3 data actions for better HR analytics: Enhancing decision-making

The future of HR analytics is very exciting. Continual advances in data modeling have given companies the ability to predict factors like an employee’s cultural fit, the likelihood they will remain engaged, or their potential for upskill. With the ability to identify key indicators like these—and proactively plan for the future—industry leaders are taking their HR strategy to new, more competitive, heights.

According to Deloitte’s Talent Analytics Maturity Model , these industry leaders have matured to the upper-most ranks of analytical abilities, leveraging both strategic and predictive HR data models.

But most large companies still struggle to advance beyond reactive, operational HR reporting. In fact, nearly 80% of HR executives believe their company is ineffective at using their talent data to inform decisions .

Why? Business leaders aren’t sure how usable their HR data is—so there is little to no demand for it—and they’re struggling to understand how HR data should be embedded into corporate decision-making.

Companies looking to advance to more sophisticated levels of HR analytics will need to drive the demand for and use of HR data by making it more actionable, undeniably reliable and easily accessible to decision-makers.

It’s not enough for HR to create reports in a silo. Truly valuable analytics is actionable and can answer high-priority business questions.

Without actionable data, leaders are unlikely to incorporate HR information into their decision-making process—an unfortunately common occurrence. Only 40% of senior leaders seek out HR data when making business decisions .

To ensure data and analytics are actionable, HR will need to clarify the problem at hand and the end goal before every project. Understanding decision- makers’ key objectives and the problems they need data to solve is critical.

For many global organizations, clean data management is a complex issue. Global HR data is often inconsistent due to constantly changing global regulations around data privacy. For example, GDPR limits the amount and types of personal data that a company can legally collect .

And employee information is often stored in separate systems—most large companies still have five to seven “systems of record” for their people and talent information —making it difficult to gain a comprehensive, global view.

In order to integrate employee information, gain a global view of data and drive more accurate reporting, many HR leaders have implemented a Human Capital Management (HCM) system. But because employees are not incentivized to access the HCM and review their data on a regular basis, HR soon realizes that even though information is integrated, it can still be out of data, incorrect or unclean.

Ultimately, reliable data is achieved when data accuracy is validated on a regular basis. And what’s more regular than a pay-cycle? When companies integrate their HCM with payroll , employees are incentivized to regularly access their HCM and keep their information up-to-date. This critical integration between payroll and HCM ensures HR data is cleansed every time a payroll is run.

Finding and analyzing HR information should be straightforward and easy. Self- service tools and business intelligence dashboards can give managers consistent access to data, while also enabling them to analyze HR information and build reports in real-time.

Beyond technology, data training for HR Business Partners can also facilitate more informative analytics. If properly trained and empowered, this key role can act as a liaison between data scientists and the business—making strategic HR data initiatives more visible and ultimately more successful.

Ensuring that data is clearly actionable, reliable and accessible is an impactful way to drive the demand for and use of HR information throughout the business—and ultimately advance the HR organization to more sophisticated levels of analytics.

Learn more about how Global Managed Payroll can ensure reliable and accessible HR data that drives actionable analytics and strategic decision-making by talking with a global payroll specialist today .