{"id":344,"date":"2020-10-15T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T08:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sage-people-scraping.local\/?p=344"},"modified":"2026-01-09T14:59:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T14:59:10","slug":"hr-analytics-how-to-skill-train","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/hr-analytics-how-to-skill-train\/","title":{"rendered":"People analytics: 5 steps to develop data-driven HR and People teams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople analytics: 5 steps to develop data-driven HR and People teams\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tJessica Leyshon<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Are you a numbers person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from a simple headcount report, fewer than 50% of HR and People leaders today can deliver same-day metrics such as top and bottom performers, skills gaps and attrition levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, only 34% of companies are currently using data and analytics for making people decisions, according to our research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, analysing and turning data into actionable insights is a key requirement that organisations are increasingly expecting HR and People leaders to bring to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s why we\u2019re seeing the emergence of roles such as People analysts and People Scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progressive People Companies are realising that if they want to be the best, they must have the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if they want to attract and keep the best, they must understand and use the data they have on their people in a better way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role of People Scientists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, organisations today can no longer just post available positions on a job board and wait for the applications to roll in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low unemployment and a culture of mobility, particularly among millennials, have given people choices and it\u2019s harder than ever to attract top talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, we\u2019re seeing HR \u2013 or \u2018People\u2019 \u2013 teams shifting away from being largely an admin function in a business, towards concentrating on building great experiences for their workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is something that\u2019s important to a staggering 92% of employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do companies know how to build great experiences at work? Where on earth do they begin in uncovering their high-potential employees they need to retain in the business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where new roles such as People Scientists come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies don\u2019t make decisions on supply chains, their finances or distribution based on intuition. So why should they do the same when it comes to their workforce?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what can HR leaders do now to start creating and developing a data-driven HR team?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Identify the tools you have<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you start investing in training your existing team or hiring new people, understand the ways your business and team currently collect data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What data do you collect and what needs to be done with it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What systems and software do you use to collect data?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who within the HR team is responsible for handling and managing the data?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will give you the current picture of your data gathering abilities as a department. You can then identify your needs-based gaps and develop the right skillsets from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Understand the comfort levels with people analytics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

HR professionals can be broadly categorised into one of three groups with respect to their current analytical capability, according to the co-authors of The power of People: Learn how successful organizations use workforce analytics to improve business performance<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n