Modern HR is no longer just administration and HR processes. It is the centre of decision-making that has a real impact on the development of the company. Increasingly, the role of the compass in these activities is being played by HR Analyst - the wise use of data to support people and processes in the organisation.
Even if your company's reports are mainly created in Excel files, you can make the most of them. You don't have to invest in advanced systems straight away - spreadsheets can still be an ally of HR. Used properly, they will become a solid foundation for analytics. The key, however, is to apply the 7 pillars described below - effective whatever the size of your organisation.
The 7 pillars of successful HR analytics implementation
1. Ask the right questions
Before you start analysing the data, identify business objectives:
- What do you want to improve?
- What are the recurring problems in the team?
- Where is the organisation 'losing time' or losing talent?
Examples: shortening the recruitment process, reducing turnover in departments, and better planning training programs.
2. Map the data
Identify what HR data you already have and where it is located:
- HR and payroll system,
- ATS system for recruitment,
- HR applications (onboarding, appraisals, exit interview),
- Employee surveys,
- Excel files collected from various HR processes and other local databases.
By creating a data source map, you will structure the analytical process.
3. evaluate and organise the data
Data must be complete, up-to-date, correct and consistent. Their verification and organisation is the key to reliable analyses.
4. Select the appropriate tools
Excel may be enough to start with if you use the data you collect wisely. At a larger scale, it is worth considering business intelligence tools such as Power BI or others.
When making your choice, be guided by:
- Scope of analysis,
- Number and frequency of data refreshes,
- Possibility of self-service by users,
- Security Committee (RODO),
- Budget and IT resources.
5. Build an analytical process
Create regular updates to the reports, set clear rules for access to the data and appoint people responsible for maintaining it.
Educate and involve people
Data only has value if it is understood. Organise training and workshops, showing teams how to interpret reports and make decisions. This will make HR a strategic support to the business.
7. Create a culture of working with data
Regularly present the findings of the analyses at meetings and show what decisions have been made with the data. This builds an evidence-based culture - data become a real tool and not just a background.
Undersummation
HR analytics is not just about reports for statistics. It's a way to manage people and processes in a company more consciously. It helps you anticipate trends, reduce turnover, shorten recruitment and improve employee satisfaction. The sooner you start organising data and putting it into practice, the sooner HR will become a strategic business partner.
