The Best HR & People Analytics Articles of February 2020

 
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As I wrote in a recent edition of the Digital HR Leaders newsletter, creating an Ethics Code of Conduct is one of the leading practices in People Analytics we advocate at Insight222 to help organisations establish and grow a successful people analytics function. 

We saw a perfect example in the last few weeks of why this is so important. Several media outlets covered a story about Barclays Bank pulling a pilot it had implemented, which according to the BBC “tracked the time employees spent at their desks and sent warnings to those spending too long on breaks”.

Whatever the real story behind the headlines, it would seem that a combination of a lack of transparency to employees and poor communication has led to a PR disaster for the bank and workforce mistrust.

That is why an Ethics Code of Conduct for People Analytics, which is accessible to employees, promotes a ‘fair exchange of value’ for providing data for people analytics and is widely communicated is so important. If you demonstrate openly that you handle workforce data ethically as well as according to laws and regulations, then you are likely to get more traction.

However, research we’ve undertaken at Insight222 finds that most companies are still overlooking this critical element of people analytics with only 23% of companies currently having an Ethics Code of Conduct in place for People Analytics. Developing an Ethics Charter was the first co-creation project we developed with clients when we set up the company in 2017. People data should be used for good to generate business outcomes and improve workforce experience and wellbeing.

On with this month’s collection of articles…

BUILDING A PEOPLE ANALYTICS FUNCTION

CHASE ROWBOTHAM & JAMIE OSTHEIMER - How to Start a People Analytics Organization

Pure gold as Chase and Jamie share the story of how they built a flourishing people analytics team at Genentech. The article is full of tips on a range of topics including: the key ingredients of success, the capabilities of the team (see FIG 1), the data sets that inform insights, how to operationalise sprints and prioritise the work, the technology stack required and much more. This is an invaluable resource and compulsory reading for anyone looking to build or scale their people analytics function.

The three success-levers (for people analytics) are: (1) Executive sponsorship; (2) Talent; (3) Infrastructure…in that order

FIG 1: The capabilities required of a successful People Analytics team (Source: Chase Rowbotham, Jamie Ostheimer and Ian O’Keefe)

FIG 1: The capabilities required of a successful People Analytics team (Source: Chase Rowbotham, Jamie Ostheimer and Ian O’Keefe)

SAMANTHA McLAREN, REBECCA WHITE & KATIE SITTLER - How the IMPACT Framework Can Help You Solve Your Company’s Toughest Business Problems

Another People Analytics team – this time LinkedIn’s, share the framework that they follow to structure their workflow. Learn how the team break each project down into six stages: Identify, Measure, Plan, Analyse, Communicate, Track (or IMPACT for short – see FIG 2), The framework helps in making people analytics work more manageable and ensures that the right people are asking the right questions along the way.

If you can’t define the business problem, you’ll have a much harder time trying to solve it

 
FIG 2: The IMPACT Framework for People Analytics (Source: LinkedIn)

FIG 2: The IMPACT Framework for People Analytics (Source: LinkedIn)

 

THE FUTURE OF HR

JP MANGALINDAN - Chief People Officer: The worst best job in tech | KATIE BURKE - How To Prepare for the “Worst Best Job in Tech”

Two terrific articles analysing the hugely challenging yet highly coveted role of the Chief People Officer (CPO). First, JP Mangalindan examines the CPO role in tech companies and concludes that “being responsible for a staff, a culture and often a whole lot more can be nerve-wracking, sometimes prompting quick exits,” citing the recent departure of Google’s Eileen McNaughton. In a direct response to Mangalindan’s article, Katie Burke, Chief People Officer at Hubspot, counters that “the ‘worst best job in tech’ is worth pursuing before outlining five considerations for anyone interested in pursuing the role. Read these two articles alongside the recent collaboration between Willis Towers Watson and SHRM on the Future Chief People Officer I featured last month, which identifies five pivots encompassing skills, mindsets and behaviours that are together reshaping the CPO role.

Traditional HR heads see people more as costs. In a more modern, growth-oriented, consumer-driven company, a Chief People Officer is thinking more about people as investments

ABBIE LUNDBERG & GEORGE WESTERMAN – The Transformer Chief Learning Officer

It’s not just the Chief People Officer role that is rapidly evolving. As this HBR article explains, the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) role is also changing – from just being responsible for training to an enhanced role in which the CLO is reshaping capabilities and organisational culture. The article examines three principal types of change, transformer CLOs are driving around learning goals, learning methods and learning departments. Features great insights from the likes of: Ewan Clark, Julie Dervin, Amelie Villeneuve, David Gledhill, Rahul Varma, Heather Whiteman and Wendi Kennedy with examples from organisations such as: UBS, GE Digital, Telstra and Standard Chartered.

Learning is no longer just an HR function. It’s a core part of your business

THE FUTURE OF WORK - RESKILLING

SAPANA AGRAWAL, AARON DE SMET, PAWEL POPLAWSKI & ANGELIKA REICH - Beyond hiring: How companies are reskilling to address talent gaps | BRYAN HANCOCK, KATE LAZAROFF-PUCK & SCOTT RUTHERFORD - Getting practical about the Future of Work

Two complementary pieces from McKinsey giving insights on how companies are attempting to close skills gaps to prepare themselves for the future of work. The first article draws on recent survey findings and reports on the multiple tactics (hiring, reskilling and changing the workforce mix are the top three) being employed and how early reskilling efforts appear to be paying off against a number of key indicators (see FIG 3). The second article places the emphasis on how organisations--and not just employees—need to equip themselves with new capabilities in order to adapt to the future of work, with a three-step process (see FIG 4) presented to enable continuous transformation of the workforce.

 
FIG 3: The effect of organisations’ reskilling efforts by given key performance indicator (Source: McKinsey)

FIG 3: The effect of organisations’ reskilling efforts by given key performance indicator (Source: McKinsey)

 
 
FIG 4: Process to enable continuous transformation of the workforce (Source: McKinsey)

FIG 4: Process to enable continuous transformation of the workforce (Source: McKinsey)

 

STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLANNING

DAVE ULRICH – From Workforce to Worktask Planning

As Dave Ulrich describes in this article, work is increasingly not just accomplished by full-time, part-time, or contracted workers, but also through automation and technology. This calls for a shift in thinking from a focus on workforce planning to one centred on accomplishing work tasks, which Dave outlines in a seven-step model (see FIG 5).

Removing the more routine and standard tasks to technology and automation increases employee well-being, customer service, and investor confidence

 
FIG 5: Work Task Planning (Source: Dave Ulrich)

FIG 5: Work Task Planning (Source: Dave Ulrich)

 

HR TECH

JOHN SUMSER - Predictions Everywhere – 9 Trends that are Shaping AI and Intelligent Tools in HR Tech Part 1 and Part 2

The decade may only be two months old, but John Sumser has already published more gems than most of us managed in the whole of the last decade. His two-part series on nine trends shaping AI and intelligent tools in HR Tech is a prime example. As John says most of what we talk about in HR Tech as ‘AI’ isn’t really AI. Instead, he prefers to classify it as ‘intelligent tools’. Many of the trends John highlights e.g. Skills Shortages Understated, A New Type of Management and The Next Layer of Bias are all topics organisations we work with at Insight222 are grappling with.

The proliferation of intelligent tools will give every decision maker at every level a range of conflicting inputs from which a decision must be made

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

PHIL MERCY & MARK HAYTON - How can “Customer Perceived Value” (CPV) Inform the Customer Experience of HR?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) has established itself as a leading measure of the customer experience and is one that has been adopted by many companies. In this revealing article Mark Hayton and Phil Mercy examine Nokia’s customer experience metric “Customer Perceived Value” and how it can be used to inform the customer experience of HR.

When we pause to consider all we’ve learned, we realise something quite profound: All perceived experience is relative

GOVERNANCE

ALEXANDRE ARACTINGI, ELIAS BALTASSIS, YASSINE KHENDEK & LUCAS QUARTA - A Show-Don’t-Tell Approach to Data Governance

I featured a terrific article from BCG last month on why good data starts with great governance, so thanks to Lucas Quarta for highlighting this companion piece. In our work at Insight222, we find that too many people analytics teams get bogged down in efforts to develop the perfect analytics engine (skills, technology and above all data) at the expense of identifying and delivering ‘quick win’ work that can drive momentum – and lead to greater investment in people analytics and more visibility. As such, the advice here that “by focusing on the necessary data quality for a few initial use cases, companies can achieve results fast while building the expertise, accountability, and foundations (both technical and organizational) that help them scale” really resonates as does the three-point plan laid out in FIG 6.

 
FIG 6: A use case approach builds data governance capabilities while delivering value (Source: BCG Analysis)

FIG 6: A use case approach builds data governance capabilities while delivering value (Source: BCG Analysis)

 

CREATING A DATA-DRIVEN CULTURE

DAVID WALLER - 10 Steps to Creating a Data-Driven Culture | MARC ZAO SANDERS & JOSH BERSIN – Boost Your Team’s Data Literacy

In the HR Skills of the Future research we conducted last year, People Analytics emerged as the leading skill HR professionals most wanted to learn. This helped shape a good deal of the material we subsequently developed for the myHRfuture Academy. This pair of articles, provides a good taster. First, David Waller provides ten steps to organisations looking to develop a data-driven culture – if I may, I’d suggest an eleventh: Focus efforts on the most important business challenges. Then Josh Bersin teams up with Marc Zao-Sanders to offer ways managers can improve their team’s data literacy.

NANCY DUARTE – Four Storytelling Techniques to Bring Your Data to Life

Storytelling is often described as the ‘last mile problem’ in People Analytics. In this article, renowned communication expert Nancy Duarte explains how by leveraging four techniques from storytelling, leaders can bring a richer, more human understanding to the problem that the data reveals and better understand the opportunities it presents. These techniques are identifying the hero and the adversary, speaking with people generating the data, identifying and addressing conflict, and sharing context.

If it’s your role to communicate data insights and persuade people to change their behaviour, you’ll have more influence and promote better decision-making if you emphasise the people behind the numbers.

THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE ANALYTICS

BERNARD MARR - Future Of People Analytics: What Lies Ahead For Data-Driven HR?

Bernard Marr is usually a couple of years ahead of most people when it comes to understanding how technology and analytics will help shape the future, so this article looking at what lies ahead for people analytics caught my eye. Bernard’s assertions that HR has a unique role to play, must lead the way when it comes to automation and that the future for people analytics “intelligent, data-driven HR” all auger well - particularly if HR is able to direct its efforts to the business challenges that matter most in their organisation.

Demonstrating that you can use data in original ways to solve key problems is a sure-fire path to success in the information age

PODCAST OF THE MONTH

ROB CROSS & HALELLY AZULAY - How Network Analysis Can Improve Your Collaborative Process and Prevent Burnout | STEPHEN FROST & STUART CRAINER – Thinkers50 Podcast: Diversity | URI ORT & DAVID GREEN – What is the future of Talent Assessment?

I’ve selected three podcasts covering a diverse range of topics this month. Firstly, Rob Cross discusses how to leverage network analysis to create efficient networks, improve your collaborative process and avoid overloading your high performers. Then Stephen Frost and Stuart Crainer debate whether or not the diversity and inclusion case has been settled, and if so, what is missing on the execution front. Finally, Uri Ort and I discuss the new generation of assessment tools harnessing gamification, data science and AI and their impact on user experience, bias and business value.

 
 

VIDEO OF THE MONTH | RESEARCH STUDY OF THE MONTH

DOUGLAS A. READY, CAROL COHEN, DAVID KIRON, AND BENJAMIN PRING - The New Leadership Playbook for the Digital Age – Reimagining what It takes to lead Report | Webinar

The 2020 Future of Leadership Global Executive Study and Research Report from Cognizant and MIT Sloan Management Review finds that organisations must empower leaders to change their ways of working and adopt a new set of behaviours (see FIG 7) and mindsets to succeed in the new digital economy. Read the report then view the webinar where the team that created the study explain the research findings and the implications for leadership.

 
FIG 7: Eroding, Enduring and Emerging leadership behaviours (Source: Cognizant, MIT Sloan Management Review)

FIG 7: Eroding, Enduring and Emerging leadership behaviours (Source: Cognizant, MIT Sloan Management Review)

 
 
 

FROM MY DESK

Five Steps to Getting Started with People Analytics

Our research at myHRfuture found that people analytics was the one skill that HR professionals wanted to learn above all others. But where do you start? This article is intended to help get you going: from learning about your business and ensuring you’re answering the right business questions with people analytics to engaging the right stakeholders from the beginning. The article presents resources and case studies that might help you as you embark on this journey to build your people analytics capability.

People Analytics in 2020: Growth, Leading Practices, Case Studies & Ethics

My reflections on LinkedIn’s recent Global Talent Trends 2020 report as well as research we’ve done at Insight222 to examine the state of People Analytics. Topics analysed include the accelerating growth of People Analytics, the successful practices of leading organisations, case studies from the likes of Microsoft, HSBC, Nestlé and Unilever and how ethics is the foundation of delivering value from workforce data.

  

CATCH UP ON THE DIGITAL HR LEADERS PODCAST

If you haven't listened to all of the episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, you can catch up now by clicking on the links below. Series 7 of the Podcast launches on 10th March where my guest will be Piyush Mathur, Global Head, Workforce Analytics, Data Strategy and Governance at Johnson & Johnson, and one of the foremost leaders in the people analytics field.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David is a globally respected writer, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As an Executive Director at Insight222, he helps global organisations create more cultural and economic value through the wise and ethical use of people data and analytics. Prior to joining Insight222 and taking up a board advisor role at TrustSphere, David was the Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM Watson Talent. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations embark upon and accelerate their people analytics journeys. 

SEE ME SPEAK AT THESE EVENTS IN 2020

I’ll be chairing and/or speaking about people analytics, data-driven HR and the Nine Dimensions for Excellence in People Analytics model at the following events until the end of May 2020.

People Analytics, Future of Work, Digital HRDavid GreenFuture of Work, Employee Experience, People Analytics, GovernanceComment