Welcome to the inaugural issue of Data Driven HR, my monthly newsletter on people analytics, the future of work and the 'datification' of the HR function.
Each month I'll highlight some of the articles that captured my attention as well as provide a short précis of what I've been up to.
1. Deloitte 2018 Global Human Capital Trends: People Data - How far is too far?
The entire 102 pages of Deloitte's recently published annual Global Human Capital Trends report is a required read, but the chapter on people analytics is particularly fascinating. It outlines the rapid growth of the field, the increase in the range of data sources being used, and the consequent risk this poses to privacy and data security. The authors highlight that whilst organisations are actively managing the risks of using people data around employee perceptions and legal liability, only a quarter are managing the potential impact on their consumer brand. I believe that ethics is the most important part of people analytics as well as being its biggest challenge. The findings in the report only go to reinforce this.
2. Keith McNulty: It's time for HR 3.0
Keith McNulty underlines the unprecedented change work is undergoing, and the extent to which this will revolutionise the capabilities HR needs to consequently develop in the coming years. Keith describes the evolution of HR, from 1.0 (predominantly focused on administration and industrial relations) to 2.0 (business partner, use of data restricted to reporting), and then argues that HR now needs to shift to 3.0. This third version of HR, as Keith explains, requires a more strategic focus in three ways: i) people analytics will be at HR’s core, ii) the HR function will be more agile and efficient, and iii) HR professionals will need to have better business acumen and possess problem-solving skills.
3. Andrew Marritt: Sometimes the best solutions aren't the most sophisticated
I recently had the privilege of chairing People Analytics World in London for the fourth successive year. Indeed this year marked the fifth edition of the conference and as someone who has attended all five, Andrew Marritt is ideally placed to describe how the conversation at People Analytics World has shifted from whether companies should even do people analytics in 2014 to the dominant discussion this year on deriving business value. Andrew then describes two cases presented at the show by Michael Tocci (P&G) and Swati Chawla (Syngenta), which whilst not the most sophisticated or complex projects both provided real and quantifiable business value to their organisations.
4. Ben Waber - Do open offices really increase collaboration?
Ben Waber outlines research his company, Humanyze, has undertaken to identify whether the rush to imitate Google and shift to open office designs actually helps employees be more productive. Some of the findings may surprise you.
5. David Costanza - Can We Please Stop Talking About Generations as if They Are a Thing?
Millennials are not all narcissists and boomers are not inherently selfish. The research on generations is flawed. Some wonderful myth busting here from David Costanza.
6. McKinsey - Linking talent to value
Some compelling research from McKinsey outlining that getting the best people into the most important roles does not happen by chance. Instead, it requires a disciplined look at where the organisation really creates value and how top talent contributes.
7. Wayne Crosby - One Year of Science, Machine Learning, and Love
For those of you (like me) who are old enough to remember the wait for the second Stone Roses album, the anticipation of the great reveal on what Laszlo Bock, Wayne Crosby and the team at Humu are cooking up is very similar. This article offers a few clues and highlights i) they've raised over $40m in funding, ii) have had enquires from 20% of the Fortune 100 despite being in stealth mode, iii) their approach is overwhelmingly focused on improving the life of the employee, and iv) they believe the data revolution in HR is already here. An enticing article that only whets the appetite even more!
8. #HROS Case Study: How Atlassian uses data to attract more qualified and diverse graduate candidates
The superb HR Open Source (#HROS) initiative of Lars Schmidt and Ambrosia Vertesi continues to go from strength to strength and the latest case study to be published on the site is one of the most compelling yet. It provides a detailed case study on how Atlassian successfully harnessed empirical research, technology and employer branding to improve the cognitive diversity (gender and ethnicity) of its technical graduate hires.
...and written by me
9. The 10 best People Analytics articles of April.
The first three articles above are all featured in my monthly round-up of the best articles and podcasts on people analytics for April, which also includes contributions from the likes of Luk Smeyers, Bernard Marr, Josh Bersin, Laura Stevens, Adam Grant and Arianna Huffington.
10. Don't forget the 'H' in HR
Picking up the theme of ethics again, this article previews the presentation (and provides a copy of the slides) I gave at the UNLEASH show in London in March, where I outlined research on employee attitudes to the use of their data for people analytics and gave guidance to practitioners in this critical area of our field.
11. Three reasons why I've joined Insight222 as a board advisor
April was a landmark month for me personally as I left IBM, formed my own company Zandel, launched my website davidrgreen.com and took up board advisor roles at TrustSphere (see here) and Insight222. This article outlines three reasons (there are more!) why I agreed to be a board advisor for Insight222 to support them in achieving their mission - To put People Analytics, as a discipline, at the centre of Business.
What's coming up in May?
The main gig for me in May is the UNLEASH show in Las Vegas where I'll be opening the Smart Data track on day 1 and describing 'The role of Organisational Network Analysis in People Analytics', before moderating the track for both days of the show. If you haven't been to an UNLEASH show before then you're in for a pleasant surprise as this is no ordinary conference. Come prepared to learn, be entertained and have a whole heap of fun.