Once upon a time in an Australian People Analytics and Planning Consultancy, a CEO said “If you can afford to advertise and pray, then don’t bother with strategic workforce planning”.  That CEO was Peter Howes, of Infohrm. While amusing at the time, it’s a poignant thought today. I am often reminded of the sentiment, as I speak with HR and business leaders about their own workforce planning efforts. Future-Proof Your Workforce It seems that in today’s world, a prayer doesn’t go quite far enough to get the right people, with the right skills, at the right time, in the r ..read more

    Employee Experience (EX) is moving from the sidelines to the core of business planning within companies, according to TI Peoples State of EX Study 2023/2024. However, there are also notable barriers leading to less than half of all companies managing their EX to the best of their abilities. The biggest issue being calculating the financial impact of EX efforts. With EX teams partnering least with finance, this is not surprising. Overcoming Key Challenges and Aligning People Strategies with Financial Goals Several factors make it hard for people-oriented teams to partner with fin ..read more

    An ongoing struggle for people analytics is the translation of insights into impactful actions. As Piyush Mathur put it on the Digital HR Leaders Podcast: insight without action is just overhead. The imperative to demonstrate impact is becoming urgent, because people analytics teams have received significant investments in the past several years, often growing while the rest of HR stagnated or contracted. Making recommendations is not sufficient; impact is created through action. C-Suite Influence: The Key to Impactful People Analytics Insight222’s People Analytics Trends Report ..read more

    Insights from Insight222 Peer Meeting NYC The first North America Insight222 Peer Meeting of 2024, hosted by Colgate Palmolive, unfolded in the vibrant city of New York. It brought together people analytics professionals and industry experts for two days of insightful discussions, collaborative learning, and strategic networking. With a line-up of five speaker sessions, attendees delved deep into the transformative potential of People Analytics. They also explored practical strategies for driving organisational growth through data-driven decision-making.  Unveiling the Po ..read more

    The decision-making process regarding talent is as complex as it is crucial. Talent decisions can shape the course of a company's future and the lives of its employees. Today, we dive into this intricate web of decision-making with an expert whose insights challenge conventional paradigms.  In this expert interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Sharna Wiblen, author of an insightful new book, "Rethinking Talent Decisions: A Tale of Complexity, Technology and Subjectivity". Together we unpack the nuanced role of subjectivity in talent decisions and the symbiotic r ..read more

    The pursuit of an outstanding employee experience (EX) has become more than a mere buzzword; it's an organisational imperative echoing through the corridors of businesses worldwide. While the dialogue surrounding ‘better EX’ is omnipresent, suggesting a universal stride towards enriching workplace dynamics, there's a need to pause and reflect: Are these discussions translating into disciplined action and tangible improvements? Jonathan Ferrar and I explored what ‘Excellence in People Analytics’ looks like in our recent book, which leads me to want to shine the spotlight onto the ..read more

    In today’s digital age, where AI adoption has become a competitive necessity, the question facing every HR leader is not whether to include AI in their strategic toolkit but how best to integrate it.  AI integration will only be as effective as its collaboration with the end user—humans—a notion underscored by recent research at MIT. Studying the synergy between AI and radiologists, the research revealed that while AI systems can rival or surpass human abilities in specific tasks, human biases in integrating AI insights can significantly undercut the potential benefits ..read more

    In the era of technological disruption, workers have often found themselves trapped in a cycle of robotic responses to endless emails, messages, and notifications. With the rise of AI, which takes over mundane tasks, what remains for humans to do? Crucially, a set of uniquely human skills is gaining prominence. Organisations striving for innovation and competitiveness now prioritise diversity of thought, ethical judgment, and complex problem-solving. While AI assists with tasks, it's these distinctly human abilities that drive productivity and performance in times of complexity ..read more

    No matter what industry vertical you are in or what role in HR or people analytics you hold in a company, everything you do at work is to solve the pressing issues of your organisation. But are we solving these issues the best that we possibly can? Are we really focusing on what is essential? More importantly, are we taking a holistic view of the evidence around us?  These are some of the questions that evidence-based HR (EBHR) seeks to answer. It challenges us to look beyond traditional practices and biases and instead rely on multiple data sources, research, and critical ..read more

    A positive work culture is a company's silent heartbeat, subtly influencing every aspect of performance and employee engagement. It shapes the way employees think, act, and interact with each other. Yet, when it comes to gaining investment from the board, the discussion invariably pivots to the bottom line, leaving HR leaders with the task of quantifying the financial impacts of company culture.  But how do you measure the economics of something as intangible as company culture? How do you calculate its return on investment (ROI)?  The Value of Company Culture  Co ..read more