This week we were pleased to host guest speaker Di Hopper, previously HR Director at Promethean, who gave a very insightful case study on the importance of HR metrics, how to measure and present this data to the wider business in a clear form, and how to utilise technology to strengthen commercial conversations between HR and the business.

So how do you begin to collect and use data in order to drive HR strategy? Di outlined the best approach to getting started along with some of her top tips for longer term success. The first hurdle is deciding what data you need and what data you don’t need. It doesn’t make sense to ask the business for data you have no intention of using. Once you have that figured out:

Use relevant data
When presenting at board level, the information and data being delivered must be relevant. At times, trying to retrieve meaningful information can be an uphill battle. Even so, there should be a continuous commitment to chasing the business regarding what is needed and why, ensuring they understand the importance of it.

Look at the data holistically 
The data will show both good and bad results but it’s about what you do with it, how you present it, and how it can be utilised as a driving force to change behaviours within a business that is critical. Even though some of the data may be wrong to begin with, being honest about these issues is already taking the business on the journey to improvement.

Uncover hidden areas 
Look at ‘hooks’ that uncover areas of development or concern. Information gained from exit interviews and employee engagement surveys are useful in that they tend to highlight the correlation between raw data and why people leave the organisation. Showing data with feedback can strengthen the rationale behind the need to drive HR strategy through data.

Hire a Data Analyst
Utilising a Data Analyst ensures that the information gathered is then presented in the right format; pivot tables and graphs can be used during presentations to show findings to the business in a clear, concise, and understandable format. It is important to think like a business leader and fully understand the data before and while delivering it in order to have the most impact.

The use of metrics in HR is a great tool to help build the credibility of HR but HR Professionals have to be forward thinking and dynamic with it. One of the benefits is being able to act quickly with cold hard facts but the trick is making the information visual and easy to understand for the business. Above all, when undertaking large change programmes, Di recommends that “metrics should be part of the design, not a thought at the end”.