The best HR & People Analytics articles of February 2025

February is supposed to be the shortest month but the 2025 version felt conspicuously long. We may be living in a post-truth world but it is an irrefutable fact that it was Ukraine that was invaded just over three years ago by 150,000 Russian troops. The Ukrainian people - and Volodymyr Zelenskyy - need to be supported not disparaged.

Compiling this month’s edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly proved to be a welcome distraction from geopolitics, even if two hitherto work topics that are increasingly being politicised - hybrid work and diversity, equity and inclusion - feature prominently. Other selections include a fresh take on the HR operating model from McKinsey, which is founded upon a strategic triumvirate of people strategists, people scientists, and people technologists. Look out also for a Global Skills Taxonomy toolkit from the World Economic Forum, as well a list of 20 global people analytics influencers, which was compiled using active ONA data. Enjoy!

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

Are we looking at skills the wrong way?

AI and automation are reshaping work. By 2028, one-third of enterprise software will automate tasks and decisions (Gartner), and McKinsey estimates this could add 1.2% to annual GDP growth.

Yet, 92% of HR leaders say (Gartner) they don’t have reliable data on the skills of their workforce. The challenge is clear:

• How do we ensure skills evolve as fast as work itself?
• Which skills actually drive business value?
• How can companies align business and talent strategies with real work?

Most organizations track skills through self-reports, manager assessments, and outdated frameworks. An AI data layer like TechWolf revolutionizes that issue. But skills alone don’t tell the full story—tasks do.

"Skills tell us what someone càn do, tasks tell us what they actually do" says Jeroen Van Hautte ?? , TechWolf’s CTO & Co-Founder, "They explain why those skills are needed and what value they bring."

So to understand skills, we need to understand work itself. That’s where Task Intelligence comes in.

By analyzing real work data—from projects, collaboration tools, and enterprise systems—Task Intelligence connects skills to actual work, giving companies a real-time, unbiased view of workforce capabilities.

Organizations using task intelligence to gain insights in the skills of their workforce can:

• Plan workforce needs with confidence
• Target learning & development where it matters
• Improve hiring by focusing on real skills
• Identify automation opportunities to free up time for high-value work

Curious to see how task intelligence and AI-powered skills insights are shaping the future of work? Dive into our latest insights:

?? How TechWolf Bridges Skills and Work

?? Exploring the Task-Skill Connection

TechWolf helps large enterprises understand the skills they have, the skills they need, and how to manage the gap in between—powered by AI.

To explore how TechWolf’s AI can help your organization, reach out at [email protected] or visit techwolf.ai.?

To sponsor an edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, and share your brand with more than 140,000 Data Driven HR Monthly subscribers, send an email to [email protected].

FEBRUARY ROAD REPORT

In the last week of February, I had the privilege of chairing the second People Analytics World event in Zürich, which Ralf Buechsenschuss perfectly captures in his key takeaways and learnings. ?Thanks to Barry Swales and his team for organising a great two days. From Zürich, I am now heading to New York where Jamie Nevshehir and his team at NBC Universal are hosting a peer meeting for members of the Insight222 People Analytics Program? . It promises to be an enthralling two days with more than 70 people analytics professionals attending and a line-up of speakers including: Dawn Klinghoffer , Geetanjali Gamel , Anshul Sheopuri and Jeremy Shapiro . Also in March, I’m looking forward to delivering keynotes at HiBob ’s Heartcore HR Live event in London on March 13, as well as the Workhuman Live Forum, also in London on March 19. I hope to see some of you there. February also saw the acquisition of eqtble by Paradox - congrats to Adam Godson , Gabe Horwitz , Joseph Ifiegbu and all concerned.

Share the love!

Enjoy reading the collection of resources for February 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 January’s compendium.

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

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HYBRID, GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK

PHIL KIRSCHNER - McKinsey On Return To Office: Leaders Are Focused On The Wrong Thing ?| AARON DE SMET, BROOKE WEDDLE, BRYAN HANCOCK, MARIN MUGAYAR-BALDOCCHI, AND TAYLOR LAURICELLA - Returning to the office? Focus more on practices and less on the policy | NICK BLOOM - There are lies, damned lies and statistics | NICK BLOOM - The Future of Working from Home

Leaders must stop obsessing over where work gets done and start improving how it gets done.

February’s edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly has to start with this debate on RTO and hybrid. As Phil Kirschner ’s article in Forbes explains, McKinsey has been publishing the findings of its ‘talent trends’ research through six studies since 2021. He observes that one clear trend has emerged: “The tension between where employees work and how effectively work gets done has been growing.” The latest McKinsey study finds that there was a surge in RTO from 2023 to 2024, with the proportion of mostly in-person workers (those working in person at least four days a week) doubling to 68 percent, from 34 percent in 2023. In his LinkedIn post citing Mark Twain’s infamous quote, Nick Bloom , who tracks work arrangements and attitudes monthly – see wfhresearch.com – questions the McKinsey data, explaining why he believes it is flawed and has both recall and sample biases. Bloom provides alternative data sources, which find that in January 2025, 29% of paid days in the US were work-from-home days (see FIG 1). Bloom’s supposition is that McKinsey may have felt pressurised by clients that want the narrative that work from home is failing in the media. One hopes that’s not the case, particularly as the main message the authors of the McKinsey article ( Aaron De Smet , Brooke Weddle , Bryan Hancock , Marino Mugayar-Baldocchi and Taylor Lauricella ) appear to be making is that: “The working model is far less important than the work environment leaders create.” They highlight five core practices to help firms implement a policy that fits their culture: collaboration, connectivity, innovation, mentorship, and skill development (see FIG 2). With the increasing politicisation – and even weaponisation by the new US Administration - of work topics such as flexible working and DEI, expect more debates like this as the year continues to unfurl.

FIG 1: About 29% of Paid Days in the US in January 2025 Were Work-From-Home Days (Source: WFH Research)

FIG 2: Employees’ ratings of their organization’s maturity in five practices by working model (Source: McKinsey) ??

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CALLUM MCRAE AND SAMUEL BAMIDELE - Redefining workplace flexibility: Harmonizing corporate culture and employee satisfaction | KIM PARKER - Many remote workers say they’d be likely to leave their job if they could no longer work from home | BRIAN ELLIOTT, ANNIE DEAN, AND KEVIN OAKES – Navigating the Return-to-Office, Hybrid and Remote Landscape

Three more resources to help readers of the Data Driven HR Monthly navigate the latest research, challenges and discussions on flexible working. (1) Callum McRae and Samuel BAMIDELE present the key findings from WTW’s 2024 Workplace Flexibility Pulse Survey. One finding is that while 50% of 1,200 companies who participated in the study have policies in place requiring employees to be in the office for two to four days per week, the actual number of in-person days per week is lower (see FIG 3). (2) Similar to the WTW study, which also highlights the risk of employee attrition if companies fail to balance employer and employee needs, Kim Parker presents data from the Pew Research Center , which finds that nearly half of workers who currently work from home some of the time would likely leave if they were no longer able to do so (see FIG 4). (3) Finally, I highly recommend tuning into a recent The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) webinar, which saw Brian Elliott , Annie Dean , Kevin Oakes , and host Tom Stone get into the complexities of RTO, hybrid and remote work strategies. Topics covered included workplace design, how AI can augment human potential, and how blanket RTO mandates erode trust and engagement.

FIG 3: In-office-days required vs. actual by country (Source: WTW)

FIG 4: Source: Pew Research Center

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HANNAH MAYER, LAREINA YEE, MICHAEL CHUI, AND ROGER ROBERTS - Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI’s full potential

Almost all companies invest in AI, but just 1 percent believe they are at maturity. The biggest barrier to scaling is not employees—who are ready—but leaders, who are not steering fast enough.

Inspired by Reid Hoffman ’s book Superagency, this new report from McKinsey asks a similar question: How can companies harness AI to amplify human agency and unlock new levels of creativity and productivity in the workplace? Perhaps the standout conclusion is that employees are ready for AI but that the biggest barrier to success is leadership. The report is presented in five chapters. (1) An analysis of the rapid advancement of technology over the past two years and its implications for business adoption of AI. (2) The attitudes and perceptions of employees and leaders, with the former three times more likely than leaders realise to believe that AI will replace 30 percent of their work in the next year. (3) An examination of the need for speed and safety in AI deployment, with half of employees worrying about AI inaccuracy and cybersecurity risks. (4) A look at how companies risk losing ground in the AI race if leaders do not set bold goals. (5) Guidance on what is required for leaders to set their teams up for success with AI: “The challenge of AI in the workplace is not a technology challenge. It is a business challenge that calls upon leaders to align teams, address AI headwinds, and rewire their companies for change.” Finally, the article poses three questions each for leaders and employees to meet their AI future (see FIG 5). If you enjoy the article, I also recommend diving into AI in Action, an interactive four-part learning journey featuring Reid Hoffman and Lareina Yee, one of the authors of the McKinsey report. (Authors: Hannah M. Mayer , Lareina Yee , Michael Chui , and Roger Roberts ).

FIG 5: Questions to shape a company’s AI future (Adapted from McKinsey)

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FELIPE JARA - The Reality Check: Making AI in HR Actually Work

While 75% of organisations are still in early stages of AI adoption, those taking a systematic, process-led approach will see remarkable results - from 40% efficiency gains to fundamental transformations in how HR operates.

In his comprehensive and illuminating article, Felipe Jara analyses AI transformation in HR, breaking it down into four sections: (1) The Reality Check, which examines some of the barriers holding HR back: capability, financial constraints, delivery limitations, and technology. (2) The Process Revolution, examining the promise. With cases studies from the likes of Mastercard, IBM and Stanford Health Care, and how AI can augment the employee lifecycle (see FIG 6). (3) The Maturity Journey, which presents a maturity model from Deloitte and provides guidance on how to move forward. (4) The Implementation Framework, presenting a four-step approach to enabling AI in HR.

FIG 6: The AI-Augmented Talent Lifecycle (Source: Felipe Jara) ?

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PEOPLE ANALYTICS

ANDREW PITTS, MATTHEW DIABES, RICHARD ROSENOW AND STEPHANIE MURPHY - Top 20 People Analytics Influencers and more from the PANC

Whilst I always appreciate being included on ‘influencer’ lists, most are wholly subjective and compiled using little or no data. This makes the?People Analytics Network Census?(PANC), all the more interesting. The initiative, which is the brainchild of Andrew Pitts , Matthew Diabes, PhD , Richard Rosenow and Stephanie Murphy, Ph.D. , uses active organisational network analysis to map the global people analytics network. The results, which are based on more than 450 participants, are presented in five groups: (1) Top 20 Overall People Analytics Influencers, (2) Top 3 Networking Influencers, (3) Top 3 Mentorship Influencers, (4) Top 3 Technical Influencers (5) Top 10 Influencers from Outside of the United States. It’s a real honour to be included in the first list. Congrats to all those selected – many of whom I count as friends, colleagues and inspirations: Al Adamsen, Alexis Fink, Amit Mohindra, Andrew Pitts , Cole Napper, Dave Ulrich, Dawn Klinghoffer, Heather Whiteman, Ph.D., Ian OKeefe, John Boudreau, Josh Bersin, Mark H. Hanson, Michael Arena, Michael M. Moon, PhD, Patrick Coolen, Richard Rosenow , Rob Cross, Stacia Sherman Garr, Stephanie Murphy, Ph.D. , Annika Schultz, Barry Swales, Greg Pryor, Lexy Martin, Michelle Deneau, Kevin Erikson, Kevin S., Michael Walsh, PhD, Adam McKinnon, PhD., David Shontz, Jaap Veldkamp, Kinsey Li, Leopoldo Torres, Ludek Stehlik, Ph.D., Martha Curioni, Rafael Uribe, Sanja Licina, Ph.D.

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MCKINSEY - What makes product teams effective?

In episodes of the Digital HR Leaders podcast with leaders such as Ian OKeefe (here) and Aashish Sharma (here), we’ve talked about the importance of productisation in people analytics. Moreover, Insight222’s 2024 People Analytics Ecosystem study found that ‘analytics at scale’ teams (those teams that turn an insight, prediction, or algorithm into a product) have emerged as a core capability in the people analytics function of Leading Companies. As such, this article by Santiago Comella-Dorda , Vik Sohoni , Arun Sunderraj, Dan Gardner, and Lauren Gingerich McCoy for McKinsey is required reading for people analytics leaders. They analysed data from 1,700 teams, to measure how five capabilities (strategy, structure, people, process, and technology) impact four main outcomes (effectiveness, speed, productivity, and quality). This article focuses on the key capabilities required for three sub-outcomes of effectiveness: (1) Delivery predictability, (2) Value realisation (see FIG 7), and (3) Team engagement.

FIG 7: The ten key capabilities of value realisation in product teams (Source: McKinsey)

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HELEN FRIEDMAN - Early Trends Influencing People Analytics Agendas In 2025 | BEN BERRY - The Rise of External Talent Intelligence as a Strategic Priority | DAVID BOYLE - Beyond Build-Buy-Borrow: "Blend" Emerges as a Pillar of Workforce Strategy | HESHAM AHMED - The three pillars of competitive advantage in data & analytics ?

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. Four are highlighted in this month’s edition. (1) Helen Friedman walks through three topics shaping many current people analytics agendas: workforce planning, AI in relation to skills and pay equity, and using data to drive decisions around turnover, pay and managing uncertainty. (2) Ben Berry explains why the use of external talent intelligence data by organisation is rising sharply, how they’re using this data and what we can expect to see in the future. (3) David B. writes on the emergence of ‘blend’ as a fourth pillar of workforce planning: “Workforce strategy and AI strategy have the potential to trip over each other if they are not synchronized.” (4) Hesham Ahmed outlines three ways data and analytics can drive competitive advantage: superiority of information, insight and action (see FIG 8): “Superiority of action: it is not sufficient to know something that others don’t. It is the ability to act on that information or insight that leads to an advantage or edge.”

FIG 8: Three pillars of competitive advantage in data and analytics (Source: Hesham Ahmed)

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THE EVOLUTION OF HR, LEARNING, AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE

ASMUS KOMM, FERNANDA MAYOL, NEEL GANDHI, SANDRA DURTH, AND JASMIN KIEFER - A new operating model for people management: More personal, more tech, more human

Organizations that excel in both people development and financial performance are four times as likely as peers to outperform financially and one and a half times as likely as peers to remain top tier year on year.

In the last three years, the most popular resource I have shared on LinkedIn, with over 1m views is McKinsey’s 2022 article, HR’s new Operating Model. The sequel is likely to drive just as much interest. In this article, which I was grateful to be invited to contribute to, the McKinsey team of Asmus Komm , Fernanda Mayol , Neel Gandhi , Sandra Durth , and Jasmin Kiefer explore a new vision of people management, centred on hyper-personalising the employee experience. Their findings conclude that that only about 20 percent of the most strategic activities in today’s HR portfolios will remain with two-thirds of current HR tasks being automated to a large degree (see FIG 9). They also outline the core elements of the operating system required to turn their vision into reality encompassing (1) Establishing a strategic triumvirate of people strategists, people scientists, and people technologists, (2) Streamlining the people operating model: more strategic, more fluid, and more tech-enabled (see FIG 10), and (3) Mastering complexity with technology. The authors also set out concrete steps organisations can take to implement a new people operating system. These steps include the need to experiment, a focus on continuous improvement and an onus on scaling what works.

FIG 9: Two-thirds of today’s people management processes can be largely automated (Source: McKinsey)

FIG 10: The future operating model for people management will be more strategic, fluid and tech-enabled (Source: McKinsey)

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GARTNER - Top 3 Strategic Priorities for Chief HR Officers

CHROs are navigating a complex landscape shaped by several key trends. CEOs prioritizing growth through transformation, AI deployment challenges and shifting labor market pressures on talent strategies are influencing how the best organizations are leading HR to achieve business goals.

New research from Gartner identifying the three top CHRO focus areas for 2025: (1) Elevating HR’s impact on the organisation’s growth strategy. (2) Building a deep bench of change leaders. (3) Creating a future-ready workforce. The report provides a deep-dive on the three priorities with guidance and methodologies on how to drive success in each, such as the Talent Risk Assessment Heat Map (see FIG 11). The report also contains a powerful section on the new capabilities required by chief people officers (see FIG 12) and HR professionals. A must-read.

FIG 11: Example Talent Risk Assessment Heat Map (Source: Gartner)

FIG 12: Model of a World-Class CHRO (Source: Gartner)

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DAVE ULRICH AND ROBERT DAVID - How HR Can Help Deliver Both Market Share and Customer Share through Human Capability

The evidence shows that when HR engages customers in talent, organization, leadership, and HR department initiatives, both market share and customer share improve.

What role can chief human resources officers play in helping their organisations to increase customer share while building market share? In their article, Dave Ulrich and Robert David outline five specific steps CHROs can take, which together demonstrate how HR can move from its traditional support role to help drive customer relationships and business growth: (1) Identify targeted customers – focus human capability investments on these. (2) Track customer share. (3) Define customer connection. (4) Engage with target customers (see FIG 13), and (5) Change HR conversations. For more on why and how HR professionals can increase their engagement with customers, do listen to Dave in discussion with Stacia Garr and me on this episode pf the Digital HR Leaders podcast: How HR Can Create Stakeholder Value and Drive Organisational Growth.

FIG 13: Ways to connect and engage with customers (Source: Dave Ulrich and Robert David)

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WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM - Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit: Defining a Common Skills Language for a Future-Ready Workforce

Skills and talent shortages are critical challenges hindering economic growth, limiting business opportunities, and curbing individual potential. As technology rapidly advances and economic landscapes continue to shift, a common skills language is urgently needed to bridge gaps and enable workforce transformation.

The World Economic Forum is spoiling us thus far in 2025. Not content with publishing the barnstorming Future of Jobs 2025 report, they have also released the Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit, which will be a boon for workforce planners and people analysts everywhere. The toolkit is designed to equip leaders with actionable steps, evidence-based insights, and real-world case studies to adopt a common skills language and embed skills-first approaches into talent management strategies. Contents include (1) reasons for adopting a common skills taxonomy, (2) a Global Skills Taxonomy roadmap comprised of three phases (see FIG 14), and (3) key insights and methodologies for implementing each phase. Kudos to the authors - Neil Allison , Ximena Játiva , and Aarushi Singhania along with a stellar cast of contributors including Peter Brown MBE , Simon Brown ???? , Shannon Custard , Soon Joo Gog , Kelli Jordan , and Jan Meyer .

FIG 14: Global Skills Taxonomy adoption roadmap (Source: World Economic Forum)

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EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING

IT SURVEY GROUP - The Future of Feedback: Trends Shaping Employee Listening in 2025

AI and technology advancement are game changers for the listening and survey space. They will allow us to synthesize and interpret data – particularly qualitative data – with unprecedented speed and complexity

What are the key trends shaping the evolution of employee listening? Who better to ask than practitioners at the forefront of this important work. In their article, members of the IT Survey Group – including Megan Sherman, Ph.D. , Kristin Saboe, Ph.D. , Sophie Horneber , Anthony Ariano , Caitie Jacobson Mikulis , David Koch , Kellie Roberts, M.A. , Stephanie Andel, PhD , and Robyn Petree-Guzman, Ph.D. present five trends shaping employee listening in 2025 (see FIG 15): (1) Supercharging sentiment, (2) “Silent” signaling, (3) Synergising surveys, (4) Guiding greatness, and (5) Refining the rhythm.

FIG 15: Top five trends for employee listening (Source: IT Survey Group)

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NICK LYNN - Proactive Accountability: Turning Employee Insights into Action

Proactive accountability is more than just a practice — it’s a cultural commitment to transforming insights into meaningful action. It thrives on clear ownership, well-defined goals, and unwavering transparency.

Nick Lynn uses the concept of ‘proactive accountability’, which is commonplace in health and safety work, to solve the habitual challenge of turning insights gathered from employee listening work into meaningful actions (see FIG 16). Nick examines some of the common challenges from moving from insight to action such as the lack of a framework to prioritise feedback, slow decision-making, and poo communication. He explains why proactive accountability matters and how to foster it including developing a structured framework, assigning clear ownership, setting measurable goals, leveraging technology, building a community of change leaders, and celebrating success.

FIG 16: Proactive accountability (Source: Nick Lynn)

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LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND LEARNING

DARRELL RIGBY AND ZACH FIRST – The Power of Strategic Fit

Companies that excel at creating stakeholder value attract and retain the most valuable stakeholders, gaining a competitive advantage.

In their article for Harvard Business Review, Bain partners Darrell Rigby and Zach First how to create a cohesive strategy that unleashes the power of ‘strategic fit’, which they define as: “Strategic fit is the degree of alignment and amount of synergy in a company’s business system.” They identify seven strategic factors: (1) the mental model, (2) purpose and ambitions, (3) stakeholder value creation, (4) macro forces, (5) markets and products, (6) competitive advantages, and (7) the operating model. They explain how aligning them generates beneficial multiplier effects, and – especially relevant for HR and people analytics professionals – demonstrate how creating value for employees and other stakeholders leads to higher returns (see FIG 17).

FIG 17: Strategic Fit Leads to Higher Returns (Source: Bain)

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ANNE MCSILVER | LINKEDIN – Workplace Learning Report 2025: The rise of career champions

Learning combined with career development — leadership training, coaching, internal mobility, and more — accelerates the flow of critical skills to keep pace with business needs

The key theme of LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report 2025 is that the 36% of companies categorised as ‘career development champions’ (those companies with robust programs that yield business results) enjoy positive correlations with profitability outlook, confidence to attract and retain talent, and increased adoption of GAI. The report, with lead author Anne McSilver , features contributions from a host of talent leaders including: Vidya Krishnan (“The companies that outlearn other companies will outperform them.”), Chris Louie , Chris Foltz , Jennifer Shappley , Al Dea and Amanda Nolen (“You must be able to answer at least one of these three questions: How will this initiative help you to make money, save money, or mitigate risk for the company.”). The report also presents five talent foundations designed to accelerate career-driven learning: (1) Build the right skills, faster (see FIG 18). (2) Help people – and skills – move more easily. (3) Measure business impact. (4) Empower managers to support employee careers. (5) Inspire individual career growth. Thanks to Jennifer Gronski for making me aware of the report.

FIG 18: Skills-based talent and career development champions (Source: LinkedIn)

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING

STACIA GARR - Understanding the Impact of Recent DEI Executive Orders | KENJI YOSHINO, DAVID GLASGOW, AND CHRISTINA JOSEPH - The Legal Landscape Around DEI Is Shifting. Your Messaging Should, Too | JOSH BERSIN - Despite Political Firestorm, Diversity Investments Are Alive And Well | JOELLE EMERSON - Continuing the Work of DEI, No Matter What Your Company Calls It |

While DEI the acronym may be on the decline, the work itself will remain vital for organizations that want to thrive today and in the future.

President Trump’s two executive orders (EOs) to “end radical and wasteful” Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility initiatives, and litigate up to nine private companies as examples have set off a hailstorm of amazement and uncertainty. From what I’ve come across to date, here are some resources I recommend consuming: (1) Stacia Sherman Garr of RedThread Research was one of the first out of the blocks with a very helpful summary of the EOs and their implications. (2) Kenji Yoshino , David Glasgow , and Christina Joseph from the NYU School of Law’s Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, set out best practices on communicating about DEI, offer some sample language to avoid legal risk, and share strategies to disseminate these best practices throughout your organisation. (3) Josh Bersin offers a glimmer of hope in his article, first by highlighting organisations like Apple, Microsoft and JP Morgan that have all come out publicly against anti-DEI initiatives, and second by emphasising that rather than turning away from DEI, many companies are instead “embedding DEI into the disciplines of leadership, recruitment, performance management, and rewards.” (4) Joelle Emerson presents findings from a study by Paradigm, The State of Culture and Inclusion: 2024 Trends and a Look Ahead at 2025, which outlines three ways companies should consider shifting their approach to DEI: resetting the narrative, using data more effectively, and moving from siloed efforts to an embedded company-wide focus on creating cultures that work for everyone.

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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 February 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:

• FRANZ GILBERT AND MATTHEW SHANNON - How agentic AI is changing HR dynamics in 2025 – Deloitte's Human Capital Forward team of Franz Gilbert and Matthew Shannon unveil six trends that will likely change how humans and technology work together in the year ahead. Their first prediction is that: “Improved macroeconomic factors will drive increased investment and transactions in the HR technology market.”
• MERCER - The 2024/2025 Skills Snapshot Survey report – The 美世 team of Brian Fisher , Melba Gant , Katie Jenkins , ??Heather Ryan , and Peter Stevenson unveil the findings from their skills snapshot survey. One of the main findings is that the number of organisations attaining a high or very high level in skills maturity has increased significantly compared to 2023 (see FIG 19).

FIG 19: Skills maturity across organisations in talent practices, 2024 vs 2023 (Source: Mercer)?

• PHILIP ARKCOLL - How to get people to care about your insights – Philip Arkcoll , CEO at Worklytics , provides a five-step guide to help organisations turn insights from people data into meaningful outcomes.
• JOHN GUY AND GARETH FLYNN - Simply Skills Chat: SWP, Tasks, AI, Skills and HR – John Guy and Gareth Flynn explore how HR can take advantage of the latest data, toolsets and mindsets to advance the field and drive business value.
• LOUJAINA ABDELWAHED - Remote Companies Grow Twice as Fast – Loujaina Abdelwahed, PhD presents analysis by Revelio Labs , which finds that workforce growth in companies offering remote and hybrid work arrangements has outpaced that of in-person firms (see FIG 20).

FIG 20: Remote and hybrid companies have grown twice as fast as in-person companies (Source: Revelio Labs)

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PODCASTS OF THE MONTH

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

• HEATHER BUSSING – Navigating Trump’s DE&I Executive Orders: Clarity – In a must-listen episode of Workplace Stories, Heather Bussing joins Stacia Sherman Garr and Dani Johnson to unpick the recent executive orders on DE&I, what they mean for businesses, and how employers can navigate this complex landscape without overreacting.
• JEFFREY PFEFFER – Is Work Killing Us? – “An employer can be a good steward of the human beings whose lives have been entrusted to them — or not,” explains Jeffrey Pfeffer , author of Dying for a Paycheck, to host Kevin Cool , in this powerful episode of the if/then podcast from Stanford Business School.
• MARC EFFRON - The Science of Talent, 8 Steps to High Performance – Marc Effron joins Cole Napper and Scott Hines, PhD of the Directionally Correct podcast for an absorbing discussion covering topics such as why top I/O psychology Ph.D. programs aren’t more practitioner focused, as well as Marc’s two recent articles: “It’s not the mortar, it’s the bricks” and “Is the juice worth the squeeze”.
• RICHARD ROSENOW – Reimagining HR: Leveraging AI and Data for Better Outcomes – Richard Rosenow guests on the Capital H podcast with Kyle Forrest to discuss the role of data quality, governance, and AI in enabling HR teams to focus on strategic insights and drive business outcomes.
• DEBORAH PERRY PISCIONE - Employment Is Changing Forever – Sharing insights from her new book with Josh Drean , Employment is Dead: How Disruptive Technologies are Revolutionizing the Way We Work, Deborah Perry Piscione joins host Alison Beard on HBR IdeaCast to explain why we’re at a pivot point where old models of employment will be replaced by entirely new ones, and how mindset shifts and upskilling can help us prepare.

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VIDEO OF THE MONTH

NAOMI VERGHESE, MADHURA CHAKRABARTI, AND DAVID GREEN | INSIGHT22 – People Analytics Trends Webinar

Hopefully, I’ll be excused the mild dose of self-indulgence here, but this month’s ‘Video of the Month’ is the recent webinar I hosted with Naomi Verghese and Madhura Chakrabarti, PhD on the key findings of fifth annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends report. The webinar includes a deep dive on the four main findings of the study, which include insights on the impact of AI on people analytics, how leading companies measure the value of their work, and what we’ve identified as the adoption gap in people analytics.

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BOOK OF THE MONTH

SERENA HUANG - The Inclusion Equation: Leveraging Data & AI For Organizational Diversity and Well-being

Serena H. Huang, Ph.D. ’s debut book is incredibly well-timed given the current assault on diversity, equity and inclusion. The Inclusion Equation provides a compelling guide to merging DEI and wellbeing initiatives with people analytics and AI to deliver outcomes for employees – and the business. As I wrote in my endorsement of the book: “The Inclusion Equation acts as a guide for chief people officers to harness data, analytics and technology to create a truly inclusive and healthy environment where workers can thrive.”

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RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH

KYLE LAGUNAS - Unlocking AI’s Potential in HR: A Practical Guide for Leaders

This new report from Kyle Lagunas and the team at Aptitude Research is certainly worth a read. It features insights from seasoned HR thinkers and executives like Bob Pulver , Manjuri Sinha , Dustin Cann , and Meghan Rhatigan as well as a practical framework – impact, complexity, and risk - for assessing AI use cases, helping HR and operations professionals cut through the hype and so making smarter technology decisions.

FIG 21: Adoption of AI in HR is slowing, but interest isn’t (Source: Aptitude Research)

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BONUS RESOURCES

Some bonus resources to also consume this month:

• I don't anyone is writing with more quality or consistency on the impact of AI on work and on HR than Jason Averbook read one of his latest pieces, Thriving, Not Just Surviving, in an AI-First World, and then - if you haven't already - subscribe to his Now to Next Substack.
• Adam Bryant ’s Strategic CHRO newsletter is always required reading as his recent interviews with Ellyn Shook (CHROs Must Never Forget That They Are The Voice Of The People On The C-Suite Team) and Peter Fasolo, Ph.D. (You Have To Be Curious About How All The Levers Work In Large-Scale Social Systems) ably demonstrate.
• Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic asks Can AI Fix Succession Planning? and highlights how passive data can be used to help predict leadership success: “The work of David Stillwell, Sandra Matz and Michal Kosinski demonstrates how AI can infer personality traits and leadership potential from digital footprints, as well as internal company data not historically seen as critical to leadership talent.”
• In a recent edition of his This Week, In Recruiting newsletter, Hung Lee asks is Elon Musk an existential threat to HR, and presents six compelling arguments to suggest he might be. After reading Hung’s piece, readers may wish that Musk is handed a one-way ticket to mars.
• Thomas Otter is one of my favourite writers, and in The difficult second album: Advice for HR TECH vendors on launching a second product uses The Stone Roses sophomore album, The Second Coming (actually, a very good album) as a warning for HR Tech vendors intent on launching a second product.
• Tom Redman and Donna Burbank explain how by mixing together some training, providing an opportunity to speak up, and having better KPIs, leaders can hone a data driven culture: How to Make Everyone Great at Data.
• In his article, Laurent Reich provides five learnings to make the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and opportunity for HR: CSRD: HR's Burden or Breakthrough? Turning Compliance into Opportunity: 5 learnings.

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FROM MY DESK

February saw the final two episodes of series 44 the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by our friends at TalentNeuron (thanks to John Lynch , David Wilkins , Maureen McGinness , and the TalentNeuron team). It also saw a special bonus episode featuring my colleagues from Insight222 , and the first episode of series 45, sponsored by our friends at Amazing Workplace, Inc. (thanks to Shon Holyfield ).

• HENRIK H?KANSSON - What People Analytics Leaders Need to Know About Scaling Their Function – Henrik H?kansson , who has built people analytics functions at three companies: Sony, Delivery Hero, and now Volvo Cars, joins me to share practical insights from his journey—what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons he’s learned on scaling people analytics along the way.

• TOBIAS BARTHOLOMé – How Lufthansa Group Combines Operational and Strategic Workforce Planning - Dr. Tobias Bartholomé , Project Lead for Strategic Workforce Planning at Lufthansa Group, joins me to explore why—after nearly a decade—Lufthansa has taken a bold step back to reimagine how it plans for the future of work.
• JONATHAN FERRAR AND NAOMI VERGHESE - How Leading Companies Turn People Analytics Into Business Value – In a special bonus episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, I was joined by my Insight222 colleagues Jonathan Ferrar and Naomi Verghese to uncover what truly differentiates leading companies in people analytics, and what research tells us about the evolution of the field over the last five years.
• ERIN MEYER - How to Bridge Cultures and Lead Global Teams for Success – Erin Meyer , Professor at INSEAD and author of The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business joins me for a conversation exploring how cultural differences shape the way we work, lead, and collaborate.

• DAVID GREEN - How do you leverage People Analytics to inform Strategic Workforce Planning initiatives? – A wrap up of series 44 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, which featured conversations with Stacia Sherman Garr , Dave Ulrich , Prasad Setty , David Wilkins , Henrik H?kansson , and Dr. Tobias Bartholomé , and featured the common question: How do you leverage People Analytics to inform Strategic Workforce Planning initiatives??

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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 – as Richard’s latest newsletter reveals - now numbers over 500 roles. Look out too for Richard’s People Analytics Talent Book.

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THANK YOU

• The team at 365Talents for including me in their Top 50 HR influencers to follow in 2025
• Mila Pascual-Nodusso for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast in her list of the Top 6 Spotify Podcasts on Human Resources, Talent Management, and Leadership Development.
• Neeru Monga for also including the Digital HR Leaders podcast on a list of her seven favourite podcasts.
• Steve Hunt for concluding after running a ChatGPT summary of the January edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, that my version “is far more informative, interesting, and enjoyable even if it does take more time to read.” I won’t hang up my cap, just yet then ;-)
• Hirex for including me as one of 10+ influential experts you need to follow in 2025
• Thinkers360 for including me in their list of Top 100 B2B Thought Leaders, Analysts & Influencers You Should Work With In 2025 (EMEA).
• Finally, a huge thank you to the following people who either shared the January edition of Data Driven HR Monthly and/or posted about the Digital HR Leaders podcast, conferences or other content. It's much appreciated: Thomas Kohler , Steve Sands , Christian Vetter ???? , Ashish Pant , Stela Lupushor , Jo Thackray , Elin Thomasian , Guusje Brummer , Russell Flint , Kevin Le Vaillant , RJ Milnor , Ben Berry , Sewmini Amanda , Malinda Perera , Terri Horton, EdD, MBA, MA, SHRM-CP, PHR , Nesimi A. , Charlotte Copeman , Amardeep Singh, MBA , Diego Miranda ???? , Jeff Wellstead , Dr Philip Gibbs , Amber O'Mahony , David Simmonds FCIPD , Sachin Sangade , Thiago Pimentel Pinto , Robin Haag , Susan Podlogar (she/her) , Torin Ellis , Scott Reida , Catriona Lindsay , Kris Saling , Graham Tollit , Aravind Warrier , Jacob Nielsen , Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP-SP, SHRM-SCP, CIPD) , 加勒德刘易斯 , Viktoriia Kriukova (В?ктор?я Крюкова) , Ying Li , Marc Steven Ramos , Danielle Farrell, MA, CSM , Greg Pryor , Jose Luis Chavez Vasquez , Michel Ciampi , Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN ??? (née Schouten) , Till Alexander Leopold , Richard Bretzger , José Valdivieso , John Golden, Ph.D. , Kathleen Kruse , Kyle Forrest , Matthew Hamilton , Asaf Jackoby , David McLean , Dave Millner , Ben Waber , Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA , Federico Bechini , Rebecca Ray , Aizhan Tursunbayeva, PhD, GRP , Tobias W. Goers ツ , Andrew Spence , Michelle Lee ?? , Alex Franco, MHRM , Destin Cacioppo , Anisha Aulbach , Megan Reif , Dolapo (Dolly) Oyenuga , Kirsten Edwards , Kimberly Rose , Amanda dos Reis Garcia , Paola Alfaro Alpízar , Anna Kjellberg , Lucie Vottova , Kouros Behzad , Alexis Vergani , Francesca Gabetti , Brandon Roberts , Delia Majarín , Peter Ryan , John Gunawan , Sergio Garcia Mora , Dan George , Gal Mozes, PhD , Chris Long , Ohad Geron , Ryan Wong , Raja Sengupta , Pedro Pereira , Nikita D'Souza , Timo Tischer , Dave Fineman , Monika M. , Shuang Yueh P. , Holly Kortright (she-her) , Hanne Hoberg , Andrés García Ayala , Arne-Christian Van Der Tang , Daisy Grewal, Ph.D. , Nicolas Quadrelli , Erik Otteson , Bejoy Mathew , Stephen Hickey , Agnes Garaba , Gawain Wang , Emanuele Magrone , Maria Ursu , Marc C. , Dan Lapporte , Patrick Coolen , Ian Grant FCIPD , Joonghak Lee , Jaejin Lee , David Balls (FCIPD) , Craig Starbuck, PhD , Mariami Lolashvili , Mattijs Mol , David Elkj?r , Marie-Hélène Gélinas, MBA (Cand.) , Aurélie Crégut , Nick Hudgell , Teodora Staneva , Sonia Mooney , Elizabeth Esarove , S?ren Kold , Mo?ra Taillefer , Monika Mardaus , Tina Peeters, PhD , Ken Clar , Maria Alice Jovinski , Marcela Mury , Toon van der Veer , Madeline Cede?o , Marc Voi Chiuli. (MSc. HRM. Assoc CIPD. MIHRM.) , Herbert Burri , Alexander S. Locher , Ava Dossi , Anna Kuzmenko

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 early 2025:

• March 13 - HiBob Heartcore HR LIVE, London
• March 19 - Workhuman Live Forum, London
• April 10-11 - Wharton People Analytics Conference, Philadelphia
• April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London
• May 6-8 - UNLEASH America, Las Vegas
• June 4-6 - TALREOS (Talent Analytics Leadership Roundtable Economic Mobility Summit), Chicago
• July 31 - August 1 - People Matters TechHR India 2025, Delhi
• October 21-22 - UNLEASH World, Paris

More events will be added as they are confirmed.