You don't have to solve hard problems.

The people analytics field is currently brimming with excitement as we experience rapid advancements in AI and the tools we utilize daily. Every day, it seems there's a groundbreaking innovation that could potentially revolutionize the way we do business.

But let's take a step back and consider a valuable lesson: you don't always have to solve hard problems.

When I started my career as an analyst, a common piece of advice was to constantly stay on the cutting edge, ensuring neither you nor your organization gets left behind. But now I know better.

Sure, attrition models, employee clustering, and advanced workforce insights are impressive tools. But do they always provide the most value to your organization?

Not necessarily.

I recently chatted with an analyst who shared his experience working on a straightforward project—a dashboard that tracked employee award nominations. It displayed the number of nominations, their department origins, employee demographics, and a few other tidbits. Did it use AI or advanced statistical models? Was it a showstopper for people analytics professionals? No, but it provided immense value to his organization.

The company has used this dashboard every quarter for the past four years, streamlining what had been a weeks-long process of sorting award nominations into a holistic, one-day evaluation. The analyst even received a bonus for his contribution. And the best part? The solution was incredibly simple.

That's the key takeaway here: sometimes, the simplest solutions deliver the most value.

Listening to the analyst's story reminded me that amid all the flashy innovations, we shouldn't overlook the power of simplicity.

It's all too easy to feel swamped by the latest techniques and breakthroughs, perpetually playing catch-up. Instead, let's embrace a more casual and value driven approach to problem-solving. As analysts, we should strive for a balance between leveraging new technologies and recognizing that sometimes the most effective solution is also the most straightforward.

So, let's keep it real. While staying informed about the latest developments is crucial, let's not forget the art of simplicity. As we navigate our careers in people analytics, we should always ask ourselves: "What are the most challenging problems our organization is facing, and how can I solve them?"

It doesn't matter if those problems are 'hard' - moving a department from excel to a dashboard might be easy for a well seasoned analyst but it's something that is 'hard' for that department.

Don't let the world of ever-evolving AI and analytics intimidate you. Keep your analytical tool belt diverse, always be open to learning, and remember that, at times, the most valuable problems are the easiest to solve.