How HR can be a catalyst for change

“In HR, we have heard it all. We are slow. We focus too much on the tactical. We can’t think strategically. We are all about risk management. We get in the way of progress. We can’t be analytical. We need to be broken into two or even “blown up”. 

Not my words but those of my guest for this week's episode of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, Stela Lupushor. Like me, Stela believes that we are an exciting juncture for HR and that the planets are aligning to change the many misconceptions about the function and how that by harnessing data, mindset and human-centred design, HR really can be a catalyst for change.  

Stela describes herself as a geek by training, a consultant at heart and an entrepreneur in character. Having previously held people analytics roles at companies like IBM, Fidelity Investments and TIAA, Stela is now on a mission to humanise the workplace, empowering greatness – one woman at a time. 

I’ve known Stela for a few years and her expertise covers many fields including people analytics, diversity and inclusion, HR technology and employee experience.

You can listen to the whole podcast by clicking on the image below or by visiting the podcast website here.

In our conversation Stela and I discuss:

• How human-centred design can deliver improved business outcomes and a better workforce experience
• The challenges and opportunities for people analytics and what lies ahead for the field
• The role people analytics is increasingly playing to help drive Diversity and Inclusion initiatives
• The New York Strategic HR Analytics Meet-Up Group, which Stela co-organises and which by my estimation – at nearly 2,000 members – is the largest People Analytics MeetUp Group on the planet
• We also look into the crystal ball and ponder what the role of HR will be in 2025.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in a HR leadership or people analytics role, as well as anyone interested in how HR programs and people data can drive business outcomes, a better and more inclusive culture and employee experience.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

To listen to the Podcast and read the transcript of my interview with Stela, head over to myHRfuture by clicking on this link: How can HR be a catalyst for change?

WATCH THE VIDEOS

As well as the podcast, there are a couple of videos available on the myHRfuture YouTube channel highlighting two of the topics Stela and I covered in our conversation. Below is Stela outlining How Can Human Centred Design Support Inclusion and Diversity.

Stela's also offers her view on What the role of HR will be in 2025.

GET INVOLVED

If you enjoyed listening to the this week's podcast episode, I'd be grateful if you could take the following steps:

1. Please subscribe to the Digital HR Leaders podcast and weekly newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode.
2. Please take the time to rate the show on iTunes. We rely on your feedback and support to make the podcast, so this is very helpful!
3. Who would you like to see me interview in future episodes? Let me know in the comments below.
4. Lastly, don’t forget to share on social media with your friends and colleagues, your support is always greatly appreciated!

THANK YOU

A huge thank you to Stela for sharing her time and expertise. You can connect with Stela on LinkedIn, as well as follow Stela on Twitter, find out more about Reframe.Work and amazing.community and check out the thriving New York HR Analytics Strategic MeetUp group Stela co-organises with amongst others Jeremy Shapiro and Philip Arkcoll.

I also recommend checking out the many articles Stela has written about topics such as HR, People Analytics, Diversity and Inclusion including the examples below:

• Three ways People Analytics will shape the future of work
• How People Analytics Can Drive New Business Insights
• Why It’s Time to Practice Radical Workforce Inclusion
• Five trends that are redefining HR's role

Thanks also to Ian Bailie, Manpreet Randhawa and the myHRfuture team, and last but not least Gapsquare for sponsoring Series 6 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast and video series.

Next week my podcast guest will be the brilliant Dr. Julia Shaw, where we'll look into the role memory science plays in the workplace.

CATCH UP ON PREVIOUS EPISODES OF THE PODCAST

If you haven't listened to some of the other episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, you can catch up now by clicking on the links below:

• BONUS EPISODE: Volker Jacobs - How to scale Employee Experience
• EP 25: Julie Digby - How HR Drives Transformation and Org Design at Mars
• EP 24: RJ Milnor - How McKesson uses ONA to identify what drives high performance in sales
• EP 23: Rupert Morrison - Rethinking Workforce Planning & Organisation Design
• EP 22: Dawn Klinghoffer - The Evolution of People Analytics at Microsoft
• EP 21: John Boudreau - Reinventing Jobs: The Future of Work and it's impact on HR
• EP 20: Tanuj Kapilashrami - How Standard Chartered designed an exceptional Employee Experience
• EP 19: Anna Tavis: What is Agile HR and how are companies adopting it?
• EP 18: Sarah Johnson: How to use employee surveys to create strategic value
• EP 17: Leena Nair - How HR drives business value at Unilever
• EP 16: Keith McNulty - HR 3.0: more data driven, more agile and more business focused
• EP 15: Jason Corsello - The Shift From HR Tech to Work Tech
• EP 14: Jill Larsen - How does the CHRO successfully partner with the CEO
• EP 13: Frida Polli - How AI and Behavioural Science can reduce bias in recruiting
• EP 12: Ian O'Keefe - The Workforce Analytics journey at JP Morgan Chase
• EP 11: Dave Ulrich - The role of HR in the Digital Age
• EP 10: Jordan Pettman - How Nestlé uses People Analytics to measure Gender Pay Gap and Equity
• EP 9: Catalina Schveninger - The Evolution of Corporate Learning at Vodafone
• EP 8: Richard Collins - How is Automation, AI and Analytics changing recruiting?
• EP 7: Katarina Berg - Spotify's CHRO on Leading HR in a digital world
• EP 6: Nick Holley - How HR can become more business relevant 
• EP 5: Eden Britt - How to build a People Analytics team in a global organisation | The People Analytics journey at HSBC 
• EP 4: Yvette Cameron - How Blockchain will disrupt the Future of Work and HR Technology 
• EP 3: Didier Elzinga - How to Create a Culture First Company 
• EP 2: Edward Houghton - The Head of Research at the CIPD on Driving Business Performance with People Data 
• EP 1: Sharon Doherty - How to transform HR to be more digital and building a culture of diversity

CHECK OUT THE myHRfuture ACADEMY!

Sign up to the myHRfuture academy and get access to all of our on-demand online training courses from world-leading HR experts that will help you become more knowledgeable in topics such as people analytics and digital HR. All of our online training courses for HR are presented in bitesized learning modules, which means you can learn in your own time and focus on the topics that matter most to you.

__________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David is a globally respected writer, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As an Executive Director at Insight222, he helps global organisations create more cultural and economic value through the wise and ethical use of people data and analytics. Prior to joining Insight222 and taking up a board advisor role at TrustSphere, David was the Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM Watson Talent. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations embark upon and accelerate their people analytics journeys. 

SEE ME SPEAK AT THESE EVENTS IN 2020

Now that my speaking gigs are over for 2019, it’s time to look forward to 2020. I’ll be chairing and/or speaking about people analytics, data-driven HR and the Nine Dimensions for Excellence in People Analytics model at the following events until the end of May 2020.

• 21-22 Jan - The People Analytics Program Peer Meeting (hosted by Lloyds Banking Group), London (for Insight222 clients only)
• 28 Jan - The People Analytics Program Peer Group Meeting, San Francisco (for Insight222 clients only)
• 29-31 Jan – PAFOW San Francisco
• 4 Feb - The People Analytics Program Peer Group Meeting, New York (for Insight222 clients only)
• 19-21 Feb – Tech HR, Singapore
• 16-17 Mar – HR Core Lab – Leading with Talent Analytics, Barcelona
• 24-25 Mar – UNLEASH Spring, London
• 27 Apr - Employee Experience Summit, Vienna
• 29-30 Apr – PAFOW London