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key decision-making through data analytics. The fact of the matter is, HR has been at the back of the queue, while operational manager colleagues have been using data inform on a wide frame of business staples, from staffing scheduling right through to delivering the product to the customer.
It’s only now that businesses are starting to focus on employees and, at the heart of the issue, is the unfortunate and completely erroneous view that HR is sometimes seen as not delivering impact on the bottom line. When you consider that, set against the irrefutable fact that employee performance is directly connected with business output, it is a bizarre viewpoint to say the least. The bald fact is, any HR department that is not equipped with data science tools cannot compete. However, the signs are that momentum is causing change and as data science proves to be a critical component in competitor firms, the switch is becoming an imperative for the laggards - whether it is too late for some, only time will tell. So, even firms happy for so long to sit on the tail of the curve are realising the error of their ways, as peer firms report the massive potential
people back and limiting the potential of your business - you simply are not going to mine the real nuggets, if the crucial information is filed on a spreadsheet or in someone’s notebook. Working like this means you’re not moving forward and, whilst you’re standing still, your competitors are embracing modern systems and stealing a march because they are delivering an experience where employees are fully engaged with a system that gathers more data, extracts more insights and ultimately informs better business decisions.
Today, regardless of the size of an organisation, automation has levelled the playing field in the recruiting and hiring process. Any recruiter can now use intuitive tools, providing them with data-driven insights to home in on specific types of applicants to achieve smarter, more strategic hires. Modern tools will analyse and aggregate various elements of the employee group to identify a flight risk - looking at length of service, ongoing performance, pay and attendance, to paint a picture of where the employee is at a particular time. This can uncover any potential issues at an early stage and allow a business to take appropriate steps. In general
YES, YOUR OLD LEGACY SYSTEM MAY BE WORKING, AND IT MAY BE COMPLIANT, BUT YOU’RE JUST TICKING A BOX AND THAT IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH. THESE OLD SYSTEMS ARE HOLDING YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE BACK AND LIMITING THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR BUSINESS
improvements in the employee process and the positive impacts that data and analytics is having on the business. It’s long overdue, but finally it’s time for the digital transformation process to reach the HR function. There are plenty of organisations, even large ones, without access to next-generation employee management systems. In many cases, they’re still using legacy HR systems that pre-date the cloud. In an uber-competitive environment, where everyone expects access to information on-demand, that is simply not going to cut it. Yes, your old legacy system may be working, and it may be compliant, but you’re just ticking a box and that is simply not enough. These old systems are holding you and your
terms, there are three main areas in talent acquisition; attracting talent, retaining talent and then ensuring that they are engaged within their role and their function throughout the employee lifecycle. Data analytics allows you to define the right person for a role: What kind of skills do they have? Where are they at the moment? How do you actually go out and find those people? By monitoring response rates through different channels, whether it’s social media or a recruitment agency, you start to build a better understanding which can shape your decisions. You have to be able to track, monitor and measure these things and if you can measure something, you can benchmark it - that is where data has such
a critical role to play. Part of the problem is that historically HR teams have understood the importance of this, but they haven’t had the tools to be able to identify those things. Thankfully, that is changing - lots of areas of the employee process are captured within systems and now we’ve got the tools to be able to extract insights. So, we need to use them.
Of course, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are already changing the way people work. For instance, embedding AI into the recruiting process allows employers to turn data into actionable insights. With machine learning tools, HR leaders can find, screen and engage with high-quality candidates far more quickly. AI technology’s capacity to scan massive amounts of big data, sort and analyse job applications to help employers find the qualities they are looking for in a candidate, is literally revolutionising recruitment. Organisations are now even leveraging enhanced predictive analytics capabilities to help retain top performers, as well as other innovative applications for succession and compensation planning. There are also newer forms of analytics that are gaining ground, such as people, sentiment and benchmarking analytics. As for the next stages of technological change, there are currently more questions than answers about what a quasi-human/machine workplace will look like and as to whether we will reach a point where humans are surplus to requirements in all areas of the business, including HR. However, predictive analytics and AI are opening doors for companies in many ways and employees and organisations need to view technology as a complementary tool. In short, advances in AI will help with the more repetitive HR tasks, while the HR initiatives that require creativity, problem-solving, strategic decision-making, and most importantly, people skills, will still be taken care of by humans. But whether we’re talking about today or tomorrow, one thing we know for sure is that, 2020 represents a real opportunity for the HR industry and it’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss.
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FOR FURTHER INFO
www.ceridian.com/uk
DECEMBER 2019 | thehrdirector | 49
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