The best HR & People Analytics articles of November 2024

The centrepiece of this month’s edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is focused around two topics – Agentic AI and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. One with a technology focus, the other very much a human topic.

With Gartner predicting that that by 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI (up from 0% in 2024), the word on everyone’s lips at UNLEASH World in Paris recently was Agentic AI. But what actually is Agentic AI, and what does it mean for HR technology and HR professionals? Some of the content this month explores these topics. It was also good to hear at Unleash, L’Oreal’s CHRO, Jean Claude Le Grand on the main stage saying in very clear terms that “DEI is not a trend. DEI is part of our DNA”. DEI shouldn’t be used as a political football. But with questions being asked about what Trump’s Second Term Could Mean for DEI, it is important to highlight that DEI is also about business performance. I’ve included two articles this month from Quinetta Roberson (on how to link DEI to business outcomes) and Brian Elliott (on why capitulating to DEI sceptics is counterproductive). When it comes to DEI, now is the time to stand up.

This edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is sponsored by our friends at TechWolf

Transforming talent strategies with skills-based insights

Skills are the currency of the modern workforce. For Workday, unlocking the power of skills was key to transforming their talent strategy—and the results speak for themselves.

Workday faced common challenges: ensuring workforce skills were aligned with business needs, reducing time-to-hire, and creating efficiencies through standardized decision-making frameworks. By partnering with TechWolf, they implemented a skills-based approach that delivered measurable impact:

• 32% faster hiring: Understanding the critical skills for jobs unlocked a skills-based hiring approach, leading to a significant decrease in time-to-fill.
• 85% of the workforce had critical skills aligned to their jobs.
• Saved 12-18 months of manual effort, creating a standardized framework for decision-making.

This partnership didn’t just solve today’s challenges—it prepared Workday for the future. TechWolf’s AI continuously updates skills data, ensuring their workforce strategy remains adaptable in a rapidly changing landscape.

Want to know more about Workday’s journey?

🎥 Watch the on-demand webinar: How Workday Leads the Skills Revolution with AI and Data 🎥 

Explore how a skills-first approach can make a measurable impact on your workforce strategy. To learn more about how TechWolf can help your organization, reach out to us at hello@techwolf.ai or visit the contact page.

To sponsor an edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, and share your brand with more than 135,000 Data Driven HR Monthly subscribers, send an email to dgreen@zandel.org.

November road report

After a heavy travel schedule in September and October, November was a quieter month with my sole trip being to Germany for the final European Peer Meeting of 2024 for member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program® , which was hosted by Alexis Saussinan and Ruben Groen at Merck Group’s HQ in Darmstadt. During the two days, we learned about how Alexis and Khadija Ben Hammada , the CHRO, partner to deliver business value at Merck. We also learned from Ruben and Mariana Hebborn PhD on how Merck has established its enterprise data foundations, from Dawn Klinghoffer on how Microsoft has reconfigured its people analytics function in the age of intelligent automation, and Adam Tombor (Wojciechowski) on how Julius Bär democratised data across the company. If you are a people analytics leader interested in joining the People Analytics Program, and attending our 2025 Peer Meetings – including in Paris on January 28 and 29, and New York on March 4 and 5, please get in touch.

Download the 5th annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends research report

The 2024 Insight222 People Analytics Trends study will be released publicly on December 9. The report, which is informed by a survey of 340 participating organisations, will uncover how AI, data democratisation, and impactful people analytics strategies drive business value and elevate workforce decision-making.

You can download the report here or by clicking on the image below.

Share the love!

Enjoy reading the collection of resources for November and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on October’s compendium.

If you enjoy a weekly dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is published every Tuesday – subscribe here.

AGENTIC AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK

JOANNE CHEN AND JAYA GUPTA - A System of Agents brings Service-as-Software to life | McKINSEY - Why agents are the next frontier of generative AI

With Gartner predicting that by 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024, this is a topic we all need to learn about. Here are two resources that provide some helpful context. (1) A VC view from Joanne Chen and Jaya Gupta , writing for Foundation Capital , which they present as a “$4.6 trillion opportunity as AI transforms software from tool to worker”, with all the inherent implications that has for the workforce (see FIG 1). Thanks to Paul Daley , Gareth Flynn , Nico Orie , and Hung Lee (I recommend following all of these four people) for all highlighting this excellent article. (2) Writing for McKinsey, Lareina Yee , Michael Chui , Roger Roberts , and Stephen Xu , explore the opportunities that the use of gen AI agents presents including how they could work with potential use cases, the value they can bring, and how business leaders should prepare.

FIG 1: A System of Agents (Source: Foundation Capital)

JASON AVERBOOK - How AI Agents are Revolutionizing HR—and How to Get Ready | LARS SCHMIDT - Agents of (Massive) Change: How AI Agents Are Poised to Alter Work | JOSH BERSIN - AI Agents, The New Workforce We’re Not Quite Ready For (Agentic AI)  | FELIPE JARA - HR - Let's Prepare for a Big Wave of Multi-Agents AI Systems

For HR, Agentic AI means shifting away from repetitive administrative tasks to focusing on what truly matters: people.

So, what does Agentic AI mean for HR in terms of the HR technology stack, how we deliver services to employees, and HR professionals themselves? Not surprisingly, with all the hype, there is a growing body of resources on these topics. Here are four I recommend to* Data Driven HR Monthly readers: (1) Definitely subscribe to Jason Averbook ’s Now of Work Substack. In this blog, he provides five tips for HR to get ready for AI agents including: (i) Upskilling HR teams, (ii) Assessing current processes to identify and prioritise use cases, and (iii) Working on improving data quality. (2) Lars Schmidt ’s primer is also highly recommended. It includes a guide to three categories of AI and how they are impacting work: bots, AI agents, and digital workers: “As we weave agentic AI capabilities into our businesses, we will likely deconstruct jobs into individual tasks and then identify the tasks that can be fully automated by these new AI technologies and agents.” (3) Josh Bersin has been all over agentic AI, and has recorded several podcasts on the topic as well as this article, which explains how the “’Large Language Models’ we’ve been learning about for the last two years are now turning into ‘Large Action Models’”, as well as outlining two potential uses cases in L&D and recruiting. As Josh mused in his keynote at Unleash World in Paris, AI is set to dominate the HR Tech stack (see FIG 2). (4) Last but not least, Felipe Jara provides a helpful synopsis of the emerging macro trends in enterprise AI for HR including a summary of the tools that major players like Workday , SAP , ServiceNow and One Model (see FIG 3) are introducing. He also lays out four focus areas of opportunity for HR including guidance on how to prepare your data foundation.

FIG 2: AI dominates the HR Tech stack (Source: Josh Bersin at Unleash World, Paris, October 2024)

FIG 3: The Evolution of Agents and Enterprise AI (Source: One Model – see here)

ANDY SPENCE - The Next Wave of AI: Building Your Own Digital Workforce

This is going to be fundamental change in how we interact with AI. It's moving us from being passive consumers of AI tools to active creators of personalized AI assistants. The great thing is we won’t need to be a machine learning expert or a seasoned programmer to get started.

Finally on the Agentic AI theme this month, a twist as in an edition of his brilliant Workforce Futurist, Andy Spence writes about Agent Engineering, and how individuals (not just companies): “can create and deploy their own army of AI agents for a wide array of personal and professional tasks.” In his article, Andy breaks down what agent engineering is, the rise of personal AI agents, how to get started with agent engineering (including tools and platforms), and how it might reshape work, learning and our daily lives. 

FIG 4: Agent engineering framework process (Source: Andy Spence)

MIT AND BCG - Learning to Manage Uncertainty, With AI

Companies that boost their learning capabilities with AI are significantly better equipped to handle uncertainty from technological, regulatory, and talent-related disruptions compared with companies that have limited learning capabilities.

A new study by Sam Ransbotham , David Kiron , Shervin Khodabandeh , Michael Chu , and Leonid Zhukov, Ph.D for MIT Sloan Management Review and BCG finds that companies that combine organisational learning with AI-specific learning, which they define as Augmented Learners, outperform those that apply either approach in isolation or neither (see FIG 5). For example, these Augmented Learner companies are twice as likely to weather talent-related disruptions, demonstrating that they are more resilient to workforce volatility. Thanks to Allison Ryder for highlighting the study.

FIG 5: Learning Capabilities Vary (Source: MIT Sloan Management Review and BCG)

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

QUINETTA ROBERSON - How Integrating DEI Into Strategy Lifts Performance

By explicitly linking DEI goals to business outcomes, companies create a clear vision of how diversity adds value.

In her timely article Quinetta Roberson presents the findings of a study on diversity, equity and inclusion and company financial performance, and highlights the practices for achieving competitive advantage through DEI. These findings include that a bundled practice approach to DEI amplifies the performance effects of individual practices – see example in FIG 6. Quinetta also presents a three-point blueprint for meaningful action to DEI: (1) Strategically align DEI with business goals. (2) Systemically integrate DEI practices. (3) Make evidence-based improvements.

FIG 6: DEI practice bundles (Source: Quinetta Roberson)

BRIAN ELLIOTT - How to Stand Up When It Comes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The backlash against DEI is out of sync with the opinions held by the most important set of stakeholders: your employees.

In this powerful column for MIT Sloan Management Review, Brian Elliott tackles the growing backlash by some companies in the US on diversity, equity and inclusion. He highlights two dangers of backing away. First, the fact that DEI programs are actually getting more popular with employees, not less, and increasingly view it as a business topic rather than a political one. Second, capitulating on DEI commitments doesn’t settle the issue with employees or customers especially as research by Edelman finds that 76% of employees want companies to recommit not retreat. Elliott also provides guidance on three approaches to having real conversations on this topic, highlighting examples from his experience in leading teams at Google and Slack: (1) Let people voice their concerns about DEI programs. Don’t stifle the conversation or run away. (2) Use the words diversity, equity, and inclusion — not DEI. Explain what the words mean, correct misinformation, and tie them back to business results. (3) Keep in mind that memos don’t create trust; employee engagement does.

PEOPLE ANALYTICS

PHIL WILLBURN - People Analytics Demystified: A Practitioner’s Handbook

Highly effective HR organizations know that every area of the business makes people decisions. The best people analytics teams excel by scaling people insights to all business leaders, ensuring these insights reach those making critical people decisions

Phil Willburn , the Head of People Analytics, and his team recently hosted a Peer Meeting for member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program® at Workday’s global headquarters in California. During the two days, Phil and his team presented some of the amazing work they are doing with people analytics in areas such as workforce planning, employee experience and hybrid work. Some of the content they presented is in this insightful e-book, which shines a light on how Workday has scaled people analytics in its own company (see FIG 7), their product-oriented and persona-based approach, and provides details on three case studies including how the team provides insights on flexible work and collaboration.

FIG 7: People analytics and insights at Workday (Source: Phil Willburn, Workday)

COLE NAPPER, JIN YAN, AND BEN ZWEIG - What is happening to people analytics? A 15 Year Trend Part Two | Part Three

Following on from Part One of their study on employment trends in the people analytics field over the last 15 years, which I featured in the September edition of Data Driven HR Monthly, Cole Napper , Jin Yan and Ben Zweig return for a second helping – and a third helping with Kristin Saboe, Ph.D. In Part Two, Cole, Jin and Ben turn their attentions to an analysis of the skills of people analytics professionals and the impact of the field during the last 15 years. The insights they uncover include: (1) While people analytics specialists are more likely to hold a doctoral degree (8.2%) than other HR specialists (1.4%), advanced skills (e.g. SQL, GenAI, Python) haven’t been adopted in the numbers expected. (2) There is a correlation between companies with ‘prestigious’ people analytics teams and companies being rated more highly for employee sentiment (see FIG 8). They also provide three recommendations for the field moving forward: (1) Add real value and break the cycle. (2) Mature the people analytics function. (3) Let’s get back to growth. In Part Three, Kristin takes the lead to shine the lens on how the composition of government people analytics jobs have changed over the last 15 years.

FIG 8: Companies with a prestigious people analytics team are rated higher by employees (Source: Revelio Labs)

ERIC LESSER, ERIC BOKELBERG, AND DEVON JOHNSON - Powering people analytics through HR data: How to strategically integrate data as a product

Data products help analysts better grasp what data is available, where it comes from, how it can be used and how to put it together to gain insights effectively. When a new business question arises, the needed data is often already available in a data product, making it easy to gather the correct information.

Eric Lesser , Eric Bokelberg , and Devon Johnson from Deloitte provide a helpful breakdown on how to implement data products through applying key principles of product management across the data lifecycle, namely: ownership, reuse, quality, cataloguing and security. They outline three steps to get started with data products: (1) Educate HR and IT teams about data products; (2) Focus on impactful use cases (“Instead of creating numerous data products, concentrate on those that effectively address pressing business needs”); (3) Establish a strong governance model.

CHRISTOPHER ROSETT – Reporting, Analytics, Research, Statistics (RARS) | SERENA HUANG - The Future of Work: Human Skills in the Age of AI | GIOVANNA CONSTANT – The 10 Commandments for every People Analytics professional | MITCH MIHANOVIC – People Analytics Lessons  | WILLIS JENSEN - An Unusual Application Using Organizational Network Data | A.J. TUFTE – Making Workforce Planning Strategic: Three Vs | BEN TEUSCH – A reflection on six years at Facebook

The true value of people analytics lies in translating insights into actionable strategies and programs that enhance employee engagement and drive business performance.

In each edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, I feature a collection of articles by current and recent people analytics leaders. These are intended to act as a spur and inspiration to the field. Seven are highlighted in this month’s edition. (1) Christopher Rosett outlines the RARS (Reporting, Analytics, Research, Statistics) model he uses with his analytics teams and customers at Amazon (see FIG 9). (2) Serena H. Huang, Ph.D. presents seven human skills required in the age of AI (see FIG 10). (3) Giovanna Constant presents her ten commandments for people analytics professionals including i) You shall worship data quality, ii) You shall train HR teams in data literacy, iii) You shall not create confusing dashboards. (4) Mitch Mihanovic shares three things he has learned from working in the people analytics field, including: “The true value of people analytics lies in translating insights into actionable strategies and programs that enhance employee engagement and drive business performance.” (5) Willis Jensen walks through a case study of using ONA to support compensation decisions for employees. (6) A.J. Tufte breaks down his Three Vs of Strategic Workforce Planning: i) Value (“what value does the work provide”) ii) eVolution (“how does the work need to change”), and iii) Volume (“how much of the work is needed”). (7) Finally, Meta has made a number of layoffs including from its people analytics team in the last few weeks. One of those impacted is Ben Teusch , who penned a reflection on his six years with the company. Wherever Ben decides to go next will be very fortunate to land such a talented practitioner.

FIG 9: The RARS model (Source: Christopher Rosett)

FIG 10: Seven human skills required in the age of AI (Source: Serena Huang)

THE EVOLUTION OF HR, LEARNING, AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE

RAVIN JESUTHASAN, MIRIAM DAUCHER, AND ALEX ZEA - The future of human resources: Who will care for the human at work?

As the trusted link between organizations and their employees, HR can lead the charge in creating fulfilling workplaces and helping people thrive in an era of transformative technological change, ensuring that AI serves humanity, not the other way around.

Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA , Miriam Daucher , and Alexandra Zea present a new paper from Mercer on the future of human resources in the fifth industrial revolution. They paint a compelling evolution for the function to move beyond being stewards of employment to being stewards of work, and ultimate being stewards of humanity through (1) Ethical use of AI. (2) Safeguarding ESG. (3) Preserving human well-being.

FIG 11: HR’s changing role through the history of industrial revolutions (Source: Mercer)

ASAF JACKOBY - Work, Workforce, and Workplace: The Role of CHROs in Leading Change

As Asaf Jackoby , VP HR for Amdocs, writes, chief human resources officers have a pivotal role to play in transforming the landscape of work, workforce and workplace. His article presents a framework (see FIG 12), and provides detail about each of the three categories and the individual components within it: (1) The Work – AI will transform the way we define work, (2) The Workplace – Creating an inclusive and adaptable environment, and (3) The Workforce – who does the work.

FIG 12: Source – Asaf Jackoby

WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS

BRIAN FISHER, KATE BRAVERY, KATIE JENKINS, AND LAUREN ROBERTSON - Measuring skills in the age of agile work

A helpful primer from the Mercer team of Brian Fisher , Kate Bravery , Katie Jenkins , and Lauren Robertson on three ways to ascertain employee skills (see FIG 13): (1) Inferred skills (“The starting point for skills measurement”), (2) Rated skills (“The employee and manager view of skills proficiency”), and (3) Validated skills (“Approaches for validating behavioural and technical skills”). As the authors highlight:

Although each method of collecting skills data has its respective merits, methods can also be combined to paint a more complete skills picture that strengthens talent decision-making and can better inform business strategy.

FIG 13: Three components of a skills measurement strategy (Source: Mercer)

EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING

MICHAEL ARENA AND AARON CHASAN - Fostering Friendships: The Game Changer in Employee Retention

One study found that an employee’s position in the network can predict turnover with 85% accuracy. This is especially true for friendship networks.

Research consistently finds that those with friends at work are far more likely to stay. Indeed, in their article for HR Exchange Network, Michael Arena and Aaron Chasan share the results of a study with a technology company, which found that there was a 44% drop in turnover rate for those who went from 0 friends to just 1. They also provide guidance on how organisations can create a climate for friendships to blossom: (1) Create opportunities for employees to connect; (2) Actively encourage friendships among colleagues; (3) Evaluate the level of connections in the workplace; (4) Create an environment of belonging.

KENNEDYFITCH – Employee Experience Report 2024: Humanized Growth In A Digital Era

You need data to prove your cause, prove your arguments and prove your impact.

This is a highly impressive report on the current state and long-term vision for employee experience by the team at KennedyFitch including Joan Beets , Frank van den Brink , Sander de Bruijn and Patrick Coolen . Highlights include: (1) Analysis on the current state of EX as it relates to maturity (see FIG 14), tools, skills, team responsibilities, leadership buy-in and main obstacles. (2) Insights into the goals, planned skills/tools development and anticipated challenges for the next 12 months. (3) Exploration of how AI and other factors will transform EX and HR. (4) Case studies from EX trailblazers including Sebastian Knepper (Deutsche Telekom), Vasuki Ranganath (Volvo), Lea Mikus (Celonis), Andreas Mayer (ING), Volker Schrank and Joachim Decock (Mondelez), and Ruth Bielderman (Royal BAM Group). An absolute must-read report for anyone working or interested in employee experience.

FIG 14: EX Maturity Model (Source: KennedyFitch)

DAVE ULRICH AND WENDY ULRICH - What Is the Next Step for Employee Experience? The Why, What, and How of Hope

Hope is an emerging fifth wave of managing mental health challenges that shape employee experience which in turn impacts stakeholder value.

The cost of mental illness and the related consequences is projected to be $6 trillion globally by 2030. As Dave Ulrich and Wendy Ulrich write, in the workplace, mental health often connects to the employee experience, which in turn impacts stakeholder and business outcomes (see FIG 15). The article then identifies hope as a new dimension of the employee experience (see FIG 16), and details six principles of what hope means in an organisational setting, so that organisations with hope: (1) Transform the future, (2) Are based in healthy relationships and conversation, (3) Ensure efficacy, (4) Rely on realistic optimism, (5) Empower people, and; (6) Address personal needs. Finally, Dave and Wendy offer seven skills for leaders to master to turn principles into actions that increase hope. An important and timely article.

FIG 15: Logic of Mental Health, Employee Experience and Stakeholder Value (Source: Dave Ulrich and Wendy Ulrich)

FIG 16: Evolution of Ideas Related to Employee Experience (Source: Dave and Wendy Ulrich)

LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND LEARNING

McKINSEY - Go, teams: When teams get healthier, the whole organization benefits

Team effectiveness is less art, more science

A new McKinsey study identifies the elements of team effectiveness that have the most significant impact on team performance: trust, communication, innovative thinking and decision-making. The authors debunk several other myths about how teams operate, and highlight the importance of context and how it determines the behaviours that matter most for a team to function effectively. A framework is presented that categorises teams into three archetypes: cycling, relay and rowing teams, which also highlights the top performance drivers for each (see FIG 17). Finally, the article details four actions for leaders to help their teams succeed: (1) Take a hard look in the mirror. (2) Make sure the changes stick. (3) If you are a team leader, don’t stand in the way of progress. (4) Embed team effectiveness in the organization’s DNA. (Authors: Aaron De Smet , Gemma D'Auria , Liesje Meijknecht , Maitham Albaharna , Anaïs Fifer , and Kimberly Rubenstein, PhD )

FIG 17: Three archetypes of teams (Source: McKinsey)

ALLAN H. CHURCH AND JANINE WACLAWSKI - Humpty Dumpty and the 9-Box: Five Steps to Putting it Back Together Again Using the Science of Leadership Potential

(The 9-box) should be about understanding the consistency between what the organization thinks of its talent (designated potential) and what the data indicates against a validated predictive model (assessed potential).

As Allan Church, Ph.D. and Janine Waclawski outline in their revealing article, while the 9-box model is commonly used talent management tools many companies struggle to use it effectively. Church and Waclawski believe this is because most organisations are doing it wrong, explaining the tendency to fall into “the performance-potential paradox”. They ten outline five steps towards having a best-in-class 9-box: (1) Throw Out Performance Ratings – They Should Be a Gatekeeper, not a Predictor. (2) Keep Your Current Talent Framework and Embrace it – But Re-label it as Designated Potential. (3) Introduce the Science of Leadership Potential – By Using Formal Assessments & Data (see the New 9-box in FIG 18). (4) Don’t Box Yourself In – Determine the Right Size Grid for Your Organization. (5) Use Data to Diagnose the Gaps – Between Designated Potential and Assessed Potential.

FIG 18: Leadership potential for the new 9-box (Source: Allan H. Church and Janine Waclawski)

HR TECH VOICES

Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from November that I recommend readers delve into. In a slight change-up this month, I’ll start with a couple of pieces that analyse the people analytics and wider HR technology market:

• DAVE ZIELINSKI - How GenAI is Transforming People Analytics Software – Analysis by David Zielinski for SHRM on how GenAI is democratising the use of people analytics and lowering the barrier to entry, which features insights from Stacia Sherman Garr , Jeremy Shapiro , Lydia Wu , and Sameer Raut .
• EKTA LALL MITTAL - The Realities of HR Tech Part 1 | Part 2  - In her column for Transform, Ekta Lall Mittal provides insights and guidance on the HR technology market. In Part 1, she looks at how to get started and ways to connect business and people strategy with technology. In Part 2, Ekta provides guidance on how to conduct a current state analysis of your tech stack.
• LISA SIMON - The Ripple Effect of Female Leadership in Data – Lisa K. Simon , Chief Economist at Revelio Labs , highlights some of the main findings from a report on the Career outlook for women in D&A and AI, she co-authored with Asha Saxena and Robert Parr . One of these was that companies with more women in senior executive data roles have higher female representation in data roles across the organisation. The difference is greatest for junior roles (see FIG 18).

FIG 18: The more woman in leadership, the more women overall (Source: Revelio Labs)

• VISIER – Embracing the AI Driven Workforce: 5 Workforce Trends for 2025 – It’s that time of year when we start hearing the word ‘trends’ a lot, and Visier Inc. is one of the first out of the traps with their five workforce trends for 2025. It’s an insightful read featuring contributions from the likes of Angela LE MATHON , Jill Larsen , Keith Bigelow , and Dawn Klinghoffer .

FIG 19: The ABCDs of Creating a Future-Proof Agile Workforce (Source: Visier)

• DIRK JONKER - Finance and Human Resources: A Strategic Partnership for Business Growth – Crunchr CEO Dirk Jonker explains why and how HR and Finance should work together, and paints a vision where: “Together, HR and finance can unlock a future where employees are seen for what they truly are: a company’s most significant (and measurable) asset.”
• FRANCISCO MARIN - The Shift from Authority to Influence: Power Distribution in a Network-First Future of Work – Francisco Marin of Cognitive Talent Solutions continues his excellent series of articles on moving to a network-first approach by analysing the shift of power from authority to influence.

PODCASTS OF THE MONTH

In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected six gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below):

• BROOKE WEDDLE, BRYAN HANCOCK, AND WENDY MILLER - Why being in HR is getting tougher—and how to break through – In a fascinating episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Brooke Weddle , Bryan Hancock , and Wendy Stratman Miller join host Lucia Rahilly to discuss the dynamics that are making HR tougher than ever—as well as what leaders can do differently to begin turning morale around.
• CONNIE NOONAN HADLEY - Make it Safe for Employees to Speak Up – Connie Noonan Hadley guests on Steelcase’s Work Better podcast with host Chris Congdon to discuss why and how managers should encourage employees to speak up about mistakes, ideas, and questions – essentially by creating a psychologically safe work environment.
• DANIELLE BUSHEN – Navigating Pay Transparency with People Analytics - Danielle Bushen , Global Head of People Analytics Data Governance and Stewardship at Sanofi, joins David Turetsky on HR Data Labs to explore how people analytics intersects with compensation, how to modernise compensation through data-driven practices, and the importance of pay transparency.
• MATTHEW HAMILTON - How To Master People Analytics and Deliver Insights That Actually Work - Matthew Hamilton , VP of People Analytics & HRIS at Protective Life, joins host Christopher Rainey on HR Leaders to discuss the challenge of delivering actionable insights to leaders -  the last mile problem - and the importance of storytelling with data.
• PAUL RUBENSTEIN AND JOSH BERSIN - What’s Holding Back People Analytics? – Josh Bersin and Paul Rubenstein , Chief Customer Officer at Visier, discuss how the people analytics market has evolved, and why only around 10% of People Analytics teams deliver strategic business value.

VIDEO OF THE MONTH

LEENA NAIR – View From the Top

Leena Nair is that rarity of a chief people officer that rises to the role of CEO having transitioned from CHRO at Unilever to CEO at Chanel in January 2022. In this interview with Ayesha Kamik as part of Stanford’s View From the Top series, Leena shares her inspiring journey with insights from her life and career, including her time in human resources, how to build company culture, her leadership principles, how to break barriers and her thoughts on AI and the future of work.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

RUSSELL KLOSK – Talent Prophecy: Creating Strategic Impact Through Workforce Planning and Talent Strategy

In Talent Prophecy, Russell Klosk (智能虎) provides a comprehensive guide to workforce planning, which should have particular resonance for HR professionals involved in workforce planning activities. The book provides readers with practical and accessible tools to: (1) Analyse your current workforce capabilities. (2) Predict future talent needs across various business scenarios. (3) Create adaptive strategies for talent acquisition and development. (4) Leverage AI and emerging technologies. (5) Build stakeholder support for talent initiatives.

RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH

ZHEYUAN (KEVIN) CUI, MERT DEMIRER, SONIA JAFFE, LEON MUSOLFF, SIDA PENG, AND TOBIAS SALZ - The Effects of Generative AI on High Skilled Work: Evidence from Three Field Experiments with Software Developers

This paper explains the findings from a study to evaluate the impact of generative AI on software developer productivity through analysing data from three trials conducted at Microsoft, Accenture, and an anonymous Fortune 100 electronics manufacturing company. The researchers ( Kevin Zheyuan Cui , Mert Demirer , Sonia Jaffe , Leon Musolff , Sida Peng, and Tobias Salz ) found that introducing a generative AI tool to software developers did increase productivity, with less-experienced developers showing higher adoption rates and greater productivity gains. You can also read this summary of the paper by Dylan Walsh: How generative AI affects highly skilled workers.

FROM MY DESK

November saw the final two episodes of Series 42 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by Workday (thanks to Sophie Barnes and Jennifer Neumann ), an article rounding up the key learnings from series 42, and the first two episodes of Series 43, sponsored by TechWolf (thanks Maaike Standaert , Mikaël Wornoo🐺 , Andreas De Neve 🐺 ).

• ANISH LALCHANDANI - The Four Reskilling Principles Every HR Leader Should Know - Anish Lalchandani , Global Head of Talent Management at Maersk, joins me to discuss insights from his book, The Skills Advantage, including why reskilling should be a key component of talent management strategy, the four cornerstones of reskilling, and key metrics to tie reskilling efforts to business value.
• LARA WAINWRIGHT AND DUNCAN REYNELL - How Digital Transformation Fuels Skills and EX at Lloyds Banking Group - Lara Wainwright , Product Owner and Lab Lead, and Duncan Reynell , Group Talent & Development Director, join me to share how digital transformation is driving Lloyds Banking Group’s shift to a skills-based organisation.
• SANDRA LOUGHLIN - Building a Skills-Based Organisation: Lessons from a 30-Year Journey – Sandra Loughlin, PhD , Chief Learning Scientist, discusses the lessons EPAM Systems has learned over its 30-year skills journey and how organisations can apply these insights to their own skills transformations.

• KEITH SONDERLING – Responsible AI in HR: The Ethical Roadmap for Success – For four years, Keith Sonderling was the Commissioner at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). During this time, Keith openly engaged with the HR tech and people analytics community on AI in HR. In this episode, recorded just before Keith’s term ended, we reflect on what AI in HR means for organisations and technology firms, as well as have a broader discussion on discrimination in the workplace.
• DAVID GREEN - How can organisations use workforce data to drive culture, inclusion and engagement? - A round-up of the key discussions and learning from series 42 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast featuring: Michael Fraccaro , Michael Arena , Jason Scheckner , Anish Lalchandani, Lara Wainwright and Duncan Reynell.

SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PEOPLE ANALYTICS NETWORK CENSUS

This is a great initiative by Andrew Pitts , Richard Rosenow , Matthew Diabes, PhD , and Stephanie Murphy, Ph.D. Together they have launched the People Analytics Network Census (PANC), which aims to map and understand the global people analytics network, tracking connections across professionals in our field through a single active organisational network analysis. You can find out more about the initiative and sign up to PANC here.

LOOKING FOR A NEW ROLE IN PEOPLE ANALYTICS OR HR TECH?

I’d like to highlight once again the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which now numbers over 475 roles, and has now been developed into a LinkedIn newsletter too – you can read the latest edition here.

THANK YOU

• Richard Rosenow for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast episodes with Craig Starbuck, PhD and Rob Briner on his Election Day Playlist
• Veronika Birkheim for including me on her list of experts on LinkedIn to read, listen and follow
• Thomas Kohler for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast episode with Anish Lalchandani in his excellent list of HR resources
• Nick Broughton for including me on his list of top 40 voices in the remote work industry.
• Wolfgang Brickwedde for including me in his article on the Recruiting Tech Highlights of Unleash 2024
• OpenHR UK for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast as one of four must-listen to podcasts, along with podcasts by Matt Alder Ben Geoghegan and Lucinda Carney 🌞
• Finally, a huge thank you to the following people who either shared the October edition of Data Driven HR Monthly and/or posted about the Digital HR Leaders podcast, conferences or other content. It's much appreciated: Scott Rogers Tobias W. Goers ツ Jordan Hartley David McLean Jaqueline O. Tim Sharp Delia Majarín Andreea Lungulescu Dart Lindsley Sharna Wiblen Amardeep Singh, MBA Selina Yankson Olivier Vidal Lukasz Sowinski Lenka Máchová Nick Lynn Russ Fatum BS, BS, MSA, MBB, PMP Tanguy Dulac Aurélie Crégut Roshaunda Green, MBA, CDSP, Phenom Certified Recruiter Stephanie Denino Ian Grant FCIPD Purvi Vasani Lewis Garrad Rafael Senise David Simmonds FCIPD William Thai, Ph.D., SHRM-CP Olivia Li Md Shahid Ullah Bhuyan Facundo Tomás García Bob Pulver Corine Boon Alessandro Cosentino Jose Luis Chavez Vasquez Kalifa Oliver, Ph.D. Samir Murgude , SPHR®, SHRM-SCP, IHRP-SP Jayashree Shivkumar Dr. Jeeta Sarkar Abbie Gnewuch Zachary Schurmann 🏳️🌈 Aurangzeb Soharwardi CDIS. CHRP. SAP HCM Aravind Warrier Catriona Lindsay Luis Maria Cravino Kerron Ramganesh Ralf Buechsenschuss David Hodges Ouarda Guergour Marijana Brasiello, MHRM Malgorzata Langlois Amit Mohindra Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP-SP, SHRM-SCP, CIPD) Lore Muraina, PMP, PMI-ACP, CPP Alan Susi Yuyan Sun Sven Hultin Greg Pryor Kathleen Kruse Jaap Veldkamp Aleksandra Borisova, RODP Hrvoje Bulat Jaejin Lee Wayne Tarken Caitie Jacobson Nathalie Kumbrink, PHR®, SAFe® APM Melissa Arronte Nicole Lettich Nils Bunde Mia Norgren Shane Walsh Irina Villacreces, M.S., SPHR, PMP Jaana Saramies 🔮 Stacy Davies Ruben Santos Justin Shemeley Richie Citta Erin Gerbec, Ph.D. Mircea-Stefan Glavici Bri Klein Indre R. Alex Paton Ramesh Karpagavinayagam Megan Cox (née Phelps) Natasha Ouslis, PhD Tina Peeters, PhD Joseph Frank, PhD CCP GWCCM Lucie Vottova John Fisher Whitney Giga, PHR, SWP Graham Tollit Dave Millner Nicole Davis Barry Swales Dr. Sebastian Projahn David Littlechild Tatu Westling Philipp Heller Blaine Ames Shujaat Ahmad Irene Wong Greg Newman Adam McKinnon, PhD. Kanwal Safdar Irada Sadykhova Hanadi El Sayyed Tanya Arrowsmith Nabil Dewsi Henrik Håkansson Lina Makneviciute Alejandro Giordanelli Andras Szabo Radka Krempova David van Lochem Andreas Maroulis Ohad Geron Placid Jover Sydney Dolanch Isabel Naidoo Rob Kok Kimberly Rose Nick Hayter Annia Balcazar Cabana Anna A. Tavis, PhD Claire Masson Agnes Garaba Sebastian Kolberg Sabine Bothe Sophia Huang, Ed.D. Mariami Lolashvili Philip Arkcoll Erik Otteson Alexandra Nawrat Kristina Schoemmel Craig Starbuck, PhD Maria Alice Jovinski Toon van der Veer Petra Noble Julia Brandon, PhD Aritra M. Scott Nemeth Shannon Rutledge Gal Mozes, PhD Ken Clar Kelly Monahan, Ph.D. Jacob Nielsen Olimpiusz Papiez Nick Hudgell Sonia Mooney Marcela Mury Christopher Cerasoli Dr. Peter Schulz-Rittich Ludek Stehlik, Ph.D. Craig Forman Kelly Satterfield Perri Ma Anna Gullstrand Victoria Holdsworth Joanna Bloor Pietro Mazzoleni Andrés García Ayala Kristhy Bartels Tim Peffers John Golden, Ph.D. Nicole Hazard Søren Kold Kirsten Edwards Doug Shagam Geetanjali Gamel John Gunawan Jack Liu

UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR PEOPLE ANALYTICS FUNCTION THROUGH THE INSIGHT222 PEOPLE ANALYTICS PROGRAM

At Insight222, our mission is to make organisations better by putting people analytics at the centre of business and upskilling the HR profession The Insight222 People Analytics Program® is your gateway to a world of knowledge, networking, and growth. Developed exclusively for people analytics leaders and their teams, the program equips you with the frameworks, guidance, learnings, and connections you need to create greater impact.

As the landscape of people analytics becomes increasingly complex, with data, technology, and ethical considerations at the forefront, our program brings together over one hundred organisations to collectively address these shared challenges.

Insight222 Peer Meetings, like this event in London, are a core component of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®. They allow participants to learn, network and co-create solutions together with the purpose of ultimately growing the business value that people analytics can deliver to their organisations. If you would like to learn more, contact us today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Green 🇺🇦 is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021.

MEET ME AT THESE EVENTS

I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in 2024 and early 2025:

• December 5 - Visier Outsmart Local - Building Your People Data Strategy, London
• December 10-12 - Workday Rising EMEA, Amsterdam
• January 21 - People Analytics in Italy: Insights from Research and Practice with Martha Curioni and Aizhan Tursunbayeva, PhD, GRP (VIRTUAL - Register here)
• January 23 - The Strategic Outlook for People Analytics in 2025 with Ian Cook and Dawn Klinghoffer (WEBINAR - Register here)
• February 26-27 - People Analytics World, Zürich
• April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London

More events will be added as they are confirmed.