How Managing Psychology Can Improve Workforce Analytics

HR Data and Workforce Analytics are with good reason becoming increasingly popular. Good data and clever use of them can make HR better and perhaps finally make it the strategic business partner it has the potential to become.

Objective facts and observation about human behavior has guided management and psychology for many years and has increased our understanding of human behavior. Our ever increasing technology power will improve our insights in human behavior and hopefully assist us to make better HR decisions.

BUT advocates of Workforce Analytics underestimate the pitfalls of converting facts to knowledge – many of which are psychological and rooted in the mindset of HR. Three common pitfalls are;

1.       Too much data. Evidence shows that too much information will make us make decisions which are either emotionally driven or irrational. This is understood though the term ‘cognitive load’ and must be managed.

2.       Overcoming bias. When we interpret data we are always biased in several ways; we look for data that will support our existing view (confirmation bias); make decisions despite evidence may favor the alternative (cognitive dissonance) or we believe that two variables are associated and correlate when in fact no association exists (illusory correlations). Our natural tendency to bias must be proactively managed.

3.       Confuse ‘what’ with ‘why’. HR data cannot tell you why people react as they do. Even the most predictive Workforce Analytics will 'only' give you better information for your probabilities to forecast what will happen. Why it happens or how the people will fell about it is also important.

Over and above these pitfalls the single most important challenge in getting maximum value from your data is the underlying mindset. Workforce Analytics can get you as many facts as it is even possible to conceive. It can also give you a lot of interesting information. The most difficult and most value-added challenge however is to find and convert the right information into strategic actionable knowledge. The only way you can generate this knowledge is to truly understand the business and strategy of the company, know what the primary workforce drivers are behind delivering on this strategy and finally understand how to get information and convert it into strategic actionable knowledge. This ability - or mindset - is not always present.

This webinar will explain how to develop the right mindset and to assist you in understanding how to avoid common pitfalls when working with HR Data and Workforce analytics.

Human Resources Personnel using or working with HR data and/or Workforce analytics.

• Understand how human psychology work against the optimal use of HR Data and Workforce analytics
• Three strategies to overcome the three most common (psychological) pitfalls when working with HR Data
• What mindset is required in HR to get the most from HR Data

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		Morten Kamp Andersen Aspector A/S View Profile