HR data provides a means to make better people-related decisions, build a deeper understanding of how employees are feeling, and enhance performance. Let’s look at some of the amazing ways HR teams are adding value through data and analytics.
Finding exciting new recruitment channels
One of my favourite examples comes from Walmart’s creative search for data analysts. Rather than advertise through traditional channels, they set a challenge on Kaggle, a crowdsourced analytics competition platform where ‘armchair data scientists’ apply their skills to whatever analytical problems companies submit. Those who impressed at Walmart’s data challenge scored a job with the company. Several people have been hired into the Walmart analytics team thanks to the competition – including people who, according to Mandar Thakur, senior recruiter for Walmart’s Technology division, wouldn’t have been considered for an interview based on their resumes alone.
In the world of motorsport, Nissan is also recruiting through an unusual channel: racing video games! Nissan joined forces with Sony to create the GT Academy, a global annual contest designed to find the best gaming racers and turn them into real-life racing drivers. Hundreds of thousands of hopefuls now enter the contest each year. And all of the winners selected in the past few years are still racing, proving what a useful recruitment channel this has been for Nissan.
The takeaway for HR teams: Don’t wait for the best talent to knock on your door. Find out where your ideal talent hangs out and focus your recruitment efforts there.
Engaging and motivating staff
People analytics company Humanyze offers electronic badges that capture information from employee conversations as they go about their day, including the length of the conversation, the tone of voice involved, how often people interrupt, how well they show empathy, and so on. Using this technology, a major bank noticed that its top-performing call centre workers were those who took breaks together and let off steam collectively. Based on this knowledge, the bank implemented group break policies. The result? Performance improved by 23% and stress levels dropped by 19%.
Elsewhere, IBM has used sentiment analysis to gather insights from employee posts on its internal social networking platform. For example, when IBM was overhauling its performance review system, the company turned to the internal network to ask employees for feedback on ideas for a new review system. They received tens of thousands of responses. Using its Social Pulse text analysis software, IBM surfaced one prevalent concern: employees did not like their performances being graded on a curve. Thanks to data and analytics, the company was able to act in time and discount this method in performance reviews.
The takeaway for HR teams: With the range of data and analytics options available, it’s easier than ever to connect with employees more seamlessly, measure and improve their experience of working for the company, and, in turn, drive employee satisfaction.
Boosting employee safety and wellbeing
Steel producer North Star BlueScope Steel has been working with IBM to design a safety program that incorporates IBM Watson’s cognitive computing power and sensors in wrist bands and helmets. The program, called IBM Employee Wellness and Safety Solution, delivers safety alerts in real time to workers and supervisors. For example, if the technology detects a worker is not moving and they have an increased heart rate and high temperature, it could mean they’re suffering from exertion or even extreme heat stress – in which case, a supervisor could be alerted, or the employee advised to take a break.
In another example, Australian company Seeing Machines has developed technology for mining trucks that tracks the driver’s eyes in order to spot driver fatigue. The system uses a camera, GPS and accelerometer to track eye and eyelid movement, such as how often a driver blinks, how long those blinks last, and how slowly the eyelids are moving – and it can do all this even if the driver is wearing sunglasses. When a driver closes their eyes for longer than 1.6 seconds, an alarm is triggered inside the truck – both a noise and a vibration within the seat. Then, if the alarm is triggered for a second time, a dispatcher or supervisor is alerted, so that they can make contact with the driver via radio.
The takeaway for HR teams: Technology, particularly sensors, has helped to make the workplace safer for a long time now – think smoke alarms, security and entry systems, etc. – but now, thanks to big data and analytics, companies are able to take employee safety to a whole new level.
Making learning and development more effective
With the rise of online learning, corporate learning and development is becoming increasingly personalised to individual learners. Fuelled by data and analytics, ‘adaptive’ learning technology allows courses, course segments, activities and test questions to be personalised to suit the learner’s preference, pace of learning, and best way of learning.
Individual, self-paced online learning is also arguably more cost effective than pulling employees out of their job for a day or week to send them on expensive training courses. Importantly, self-directed learning like this helps integrate ongoing development into employees’ everyday routines. Danone’s online Danone Campus 2.0 is one example of this in action. The food giant has created a user-friendly online platform where employees can boost their development and share best practice and knowledge with other staff.
The takeaway for HR teams: This area of data-driven HR may be less well developed than other areas. But even just a quick glimpse at the digital transformation happening right now in schools, colleges and universities points to how data can facilitate corporate learning and development in exciting new ways.
Driving performance … without alienating people
UPS has taken the use of data and analytics in performance management to an entirely new level. For example, the handheld computer that drivers have been carrying for years (those electronic boxes you sign to say you received your parcel) is actually a sophisticated device that helps drivers make better decisions, such as which order to deliver parcels in for the most efficient route. In addition, UPS trucks are fitted with more than 200 sensors that gather data on everything from whether the driver is wearing a seatbelt to how many times the driver has to reverse or make a U-turn.
By monitoring their drivers and providing feedback and training where needed, UPS has achieved a reduction of 8.5 million gallons of fuel and 85 million miles per year. Plus, drivers now make an average of 120 stops a day. That number used to be less than 100 – meaning the same drivers with the same trucks are now able to deliver more packages than before.
You’d think that monitoring employees so closely might cause a backlash among staff. But enhanced performance means the company can pay its drivers some of the highest wages in the industry, which no doubt helps support employee buy-in for data-driven performance. The company has also taken other steps to ensure they don’t face a driver backlash; for example, under the terms of drivers’ contracts, UPS cannot collect data without informing drivers of what they’re gathering. Nor can they discipline a driver based only on what the data has told them.
The takeaway for HR teams: Data-driven HR allows companies to move away from traditional, time-consuming performance management methods like annual performance reviews (generally dreaded by managers and employees alike). Now, we can better monitor actual performance on a more regular basis (even in real time) and provide feedback to employees in a more constructive, continual and consistent way.
Read more about how data and analytics are transforming HR in Data-Driven HR. It’s packed with real-life examples and practical ways HR teams can deliver maximum value in our increasingly data-driven world
