The Three Steps Of The HR Data Ninja

This article is a part of the All Things Talent Magazine (May 2018 Edition) – An Initiative By iimjobs.com | hirist.com

“2018 is going to be an exciting, change-filled year. By embracing the opportunities of data and analytics, the HR professionals of 2018 will become the Data Ninjas for successful organizations”

–Yazad Dalal

Human resources departments around the world will experience profound shifts during the next few years, and it’s all being driven by a single factor Data. We entered 2018 with the knowledge that HR, must be able to show credible data relating to factors such as productivity, engagement, and performance. Let’s check out three critical elements that will feature in your journey as an HR Data Ninja.

Just as data and the insights derived from it, have changed many areas of business, it will soon change the way organizations recruit and manage their staff. The potential benefits, for those that get these data ninja skills at the right time and in the right combination, will have a great competitive advantage.

1. Data-driven recruitment and management

Move away from using job descriptions and focus your recruitment activity on staff profiles. These profiles will be based on high-performing people already within the organization. What qualifications do they have? What experience do they bring? What personality traits do they possess?

A new data-driven approach will also be taken for staff management. Rather than promoting people on personal intuition or pressure from managers, make decisions based on data gathered about their actual performance. Who has consistently met sales forecasts? Who has suggested productivity changes? Who outperforms the average? Such data can be constantly gathered and used to ensure decisions are based on solid evidence rather than intuition or personal opinion.

2. Look into the Crystal Ball: Let Predictive Analytics take Charge for Performance Management 

Ultimately, businesses want more productive employees. In an age where every dollar is important, raising employees’ productivity allows you to get more output for the same investment to drive your business forward.

In order to really utilize the best skills of employees, businesses will have to look at their workers’ behaviour more closely. Are they engaged, are they happy? What interests them to stay involved with the company? We will see that cloud-based systems will record talent and succession-planning data. These systems will use that data to predict and make intelligent next-role recommendations. They will connect employees with mentors to help prepare them for that particular role. Analytics can answer questions you might have thought previously impossible. Predictive analytics can not only lead to the source of the breakdown but also provide forward-looking insights that illustrate how an issue or employee may evolve.

3. Scout the Players: Get your Business in the Competitor Game By Identifying with Consumers

In 2018, CHROs will recognize that modern, intuitive application user interfaces and consumer-friendly applications matter more than ever in the year ahead. While you can put a price on the cost, it takes a detailed understanding of consumers, to integrate the User Experience into your solutions, the value gained from providing a simple, intuitive interface is unquantifiable. This is why many CHROs are looking for ways to create quality experiences that will delight instead of frustrate employees.

Sharpen your katana: 2018 is going to be an exciting, change-filled year. By embracing the opportunities of data and analytics, the HR department of 2018 and beyond will become an even more vital resource for successful organizations. Here’s to 2018, Data Ninjas!