Data Analytics has always played a huge role in supporting schools to track pupil attendance and progress, and in establishing the appropriate next steps and interventions to improve outcomes. However, it has a vast range of uses in the People Management landscape. It can assist with the recruitment of talent, use historical data and candidate profiles to help predict the success of potential hires, and lead to better recruitment decisions that in turn lead to reduced turnover rates. Data Analysis can provide your organisation with critical information on applicant demographics, time and cost to recruit, acceptance rates and even the time it takes for a new employee to be working at full productivity levels. In the context of education, in can support with your safer recruitment processes and identify areas for improvement throughout the employee life cycle. Tools like applicant tracking systems can also help to identify pinch points in the recruitment cycle and areas for improvement. Data analytics can also provide you with valuable and actionable information on turnover and retention.
A well-executed data analysis strategy will give you an in depth understanding of your workforce demographic. This can enable you to create a People Strategy aligned to business needs and the individuals you employ, leading to greater employee engagement, wellbeing, productivity, and retention. Data analytics is not confined to the collection and analysis of quantitative data but can also draw on the qualitative. This can give greater insights into employee views and experiences of work-life balance and their sense of connectedness to and pride in the organisation. It can inform both Learning & Development requirements and perceived opportunities and blockers to progression. In short, effective Data Analytics can place your organisation on the path to becoming a true employer of choice.
Constant innovations in technology have made gathering data simpler than ever, from the lower-tech use of spreadsheets to the most sophisticated software, but organisations still need to be mindful of legal parameters and ethical considerations. It is important to bear in mind that even software can discriminate, and some well-publicised algorithms at high profile organisations have unintentionally been found to do just that. When gathering data, ensure that you are honest about what you are collecting with your employees, and the reasons why you are collecting it. You should only collect data that has been agreed with employees as being relevant and required and you should be aware of the limitations of analysis. It is critical to check you are not discriminating (e.g., by using data that is not neutral). Remember that analysing retrospective data risks leaving you open to basing decisions on old and existing biases.
Your Data Analytics Strategy has the power to improve virtually every area of your People Strategy. It should demonstrate that you have carefully considered the data you need, how this will be collected, who it will be seen by, how it will be used to inform future decision-making and how these decisions will be actioned.