A recent article in Computerworld by Michelle Rafter inspires our latest thoughts on the HR Software Solutions blog.
She writes, “Human resources is, by definition, all about managing people — historically considered the softer side of business. But companies are increasingly tying staffing decisions directly to specific business problems, strategies and goals, an approach popularized in part by tech companies such as Google. And to do that, they need data — lots of data.
Enter workforce analytics systems. These applications mix HR data with information from sales, finance and other business operations to create reports and forecasts that C-suite executives can use to, for example, determine the best way to allocate funds for compensation, nip increases in turnover or figure out why sales reps in one office close deals twice as often as others.
But for workforce analytics to do what it’s supposed to, HR professionals have to collaborate with colleagues from other parts of the business, including IT. It’s unusual for organizations to start an analytics program without IT’s help, because the many HR systems involved can make it a complicated undertaking.”
Big data is all the rage in the HR world and with good reason. As Michelle explains above, having insight into what’s going well, or what is going poorly, within your company is key. Finding the context behind and the narrative for major decisions will help management make better ones.
It can be difficult when HR and IT link up – speaking different “languages” and unsure how to meet each others goals for a given project. Hiring an HRIS consultant can help ease this transition and bridge the gap between departments.