How to move from Data into Action: the real challenge behind HR Analytics.

#hranalytics is once again among the HR trends for this year. A "remaining issue" that, even we are all very aware of its relevance for #Talent strategies, is still not getting off the ground.

What stops us from plunging into the #data universe? Do we really know how to use that huge amount of information? Here are some ideas to unblocked data for your #HR plans this 2023:

1. Analyze the results and formulate hypotheses.

Although it may seem obvious, the first step is to "look data in the eye" and see what is trying to tell us. A good way to break the ice is bringing the team together and look for common ideas that stand out from the obvious.

To be productive, each member must work on the information by themselves in advance. Ask them to spend some time alone with the data and write down ideas that come to their mind. Then, bring those conclusions to the table and discuss their meaning together.

2. Test the hypotheses with qualitative information.

Once you have some hypotheses about what data tries to tell you, it is always a good idea to test them.

You can organize in-depth interviews, focus groups or both. The important thing is having a representative sample of your internal reality, in order to get a real feeling of what is going on inside the organization.

These sessions are usually a rich source of insights, either to confirm, deny or discover ideas that may or may not have emerged from data. Moreover, try to enrich that feedback with an external view (reports and studies are your best asset!).

3.?Organize working sessions on specific lines of action.

Remember, the best ideas come from teamwork! Involving your employees in creating, defining and prioritizing actions to move data forward is the best option you have.

Organize workshops to look for innovative ideas in one or more lines of action. This also has an extra point: actions will be more adapted to the reality of the teams and they will be better valorated as you are making them part of the solutions.

4.?Define and calendarize actions.

Once the actions have been evaluated (what can we implement and what not), it is essential to define who is the "owner" of each one and prepare the retroplanning. That doesn’t mean everything must be executed by HR, of course. But we, as Talent team, must lead their development as a whole.

To this end, I recommend the creation of a Project Management Office (PMO), with global vision of the plan and the retroplanning. A facilitating team with different areas involved whose goal is to guarantee plan’s execution.?

5. Communicate the milestones you achieve and track impact.

Another key function of this PMO is to constant review data information. Because that is where the magic lies, isn't it? Data is constantly changing and, therefore, we must be just as flexible to correct its way as it can be.

And remember the number one rule of Advertising: "What is not advertised, is not sold". Communicate everything, even those previous actions you have developed to arrive this point, not only the actions that "come out".

"We are counting on you to make it possible" is a better message than "We have done this for you", don't you think?

Do you find these ideas useful? How do you move from data to action?

I would love to hear more ideas you put into practice in your work!