The 20 best HR Analytics articles: Mar & Apr 2017

Can it really be May already? 2017 is simply flying past and already this year promises to be a pivotal one for the practice of people analytics. Will this be the year when it becomes absorbed into the wider fabric of HR? Maybe. Maybe not.

Whether it does or whether it doesn’t, one thing is for sure interest levels in data driven people decisions has never been higher. The recent people analytics conferences hosted by Wharton and Tucana in Philadelphia and London respectively were attended by in total close to 1,000 people. The number of articles published on the subject continues to rise and the diversity of subjects describing the challenges people analytics is helping to tackle is stark.

This makes collating the best articles both more enriching and increasingly challenging, but after much deliberation spent listening to Sandinista! - The Clash's monumental 36 track triple album - here are the 20 articles that stood out in March and April:

1. Max Blumberg & Mark Lawrence – A call to arms for the future of People Analytics

Let’s open with one of the most important articles written yet on the subject of people analytics. In many respects the practice of people analytics is going in the right direction – interest levels have soared, adoption is rising and significant sums are being invested in the space by large consultancies, tech giants and start-ups alike. However, as Max Blumberg and Mark Lawrence so passionately argue, continued growth of people analytics is under threat. They cite a potent mix of ill-conceived products, consultants that promise the earth but fail to deliver, uneducated opportunists chasing filthy lucre and naïve consumers who are too easily satisfied by a funky dashboard. Max and Mark’s call for a professional body to outline competencies, define training, provide certification and perhaps most importantly a code of ethics is long overdue. Let’s see if anyone is willing to take up the challenge… 

“Ultimately, People Analytics must become a profession, with a professional body that oversees its direction, ethics, competencies and standards”

Max Blumberg & Mark Lawrence

2. Keith McNulty – Machine Learning in HR: Part 1 - Three steps to starting out; Part 2 – The Ins and Outs; Part 3 – Intelligent Modelling

One of the criticisms that can be levied at the majority of people analytics articles is that they are too short and therefore only scratch at the surface of the issue they are attempting to tackle. This certainly doesn't apply to this phenomenally superb series by Keith McNulty, who leads McKinsey’s internal people analytics and assessment capability globally. Throughout the course of three excellently crafted articles (Part 4 - the final episode will follow soon) Keith demystifies machine learning and predictive analytics in HR. In broad terms, Part 1 focuses on preparing your organisation, Part 2 looks at structuring the problem you are trying to solve ("what do you want to model and why do you want to model it") whilst Part 3 examines how to prep the data and choose the right algorithm. Do read the articles in sequential order, as there is much to absorb and learn. It is an invaluable contribution to the practice of people analytics. Thank you Keith, I’ll add Part 4 once you publish it!

"If there is one thing I have learned from working on Machine Learning problems in the People/HR space, it is this: define and structure your problem up front!"

Keith McNulty

3. Mark Berry - Getting To Evidence Based HR Part 1 and Part 2

Mark Berry has already trod the path I predict many heads of people analytics will follow – all the way to the CHRO role as the practice of HR finally becomes more evidence based. This two-part article in John Sumser’s excellent HR Examiner provides the perfect roadmap for success. Part 1 outlines 10 of the key steps (see Figure 1 below) Mark followed, whilst Part 2 looks at each of these steps in more detail. Mark’s passion, knowledge and humour shines throughout what is both a hugely enjoyable and insightful read. See also my interview with Mark Berry for more on his fascinating insights on people analytics, the role of the CHRO and the future of HR.

Figure 1: 10 steps to evidence based HR - Mark Berry

4. Adam Grant & Reb Rebele – Beat Generosity Burnout

This HBR article presents the findings of a fascinating four-year study by Adam Grant and Reb Rebele and is an example of the magnitude of impact ambitious people analytics projects can have on both individuals and organisations (as well as being a project that really resonated with me personally). The study examines perhaps the most important people in any organisation – the ‘givers’, how uncontrolled their generosity puts them at risk of burnout and outlines the steps they can adopt so that they don’t wear themselves out. The advice offered (see also Figure 2 below) broadly falls into three areas: i) be more proactive and less reactive about how you help, ii) focus on lower cost and higher impact ways of helping, and iii) be more selective rather than helping everyone with everything. For more on this subject, read Grant and Rebele’s follow-up article – More on Being Generous Without Being a Doormat and watch this video.

Figure 2: Where are you on the generosity spectrum and 7 habits of highly productive giving - Adam Grant and Reb Rebele

5. David Green – Key takeaways: Wharton People Analytics Conference and People Analytics World

This is a first. Previously, I've baulked at including any of my own articles in these ‘best of’ retrospectives, but this entry isn’t about me. It’s about the inspirations, key discussions and stunning work exhibited at two of the holy trinity of conferences dedicated to people analytics – Wharton’s People Analytics Conference and Tucana’s People Analytics World (the other is Al Adamsen’s People Analytics & The Future of Work). My summation from the Wharton conference features insights from the likes of Adam Grant, Kieran Snyder, Dawn Klinghoffer, Cade Massey and Linda van Leeuwen, whilst my round-up of the Tucana conference (which I also had the good fortune to chair) features the likes of Patrick Coolen, Arun Chidambaram, Bernard Marr, Luk Smeyers and Ian Bailie. It is conferences such as these that help move the practice forward.

Click on the image above to read the key takeaways from April's People Analytics World Conference in London

6. Michael Carty - People analytics success = data + common sense | Cathryn Newbery - Seven things we’re doing wrong with HR analytics

Two more articles inspired by the People Analytics World conference. Firstly, Cathryn Newbery provides an impeccable summary of the keynotes by Alec Levenson and Peter Howes, which together outlined seven areas where the people analytics profession needs to do better. Michael Carty’s equally excellent article also refers to the Levenson and Howes keynotes but touches too on Cole Nussbaumer’s masterclass in storytelling with data before focusing in depth on fascinating insights from Ross Sparkman in how Facebook uses analytics to support workforce planning, hiring and succession planning.

(L-R) Peter Howes, Ross Sparkman and Alec Levenson speaking at People Analytics World

"People analytics is 50% cold, hard statistics and 50% common sense"

Ross Sparkman | Facebook (speaking at People Analytics World)

7. Alec Levenson & Alexis Fink - Winning the HR Analytics arms race

Alec Levenson also features in my next entry together with Alexis Fink, who heads up Talent Intelligence and Analytics at Intel. Two of the sharpest minds in our space surmise (correctly, in my view) that most companies are still struggling to get business insights from their HR data, and also cannot yet focus on advanced analytics and prediction. All is not lost though as they then provide some practical steps to follow, which can be boiled down to choosing the right analysts (combining business acumen with an understanding of people) and then deploying them to work most effectively with both the business and HR. The advice provided on asking the right questions (as opposed to starting with the data) particularly resonates. A must-read.

"Getting to truly actionable insights almost always requires collecting new data in collaboration with the business and the rest of HR"

Alec Levenson & Alexis Fink

8. Sam Ransbotham, David Kiron, & Pamela Kirk Prentice - Beyond the Hype: The Hard Work Behind Analytics Success (MIT Sloan Management Review, March 2017)

This report examines the state of analytics across the enterprise but there is much for those involved with people analytics to learn. The first is that we are not alone when it comes to struggling to execute a strategy for what we want to achieve with analytics. A second is that whilst analytics is now a mainstream idea it is still not a mainstream practice - this is particularly true of course for people analytics. The report presents five key findings: i) Competitive advantage with analytics is waning, ii) Optimism about the potential of analytics remains strong, iii) Achieving competitive advantage with analytics requires resolve and a sustained commitment to changing the role of data in decision making, iv) Companies that are successful with analytics are much more likely to have a strategic plan for analytics, and this plan is usually aligned with the organization’s overall corporate strategy, and; v) Most companies are not prepared for the robust investment and cultural change that are required to achieve sustained success with analytics. This report is a must-read.

Few companies have a strategic plan for analytics or are executing a strategy for what they hope to achieve with analytics

9. Bernard Marr - Is HR Data Even More Valuable To A Business Than Its Financial Data?

The premise of this excellent article by Bernard Marr is that, in the information age, people data is rapidly becoming the most valuable source of data in the business. Marr cites the spike in companies investing in technology that can measure and analyse the behaviour and performance of their employees. One example is Deloitte with their ConnectMe HR analytics platform, which is focused firmly on the needs of employees. Marr’s discussion with Deloitte principal Michael Gretczko about the platform is revealing, and we can expect to a see a flood of companies adopting similar platforms that are “tailored specifically for employees” (we have similar platforms at IBM), which like ConnectMe “bring personalised content and experiences based on what employees need”. I concur with Marr’s quote below and believe that it distils the central theme for people analytics moving forward perfectly. For more insight from Bernard Marr, check out this episode of the Tucana People Analytics Podcast, where he speaks to Max Blumberg.

"A company which understands its employees is without a doubt better placed to keep them motivated, happy and productive. But a great deal of care will have to be taken to gain this understanding in a manner that is transparent and in-line with people’s expectations of privacy"

Bernard Marr

Click on the image above to listen to Bernard Marr on the Tucana People Analytics Podcast

10. Chris Brown / HR Open Source - How Soundcloud’s people team drives decisions with data | Hasher Ahmadi - HR Analytics Implementation: A Step-by-Step Approach | Keenan Steiner - People Analytics Isn’t as Hard as You Think—Nielsen Proves Why | Fredrik Johnsson - You want the best talent? Get the data!

Initially I was going to select just one or maybe two of these articles, but given they all fall under the category of 'practitioner guidance and/or case studies', I thought readers would want to have easy access to all four. First up is another great HR Open Source case study (do check out what Lars Schmidt and Ambrosia Vertesi have created with #HROS if you haven’t already), this time from Chris Brown describing Soundcloud’s people analytics journey. Then Hasher Ahmadi, who is building KLM’s people analytics capability, provides a step-by-step guide on how to implement analytics on the Analytics In HR blog. Next Keenan Steiner describes the superb use case of Piyush Mathur and Doug Shagam on how they quantified the cost of a single percentage point of attrition to mobilise stakeholders around a strategy to promote lateral moves at Nielsen. Finally, Fredrik Johnsson of Spotify outlines how using the right data at the right time is absolutely pivotal to making the right hiring decisions.

The deck from Nielsen's presentation at Talent Connect upon which the article referenced above is based - Piyush Mathur and Doug Shagam

11. Gregory Lewis - 3 Ways Data Shapes the Talent Strategy at Tesla, Chevron, and LinkedIn

There are more great practitioner stories in my next entry too. The video panel features RJ Milnor, who heads up Talent Analytics globally at Chevron, and Will Gaker of LinkedIn’s Talent Analytics team in discussion with Pat Wadors (LinkedIn CHRO) and Brendan Browne (Global Head of Talent Acquisition, LinkedIn). RJ and Will describe the importance of talent analytics in their companies, whilst the accompanying blog outlines three examples – one each from Chevron and LinkedIn and also an example featuring Boryana Dineva on how Tesla used analytics to gain invaluable (and counterintuitive) insights into its employee referral program.

WATCH: Will Gaker (left) and RJ Milnor discuss how data and analytics has helped shape the talent strategies at LinkedIn and Chevron

12. Sam Hill - Want to bring focus to People Analytics? Build a Centre of Expertise...

A regular inclusion in these ‘best of’ retrospectives, Sam Hill provides a regular supply of great content to organisations and practitioners looking to get started with people analytics or those seeking to build on their initial foundations. This article focuses on Sam’s view (based on his experience and research) that organisations that have invested in a Centre of Expertise have invariably been those that have had more success in building a more credible, agile and sustainable People Analytics proposition. Sam then outlines some of the building blocks involved including: appointing the right leader, determining an appropriate agenda/vision, assembling the right skill-sets (see Figure 3 below) and agreeing success criteria with the business. A hugely insightful read once again from Sam.

Figure 3: Skills required in a People Analytics CoE - Sam Hill

The next three articles focus on the evolution of employee engagement and its increasing underpinning by analytics...

13. Laura Stevens - Why HR Analytics is Critical to Employee Experience Success

One of the emerging topics in people analytics and potentially one of its most important benefits is how it can underpin efforts to understand, improve and personalise the employee experience. This superb article by Laura Stevens of iNostix by Deloitte outlines first why investment in people analytics is a pre-requisite and then describes three ways analytics can boost programs in this area: i) segmentation, ii) targeting and prioritising investment as well as iii) understanding and demonstrating value.

"Making a meaningful impact on employee experience and business outcomes, requires investing in HR analytics early on in the transformational effort"

Laura Stevens

14. Jacob Morgan - Why the Millions We Spend on Employee Engagement Buy Us So Little

Jacob Morgan’s new book ‘The Employee Experience Advantage’ comes highly recommended as this teaser in the Harvard Business Review demonstrates. In the article, Jacob compares organisations that have invested long-term in ‘experience’ to those that have invested short-term in ‘engagement’. The results Jacob presents are highly interesting – both in terms of business metrics but also stock market performance (as illustrated in Figure 4 below). Given that people analytics is crucial to understanding and improving the experience in the three environments outlined by Jacob as most important to employees (cultural, technological and physical), these are highly compelling findings.

Figure 4: Companies that invest in Employee Experience outperform those that don't - Jacob Morgan (The Employee Experience Advantage, Wiley 2017)

15. Raja Sengupta & Soumyasanto Sen - Employee Engagement Analytics: How to Do it and Add Value

The third and final entry in this edition on the subject of the evolution of employee engagement and its increasing underpinning by analytics comes from another excellent piece on the Analytics In HR blog. Raja Sengupta and Soumyasanto Sen provide a detailed walk through the hotly debated topic of engagement, demonstrate some of the new thinking in this area (from the likes of Andrew Marritt and Josh Bersin) and suggest a model (see Figure 5 below) on how you can deploy engagement analytics over time.

Figure 5: Deploying Engagement Analytics over a period of time. From proof of concept till establishing analytics in an organisation or culture - Raja Sengupta & Soumyasanto Sen

16. Ian Cook – HR Analytics: How to tell your data story

Storytelling is often cited as one of the capabilities many people analytics teams struggle with. Without a compelling story and effective communication you will not be able to turn your hard earned insights into actions. This excellent article by Ian Cook distils storytelling with data into four simple and easy to follow steps addressing the plot (what questions are you addressing), the context, understanding your audience and summarising.

“HR analysts should embrace the art of storytelling, shaping workforce data into a well-crafted narrative that includes all the key elements of any good story: a plot, setting, characters, and conclusion”

Ian Cook

17. Craig Donaldson / Aaron McEwan - 3 key issues HR must address with talent analytics

Proficiency in storytelling aside, three other perhaps more foundational challenges are often cited by organisations struggling to build capability in people analytics: criticality (where to focus), capability (where to develop the skills of the team) and credibility (how to increase influence and impact). These three areas and the ways to mitigate them are described on the excellent Inside HR blog by Aaron McEwan of CEB. This is an invaluable read for those starting out or those struggling to make an impact with people analytics.

“HR can’t evade talent analytics any longer and the function must be willing to adapt and evolve”

Ross McEwan

Finally, I look at three emerging topics in people analytics and highlight the best recent articles on each topic. First up is the re-emergence of Organisational Network Analysis then tackling bias and we ending with ethics, privacy and trust.

18. Greg Newman - How can we better identify HiPos using network data? | Andy Spence – Visualising relationships at work | Saskia Menke - The value of Social Network Analysis in HR analytics | re:Work / Ben Waber - Mapping employee chitchat can reveal information blockages

As adoption of people analytics continues we have also seen in parallel a revitalisation in the interest of Organisational Network Analysis (ONA). Four examples are included here. First, Greg Newman of the pioneering TrustSphere examines how combining ONA with people analytics supports the identification and retention of HiPOs. Then Andy Spence looks at how ONA can be used to understand and enhance team dynamics and collaboration. Next, Saskia Menke takes a broader view on the uses of ONA for people analytics (inc. in M&A) before finally, re:Work by Google recounts a specific example from Ben Waber of Humanyze on the effect networks and day to day employee interactions had on performance across a European bank’s branch network.

"We know that successful team dynamics is critical in building organisations, however many of our HR and people management processes are still designed around the individual"

Andy Spence

19. Thomas C. Redman - Root Out Bias from Your Decision-Making Process | Alicia Clegg - Unconscious bias hinders diversity recruitment | Jane Wild - Wanted — a way with words in recruitment ads

Does analytics reduce or magnify unconscious bias? This is another contentious area that is regularly debated at conferences and in the press. This trio of articles highlight with the right science and approach, analytics can significantly mitigate the dangers of unconscious bias. Firstly, Thomas C. Redman offers some great advice on rooting out bias from your decision-making. Then two articles from the FT focus on the specific topic of diversity recruitment and what companies such as KPMG, Vodafone and Microsoft are doing to remove gender bias from the recruitment process. Look out for some telling advice from Theresa McHenry, Martin Blackburn and Catalina Schveninger in the first article, and also how Catalina has employed technologies such as Textio and Headstart at Vodafone to support this initiative. Textio also features in Jane Wild’s piece, which looks at the fascinating subject of how language and imagery can detract or entice female jobseekers – Kieran Snyder, CEO of Textio, and Joelle Emerson of Paradigm both feature here. 

"People’s intuition about what constitutes bias is not very good"

Kieran Snyder

20. Jane Wild - Wearables in the workplace and the dangers of staff surveillance | Raghav Singh - Help Wanted: 75,000 Data Privacy Officers Needed (Why You Should Care About The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation) | David Grossman - Wearables at work: Are we trading our souls for a few flashy trinkets? | Sarah Butcher - Data will decide whether you keep your banking job | Ben Eubanks - The Personalization Effect: How to Mitigate Employee Data Privacy Concerns

Finally, we end with the subject that is provoking more debate than anything else when I speak to practitioners and attend conferences: ethics, privacy and employee trust – much of it fuelled by the increasing number of companies looking to gain insights from employee data collected from wearable devices. I’ve included a selection of articles here: Jane Wild’s article in the FT describes some of the quandaries employers are facing and features views and advice from the likes of Laurence Collins, Edward Houghton of the CIPD and Anthony Bruce. The article also references the EU’s pending GDPR, which is the subject of Raghav Singh’s piece. Then there is a well-balanced Newsnight report (see video below) on the growth of wearables, which includes comments from Ben Waber of Humanyze. Next up, Sarah Butcher’s article looks specifically at the use of people analytics in the financial services sector – look out for some sage observations from Morten Kamp Andersen here. Finally, Ben Eubanks offers some sound advice to organisations (with some additional comments from yours truly) on the importance of putting employee trust front and centre when it comes to using their data. This debate will only intensify, which seems a nice place to finish this round-up of the best articles!  

WATCH: BBC Newsnight report on the growth of wearables in the workplace and the implications for employee trust and privacy

"There’s a big ethical dimension to this – a huge risk that data is misused or used to make false assumptions"

Morten Kamp Andersen

______________________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David is a respected influencer, writer and speaker on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. He was recognised as Best Writer at the 2015 HR Tech Writers’ Awards, and was awarded one of ten LinkedIn Power Profiles for HR in 2016. David’s role as Global Director, People Analytics Solutions at IBM enables him to help clients apply an analytical, insight led and business outcome focused approach to their talent strategies and people decisions.

Connect with David on LinkedIn, follow him on Twitter and read his blogs here on LinkedIn and also on HR Tech World and ERE.

Keywords: HR, Human Resources, HR Analytics, People Analytics, Talent, Recruiting, Hiring, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, HR Metrics, Cost Per Hire, Workforce Analytics, Talent Analytics, Data Driven HR, Employee Engagement, Performance Management, Future of Work, Quality of Hire, Evidence based HR, HR Open Source, #HROS, Cognitive HR, Cognitive Computing, IBM, HR Technology, Flight Risk, Predictive Analytics,