How can workforce analytics enhance HR decision-making and drive business success? 

We’ve just wrapped up Series 41 of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast. While the conversation with guests in each episode explored a myriad of different topics, the one common question for each episode was: How can workforce analytics enhance HR decision-making and drive business success?  

A summary of each episode together with associated links follows:

Sponsored by our friends at Visier

This series of the Digital HR Leaders podcast is sponsored by Visier Inc. – the people analytics platform for successful HR teams.

• Close the gap between your HR productivity and business performance.
• Unlock workforce answers and empower your managers with insights to lead.
• Easier, Faster, On-Demand and At Scale.

Learn more at visier.com.

Register for an Insight222 webinar on October 10: Building the People Analytics Operating Model

Join me, Naomi Verghese and Jordan Pettman for a webinar on October 10 where we’ll be sharing highlights from Insight222 ’s recent study on the evolution of the people analytics operating model You can register for the webinar here – or by clicking on the image below.

EP1: LYNDA GRATTON AND DIANE GHERSON – What is HR's role in successfully integrating a blended workforce?

You’ve got (an increasing) number of people who want the agency of working when and where and on what they want, and they have the skills that are in high demand, and so they can do that.

Gartner estimates that 35-40% of the global workforce will be classified as independent workers by 2025. This raises an interesting question: How does HR navigate this new world of the blended workforce, and effectively manage and integrate freelancers into their organisations?

The rise of the blended workforce was the topic of a recent Harvard Business Review article by Diane Gherson and Lynda Gratton , Highly Skilled Professionals Want Your Work But Not Your Job, and in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, Lynda, Diane and I discuss the ideas within the article in depth.

(Three impacts of the blended workforce on organisational structure). One is work become projects. The second is individuals develop skills and mastery. The third is that you have workflows.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• The factors driving the rapid increase in independent work and how technology is enabling this transformation.
• The impact of a blended workforce (see FIG 1) on organisational structures and the evolving role of managers.
• Practical strategies for HR leaders to adapt workforce planning and recruitment processes to integrate freelancers effectively.
• The importance of building the right cultural infrastructure to support a diverse and dynamic workforce.
• Why people analytics is the engine room for HR.

People Analytics is the engine room for HR, and it should be at the centre of everything HR does. It certainly was for us at IBM, and it enabled us most importantly to forecast and deploy skills in a way that was a win-win for the employee and for the business.

Listen to my conversation with Diane and Lynda on Apple, on Spotify or via your podcast app of choice, and by visiting the Digital HR Leaders podcast homepage and clicking the corresponding logo.

Connect with Lynda on LinkedIn, Diane via LinkedIn and read the two Harvard Business Review articles they have collaborated on: Managers Can’t Do It All and Highly Skilled Professionals Want Your Work But Not Your Job.

EP2: ANGELA LE MATHON – How GSK is Using Data, Analytics and AI to Drive its HR Transformation

Having a really strong people data foundation is critical for our ability to test and learn on AI and skills for the future. Getting the ROI is the tricky part. And so, the foundation has now been established for us to test and learn, for us to really explore how AI and skills are going to drive value for GSK.

In the second episode of the series, my guest was Angela LE MATHON , Vice President of People Data and Analytics at GSK.

As GSK continues its ambitious digital and data-driven HR transformation, Angela shares her insights on how a comprehensive people data strategy can not only support but also drive significant organisational change.

In our conversation, Angela and I discuss:

• The importance of integrating AI into people analytics and together they enhance decision-making.
• The challenges faced during the implementation of a robust data strategy, including aligning it with AI and technology.
• How GSK is leveraging a data-driven approach to manage and optimise talent decisions.
• The role of upskilling and reskilling in building a data-literate HR team.
• Practical strategies for overcoming the hurdles of adopting AI in HR, focusing on ethical considerations and governance.
• How the people analytics function built a skills data infrastructure, which underpins GSK’s shift towards skills-based talent management practices

You want to make sure that if you're putting AI models into HR and supporting decision-making, that you're more of a ‘white box’, that there's more transparency, there's more fairness.

Listen to my conversation with Angela on Apple, on Spotify or via your podcast app of choice, and by visiting the Digital HR Leaders podcast homepage and clicking the corresponding image.

Connect with Angela on LinkedIn.

EP3: KEITH BIGELOW – HR’s Strategic Role in Managing the AI-driven Talent Restructure

My metric of choice right now for the CHRO would be net talent retention. In this market, retaining top talent is without a doubt the single most crucial element for all people leaders.

In the middle episode of the series, I was delighted to speak with Keith Bigelow , Chief Product Officer at Visier Inc. . In our conversation, Keith and I explore the critical role HR plays in leading digital transformation—and how AI is changing the game.

Together, we discuss:

• How HR can lead the charge in digital and AI transformation.
• The impact Generative AI is having on talent management and workforce planning.
• The metrics HR should focus on to demonstrate real business impact.
• Why partnering with Finance is critical to measuring HR success.
• Why everyone should read Mustafa Suleyman’s book, The Coming Wave

(HR needs to take the lead in digital transformation) because Gen AI is going to change work, and not just for one department but for every department. And if that’s true, we need (HR) looking at how it impacts work and culture across the business.

Listen to my conversation with Keith on Apple, on Spotify or via your podcast app of choice, and by visiting the Digital HR Leaders podcast homepage and clicking the corresponding image.

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn, and find out more about Visier.

EP4: TANUJ KAPILASHRAMI AND RAVIN JESUTHASAN - How to Build the Skills-Powered Organisation

The critical capabilities to being a skills-powered organization include work design, talent development, and the ability to deploy those skills at scale and speed

My guests for the penultimate episode of the series were Tanuj Kapilashrami , Chief Strategy & Talent Officer at Standard Chartered , and Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA , Global Leader at Mercer ’s Transformation Services – and together the authors of a brilliant new book, The Skills-Powered Organisation: The Journey to the Next-Generation Enterprise.

HR absolutely has to be at the conversation about work. It’s not just about ensuring the compliance and control of running the enterprise but orchestrating how the work is going to be done with our talent and technology.

In the episode, Tanuj, Ravin and I explore:

• Why traditional job models are falling short
• The business and socio-economic benefits of a skills-based approach
• Leadership shifts needed to drive this transformation
• The role of data infrastructure in powering skills-powered organisations
• The skills journey at Standard Chartered, including how the bank quantified a saving of $60,000 per person by upskilling and reskilling employees to redeploy talent from sunset jobs to sunrise jobs
• Key insights and guidance for HR and people analytics leaders to navigate this change.

Standing still is no longer an option... what we’ve seen is that shifting to a skills-powered model leads to greater speed and agility, and higher productivity.

Listen to my conversation with Tanuj and Ravin on Apple, on Spotify or on your podcast app of choice, and by visiting the Digital HR Leaders podcast homepage and clicking the corresponding image.

Connect with Tanuj and Ravin on LinkedIn, and find out more about the book here: The Skills-Powered Organisation: The Journey to the Next-Generation Enterprise.

EP5: SHARON TAYLOR AND JACO VAN VUUREN – Digitising HR for 55,000 Employees: Lessons from Standard Bank

Centralising employee data allows us to generate real-time insights, improve the decision-making process and enhance employee experience across the board.

In the final episode of the series, my guests were Sharon Taylor and Jaco Van Vuuren , respectively the Chief People and Culture Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Human Capital at Standard Bank Group . Together, we dive into the transformation journey at Africa’s largest bank, learning how it has leveraged digitisation, AI, and people analytics to enhance employee experience, streamline operations, and empower leadership with real-time data insights consolidating 80 systems into 10.

When I started in HR, it was largely transactional - focused on personnel management and payroll. Today, HR plays a critical strategic role, balancing commercial value with understanding human behaviour. We don’t lead people; we enable leaders through data, insights, and culture management. This shift has allowed HR to become a true business partner.

In our conversation, Sharon, Jaco and I discuss:

• The evolution of HR from support function to strategic business partner
• The challenges and rewards of digitising HR for a global workforce
• How centralised data and workforce analytics are driving pay equity, enhancing ESG reporting, and improving decision-making
• The importance of ethical AI use in shaping the future of HR

HR can add real commercial value... it's about ensuring long-term sustainability, focusing on behaviours and culture.

Listen to my conversation with Sharon and Jaco on Apple, on Spotify or on your podcast app of choice, and by visiting the Digital HR Leaders podcast homepage and clicking the corresponding image.

Connect with Sharon and Jaco on LinkedIn.

WATCH THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF SERIES 41

You can also watch each episode on the myHRfuture YouTube channel.  A playlist collating these videos together can be viewed below:

THANK YOU

Thanks to all our guests in Series 41 as well as Adedamola Adeleke and the team at Visier Inc. for sponsoring this series of the podcast. Thanks too to Stefan Kesić , Jasmine Panayides , and the teams at Insight222 , myHRfuture and Listen for bringing the podcast to life.

We’ll be back on October 15, with Series 42 of the podcast, when my guest is Michael Fraccaro , Chief People Officer at Mastercard.

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPONSOR A SERIES OF THE DIGITAL HR LEADERS PODCAST?

If you’re interested in sponsoring a series of the podcast, please get in touch at info@insight222.com

CATCH UP ON PREVIOUS EPISODES OF THE DIGITAL HR LEADERS PODCAST

You can access all 200+ previous episodes of the Digital HR Leaders podcast going all the way back to our first episode with Sharon Doherty (she/her) in May 2019, by going to the Digital HR Leaders homepage. Below are a sample of episodes from the past 18 months:

• Unlocking Organisational Resilience Through a Skills-Based Approach (with Susan Cantrell and Michael Griffiths)
• How Standard Chartered is Unlocking the Power of Skills in the Workplace (with Tanuj Kapilashrami)
• Navigating the Talent Marketplace of the Future (with Jeff Schwartz and Jeroen Wels)
• How AI Can Unlock Human Potential and Make Work More Meaningful (with Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic)
• How Workday Created An Impactful People Analytics Function (with Phil Willburn)
• How To Turn People Data into Actionable Insights (with Caroline O'Reilly)
• How Johnson & Johnson are Scaling Their Skills-Based Approach to Talent (with Christina Norris-Watts and Doug Shagam)
• How Meta Developed a High-Performing People Analytics Team (with Alexis Fink)
• How Raytheon Technologies Productises People Analytics at Scale (with Aashish Sharma)
• People Analytics, Now and the Future: Insights from Wharton PAC (with Prasad Setty and Dawn Klinghoffer)
• Rethinking Leadership for the Future of Work (with Heather E. McGowan 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️)
• Empowering HR and People Analytics Leaders in Managing Microstress (with Karen Dillon and Rob Cross)
• How can people analytics and network data support a successful return to the office? (with Philip Arkcoll)
• How To Scale People Analytics Through Experimentation and Productisation (with Ian OKeefe)
• How to Build a Thriving Workforce Ecosystem (with Elizabeth J. Altman and Robin Jones)
• How to Democratise Data for People Manager Effectiveness (with Lexy Martin)
• How Novartis Use People Data to Navigate Business Transformation (with Ashish Pant)
• How to Create Personalised Employee Experiences (with Piyush Mehta)
• How to Democratise Strategic Workforce Planning (with Alicia Roach and Chris Hare)
• Unmasking Common Myths around Remote Work (with Nick Bloom)
• Nestle’s 4B Methodology to Strategic Workforce Planning (with Alex Browne)
• How to buy HR Technology and use it effectively (with Madeline Laurano)
• Booking.com’s 360-degree view of Employee Experience (with Paulo Pisano)
• How will AI impact People Analytics and HR in 2024 and beyond? (with Thomas Hedegaard Rasmussen Dawn Klinghoffer and Jeremy Shapiro)
• How to Enhance your Career in People Analytics (with Serena H. Huang, Ph.D.)
• How to Overcome AI Adoption Challenges in HR (with Eric Siegel)
• How AI, Generative AI and Analytics is Fuelling Data Driven HR (with Bernard Marr)
• Microsoft's Key to Strategic Workforce Planning Success (with Rebecca Thielen)
• How to Embrace Long-Term Thinking in HR Leadership (with Dorie Clark)
• How to Prove the ROI of a Positive Company Culture (with Didier Elzinga)
• What is Evidence Based HR and Why is it Important? (with Rob Briner)
• How to deliver business value with people analytics in a SME (with Louise Millar and Olivia Edwards)
• How IBM Uses AI to Transform HR (with Nickle LaMoreaux)
• How HR professionals can Master Storytelling with Data (with Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic)
• How to Use Passive Data to Enhance Manager Effectiveness (with Catherine Coppinger)
• Lego’s Blueprint for Modern HR: People, Places and Culture (with Loren I. Shuster)
• Understanding the Build vs. Buy Dilemma in People Analytics and HR Tech (with Craig Starbuck, PhD)
• Four Steps Towards Building a More Diverse and Inclusive Company Culture (with Daisy Auger-Domínguez (she/her/ella))
• Navigating the Future of Work: AI, Skills, and Trust in the Modern Workforce (with Kate Bravery and Ilya Bonic)
• Driving Business Transformation with Advanced People Analytics (with Dirk Jonker)
• Painting the Future of HR with AI, Analytics and Curiosity (with Armand Sohet)
• How Cardinal Health Transformed Their People Analytics Function (with Erin Gerbec, Ph.D.)
• Addressing the Global Skills Shortage with Open Talent Strategies (with John Winsor )
• HR Strategies for Embracing Neurodiverse Talent (with Maureen N. Dunne, Ph.D. )
• Evolving Culture & Employee Experience in Fast-Growth Companies (with Nirit Peled-Muntz )
• How to Create a Flexible Work Model That Enhances Inclusion and Employee Experience (with Heidi Manna )
• How Learning to Fail Can Help People and Organisations to Thrive (with Amy Edmondson )

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 90 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:

• October 16-17 - UNLEASH World (Paris)
• October 22-23 - Insight222 North American Peer Meeting (hosted by Workday in Pleasanton, CA) - exclusively for member organisations of the Insight222 People Analytics Program
• November 12-14 - Workday Rising EMEA (London)
• November 19-20 - Insight222 European Peer Meeting (hosted by Merck in Darmstadt, Germany) - exclusively for member organisations of the Insight222 People Analytics Program

More events will be added as they are confirmed.