Metrics and HR Analytics
HR metrics are measurements used to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of
HR policies.
Metrics help compare different data points. For example, if turnover was 5% last year
and is now 7.5%, it has increased by 50%. The former are data points, the latter is
the metric.
Metrics don´t say anything about a cause, they just measure the difference between
numbers.
Now you have a basic understanding of the difference between metrics and
analytics, we’ll finish with how to get from metrics to analytics.
Start with your data: As you know now, metrics are the relations
between data points. In order to start with metrics, you need to have
your data right. Smart HR system design and high data quality are
key components to improve before you invest into getting your
metrics ready for HR reporting
Getting the metrics right: This step sounds easier than it is.
Measuring basic data is easy but keeping track of more complicated
metrics, like the % of unwanted turnover, is something a lot of
companies are struggling with, as it requires them to combine
multiple systems (their main HRIS and their performance system in
this case).
Select the relevant KPIs: The second step is to select the HR Key
Performance Indicators that matter most for your business. These
KPIs should be connected to business goals. For each KPI a target
score should be specified.
Identify areas where analytics adds value: You can leverage the
data and metrics to add value using analytics. This starts by
identifying a business case that, when solved, would add value to the
business. This means that your outcomes need to be actionable.
Implementation of results: Once you’ve completed your first
analytics project, you can implement the results in the organization.
At this point, you’ve leveraged your HR data to create value for the
organization and you’ve added to the organization’s strategic goals.
Example:
An important metric for recruitment is the ‘time to hire’. This measures the number of
days between a candidate applying for a job, and them accepting a job offer. Time to
hire gives insights into recruiting efficiency and candidate experience.
Like the time to hire, the ‘cost per hire (CPH)’ metric shows how much it costs the
company to hire new employees. This also serves as an indicator of the efficiency of
the recruitment process.
Cost per hire can be time-consuming to work out. There used to be a huge variation
in how companies calculated this metric until The Society of Human Resource
Management and the American National Standards Institute agreed on a standard
formula.
This metric shows the efficiency of the organization as a whole. The ‘revenue per
employee’ metric is an indicator of the quality of hired employees.
Performance and potential (the 9-box grid)
The 9-box grid appears when measuring and mapping both an individual’s
performance and potential in three levels. This model shows which employees are
underperformers, valued specialists, emerging potentials, or top talents. This metric
is great for differentiating between, for example, wanted and unwanted turnover.
Engagement Rating
On the other hand, the intuitive style of thinking is driven more by gut-feel and
confidence derived from experience. It does not follow a prescribed set of analytical
steps, but draws on observed indicators and trends from the internal and external
organisation environment to reach strategic decisions. Since specific explicitly
available formulae are not followed, it relies on the individual’s ability developing their
own internal modes of making sense of strategic issues.
There are advantages attributable to these different styles of thinking. For instance,
an analytical approach to a certain matter will normally be open and allow objective
contribution of multiple individuals allowing them to work together based on a
commonly understood model or framework. An intuitive approach is normally fast
and efficient. It relies on the mental and experiential capacity to read meanings into
observed patterns and derive solutions very quickly.
Of course, there are flip sides to these advantages, and the downsides to each
approach are often easy to observe. When faced with complex problems, analytical
approaches often breakdown, unable to cope with the range and levels of variables.
The reliance on models also means that it requires specialist knowledge, e.g. the
understanding and use of the Black-Scholes model for real options valuation.
Intuitive approaches are very individual, and rely on tacit knowledge that is not often
easy to share. Bringing others on board to agree on a decision often would rely on
the power of persuasion, and sometimes the making links between influencing
factors that stakeholders may find tenuous and difficult to accept. Decisions can very
easily be seen as subjective or, worse, political in nature.
Intuition is said to be that inspirational “aha” moment of thought, before your rational
mind kicks in, which ultimately sabotages the true message.
Old people are great intuitive thinkers thanks to their years of life. But I will not rely
solely on them to make decisions for the present and future. Rather, I prefer to
approach the decision strategically, using the intuitions of the seniors as a valuable
input only.
Analytics frameworks like LAMP
People analytics is helping HR shape their strategies in regard to hiring, training, and
employee management to help create a solid, stronger workforce. But HR is one of
the last business departments to start fully embracing data analytics. Most
organizations with departments that use analytics are using it to increase their
customer engagement and grow their sales numbers, like marketing, customer
service, and sales teams. Accounting and finance departments often use them to
help identify trends that can be applied to business strategy.
Businesses are starting to understand how analytics can improve their HR processes
and ultimately help them improve their business. While HR analytics aren’t customer-
focused, they are people-focused and can help HR better hire, manage, and support
the people who will help shape the organization and grow it towards its goals.
Building an HR analytics framework, however, is the first step to being able to apply
and use analytics in your HR endeavors. Here are several steps to take to begin or
improve your HR analytics journey.
Predictive data analytics are everywhere. It is in its essence a technology that learns
from existing data, and it uses this to forecast individual behavior. This means that
predictions are very specific. In the movie Moneyball, predictive analytics were used
to predict the potential success of individual baseball players.
This is the step that helps companies to know where to look for insight and connect
data points to meaning in order to make better decisions. The connection between
the numbers and effects and outcomes is vital in understanding the “why”. Are there
connections between employee health and wellness and employee turnover, for
instance? Where are the connections in your business practices and your employee
performance? This what the logic step of an HR analytics framework can help you
understand. IT notes that “This framework depicts the connections between HR and
management practices, which affect employee attitudes, engagement, and turnover,
which then affect the experiences of customers, which affect customer-buying
behavior, which affects sales, which affect profits.” Companies who are able to
understand the connections between their HR practices and people’s issues and
how they impact the business are the most successful in implementing changes that
matter. Analytics helps to highlight the connections.
Measures
Good analytics systems built from a solid framework help make sure what you’re
measuring is meaningful to your specific organization and business needs. It also
helps make sure that what you’re measuring is accurate and meaningful data. Inform
IT notes, “Factors such as employee turnover, performance, engagement, learning,
and absence are not equally important everywhere. That means measurements like
these should focus precisely on what matters. If turnover is a risk due to the loss of
key capabilities, turnover rates should be stratified to distinguish employees with
such skills from others. If the absence has the most effect in call centers with tight
schedules, this should be very clear in how we measure absenteeism. Lacking a
common logic about how turnover affects business or strategic success, well-
meaning managers draw conclusions that might be misguided or dangerous, such as
the assumption that turnover or engagement have similar effects across all jobs.” It’s
important to know why you’re measuring what you’re measuring and understand
accurately how it affects your business.
Analytics
Analytics is really how data can provide answers. You may have data that suggests
that your employees are engaged in their work based on employee feedback
surveys; you may also have customer surveys that indicate they are satisfied with
their interactions with your brand. You may believe that more engaged employees
work in a way that produces higher customer satisfaction and more loyalty. That may
very well be true, but analytics software and systems will help you identify the
relationship and let you draw more accurate insights. Analytics allows you to dig
deeper with a more holistic approach. It reveals the right conclusions from the data
and transforms information into relevant, meaningful knowledge.
Process
The approach to data in HR is the key to solving people problems. It also helps
meaningful data and analysis from that data in front of business leaders who can
actually affect and support needed changes. IT says that leader needs to “buy into
the idea that human capital decisions have tangible monetary effects, they may be
more receptive to greater sophistication” and other changes to their employee
performance management that are needed to help support business success.
HR Scorecard
Human Resources or HR was viewed as a support function whose primary role was
to take care of payroll, time tracking, and disputes between the unions and the
organizations.
Indeed, in the manufacturing era, the term used for HR functions was personnel
management and industrial relations wherein the job of the personnel manager was
to ensure that salaries are paid on time, mediating between the unions and the
organizations, and otherwise being peripheral to the other functions such as
production, operations, sales and marketing, and strategy formulation.
It was only with the advent of the services sector that the role of the erstwhile
personnel manager transformed into “human resources” management and later on,
to people management and people enabling and people empowerment.
Note the emphasis on resources and people as the services sector relies on human
capital as the key asset and hence, the HR managers were expected to contribute to
strategic goals and objectives.
In other words, the HR function evolved and transformed into one where it was no
longer peripheral or a support function, and instead of times when human resources
are viewed as sources of sustainable strategic advantage, the role of the HR
manager was to aid and enable such resources to contribute effectively and
meaningfully to the organizational strategies.
In other words, HR now was expected to align its recruitment, compensation, and
employee retention strategies to the organizational strategies.
Towards this end, the HR Scorecard works by providing decision-makers with data
and inputs about how much the employee recruitment and retention processes cost
and what are the benefits of the same.
For much of the 20th century, it was commonly understood that these costs are part
of the overall organizational costs and there was no way to measure the benefits of
such expenses in “tangible” ways.
In other words, what this means is that an HR Scorecard provides the organizational
leaders with metrics and data in tangible terms about the payoffs and the benefits
from HR processes and activities.
Benefits of HR Scorecards
The key benefit or the relevance of tools such as HR Scorecards is that it aligns the
broader organizational strategies with the HR strategies and the convergence of
organizational goals with the HR goals brings the HR function in line and tune with
the overall organizational ecosystem.
For instance, how this works in the real world is that if an organization identifies
superlative customer service as a strategic goal, the HR scorecard helps in
measuring the benefits of initiatives such as training the customer service
representatives and the associated staff costs involved in hiring and retaining such
key personnel.
At the end of the year, the benefits of the initiatives as measured by customer
feedback surveys are tallied to the costs of the initiatives so that organizational
decision makers and more importantly, the HR Managers have an idea about the
effectiveness and efficacy of their hiring and retention strategies and their usefulness
and relevance to the broader organizational goals and objectives.
In other words, the HR function is no longer a “silo” that stands apart in “splendid
isolation” and is instead, aligned with the overall organizational ecosystem of goals
and objectives.
The premise for an HR scorecard is that HR can and should develop metrics to
demonstrate how HR activities impact profitability:
Scorecards include current data and comparisons to previous time periods, such as
the previous quarter or year, and historical data to show improvements toward goals.
Costs
Human resources costs that are measured and reported on through scorecards
include adherence to budgets, recruiting costs to attract and hire staff and costs of
benefits such as group health insurance. Tracking costs through scorecards enables
managers to plan human resources goals and expenditures and control costs in
specific areas and set realistic budgets.
Hiring
Turnover
Turnover is the rate at which a company gains and loses employees and is
commonly compared to the rate of industry turnover. Turnover costs companies
money to recruit staff and in lost productivity and low morale amongst other
employees. High employee turnover indicates employees are unhappy due to issues
such as work environment, lack of opportunities, management conflict or
compensation. Low employee turnover indicates employee satisfaction, making
lowering turnover a significant goal.
Workforce Scorecard
The Workforce Scorecard is a component of a larger company-wide scorecard that
facilitates the measurement and communication of human resources objectives and
performance across the enterprise. Following the basic tenets of scorecard theory,
KPIs within the Workforce Scorecard are used to evaluate how well employees are
carrying out the internal initiatives necessary to serve their customers, how those
initiatives are associated with the financial and strategic goals of the organization,
and how efficiently and effectively all employees in the organization are performing.
Used in this manner as an organizational and communications tool, the Workforce
Scorecard supports the shift of the human resources function from an administrative
entity to a key strategic partner.
The Workforce Scorecard argues that to maximize the strategic contribution of the
workforce, organizations must meet three challenges: view their workforce in terms
of its potential contribution rather than as a cost to be minimized (the perspective
challenge); replace benchmarking metrics with measures that differentiate levels of
strategic impact (the metrics challenge); and hold line managers and HR
professionals jointly responsible for workforce quality and strategy execution (the
execution challenge).
To make this happen, our main thesis in The Workforce Scorecard is that managers
and leaders need a strategy for the business, a strategy for the workforce, and a
strategy for the HR function. As a result, they also need a series of metrics and
measures for each; a balanced scorecard, a workforce scorecard, and an HR
scorecard, respectively.
Designing such a system begins with a clear understanding of the unique processes
through which the workforce creates value in each business. The Workforce
Scorecard offers a framework that identifies and measures the outcomes, behaviors,
competencies, mind-set, and culture required for workforce success and reveals how
each dimension impacts the bottom line. The lynchpin of this perspective is an
emphasis on looking at the role of human capital from the “outside in” (or customer
back), not from the “inside out” (starting with the HR function).
Integrations
The Workforce Scorecard works in conjunction with Scorecard and the Workforce
Data Mart. The Workforce Scorecard uses Scorecard’s tools to provide a current
representation of how the company is meeting its human resources objectives. The
Workforce Data Mart provides details and analysis of how and why these trends are
occurring.