How to Develop a Data-Savvy HR Department

How can senior leaders help HR develop a culture in which people think analytically? The key is to provide engaging learning opportunities to workers at all levels of expertise. Keep analytically-savvy workers’ skills up-to-date by providing opportunities for advanced training; encourage participation in meet-ups, online user groups and forums; and support participation in professional groups and conferences. A good starting point for analytically-willing employees is to provide foundational education on HR analytics. This can be achieved by requiring all HR staff to complete an online course about the basics of workforce analytics. For analytically resistant employees, focus on how analytics can enhance their personal effectiveness. Pair them with analytically-savvy colleagues to use data and analytics to solve a problem they are struggling with. By understanding the levels of analytics capability in your HR team today, hiring for critical skills to fill gaps, and providing ongoing, targeted and engaging learning opportunities, your organization will be well positioned to realize the promise of analytics in HR.