{"id":164,"date":"2023-08-30T17:20:53","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T15:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/james@data-cubed.co.uk"},"modified":"2023-08-30T17:20:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T15:20:53","slug":"from-soft-to-serious-the-changing-face-of-hr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/data-cubed.eu\/blog\/from-soft-to-serious-the-changing-face-of-hr\/","title":{"rendered":"From Soft to Serious: the Changing Face of HR"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In every organisation, the Human Resource department has always been up against it. They have a significant role in recruiting the best talent in the market, retaining them, developing them, motivating them and generally driving business performance across the board. It\u2019s no small order. But it\u2019s fair to say that HR teams don\u2019t always get the praise they deserve. They\u2019re often an unpopular department, and this is for two reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, they\u2019re the bearer of bad news. If you\u2019re up for a disciplinary: HR. A tricky performance review: HR. Unsuccessful in a job interview: HR. You need to be let go: you get it. HR do the jobs other departments can\u2019t. They provide a framework and a methodology that keeps businesses safe and employee practices fair, but the job is a hard one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, HR teams don\u2019t have a reputation for measuring success. They\u2019re not number crunchers or sales orientated. They\u2019re sometimes regarded as soft. Fluffy. Taking a human approach over a mechanic, results-based one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these old-fashioned perceptions are changing. HR departments the world over are going through a radical change: and one thing sits at the centre of it all: data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"HR<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

HR analytics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

HR analytics is about using data to solve an organisation\u2019s people problems. It\u2019s about taking standard HR processes like talent management, benefits and training and assigning value to it all; using relevant, accurate metrics to track the effectiveness and impact of everything the department does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By looking at data in a holistic way, HR teams get a better idea of how the business is operating, and can then make more informed, strategic decisions. As an example, let\u2019s take some common metrics. A typical HR team can tell you the annual employee turnover rate of each department. Or the total spent on reward. Or how many training programs a team has run. But bring in data from beyond HRM systems, from finance teams, or sales departments, and the HR function tells a fuller story. It can tell the business how effective HR activities are, and how in turn this affects business performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analytics in HR (https:\/\/www.analyticsinhr.com<\/a>) summarise this value chain well. By going beyond descriptive metrics to looking at impacts of activities, HR move from a cost centre to a value-adding function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: AIHR Blog & Academy<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Answering the exciting questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is what we do as a data lab. We look beyond the dull, vanity metrics and dig into the money makers; the metrics that show how and why a HR department is worth the budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By looking at data across the business\u200a\u2014\u200awe can show insight in many areas. And in ways that take HR from soft to serious:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recruitment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n