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HR tech

ith the rapid advancement of Artificial training, employee engagement levels and absence
Intelligence and accessibility of analysis, the expectations of the C-Suite are fast
analytical tools in the workplace, moving towards seeing the impact these metrics
especially having an ever increasing have on the business, which can only really be
Wpresence in HR, many a doomsayer achieved when combined with other related data – for
is predicting the demise of the HR team. It would example, seeing staff turnover in relation to employee
however be far more accurate to rather predict the performance.
end of the HR function as we know it! In the example of a standard staff turnover metric,
If we look at how the HR function is currently where the measurement is usually just a percentage
viewed by and large, it is a team that has, for many a to be compared with a national or industry average.
year now, been predominantly focused on performing Through the application of true data analytics
those tiresome administrative tasks with regards to (business intelligence) the issue of whether staff
company policy issues, employee queries, employee turnover is higher than the norm becomes less
processes, data capturing and reporting. Well, relevant especially when looked at in conjunction with
it is with a great sigh of relief that this is all finally other related employee data. For example, if the data
changing, thanks to the huge leaps in technology, shows that the bulk of staff leaving are in fact poor
which enable HR solutions to be delivered with or below average performers, then this turnover rate
embedded intelligence and analytics as part of core although higher than the norm, is actually a rather
functionality. healthy situation!
This major shift in the focus of new age HR By having access to this level of insight through the
solutions does, of course, mean that members of the combination of various areas of data (often across
HR team will need to start growing their skills sets various systems), and having the analytical capability
in order to ensure that the HR function as a whole, to drill down into the detail, starts providing a far more
becomes focused in assisting business leaders in meaningful view on the impact to the organisation,
achieving their strategic goals. as opposed to being just static metrics from which
These new skills will empower the HR team to the management often make erroneous business
start providing insights to business leaders, enabling decisions as the data used is often derived from
them to start making more accurate business meaningless numerical calculations that just produces
decisions and projections based on the HR team’s metrics, without any context to other relevant data.
understanding of the strategic goals of the business. Ultimately, the HR team needs to ask themselves:
These insights, combined with traditional metrics that “What can we, as HR Professionals, do to prepare
focus on the standard transactional indicators, will ourselves for these predicted changes?” What the
ensure that HR starts playing a more strategic role in experts are saying all boils down to one tactic: self-
the organisation. development. Individuals in the HR team might feel
In essence, HR Professionals are now required that they have already concluded many years of
to transition themselves into true HR Business. study to achieve their current positions, and therefore
Professionals, that is, valued business partners, require no further skills, without realising that with
who not only understand the implications of their the world of work rapidly changing, no one should
“people based” decisions from an HR perspective, rest easy on their laurels, as they could easily find
but more importantly understand the implications themselves out in the cold when it comes to career
these decisions will have on the overall strategy and progression.
operations of the business. In conclusion, one of the major differences we see
Not only are the current roles within the HR team evolving, is that HR is no longer a career that people
changing, but new roles are now also emerging, two can just fall into, but is rather becoming a function
of these being the HR Data Analyst and the Chief HR where additional qualifications focusing on the areas
Information Officer, which need to be filled by staff such as People Analytics, Business Management
who not only understand the business of HR, but and Business Intelligence are becoming mandatory in
more importantly understand data. These roles will order to succeed.
certainly become increasingly important, especially
as organisations start relying more and more on the
HR team to provide insights derived from HR data Rob Bothma is an HCM Business Solution Architect
as a whole, as opposed to just providing standard at Oracle Corporation SA, www.oracle.com, a Fellow
transactional reports, metrics and statistics. of the Institute of People Management and past
So, although HR may already be providing the non-executive director and Vice President of the IPM,
organisation with some standard metrics, for co-author of the 4th Edition of Contemporary Issues
example, staff turnover ratios, cost of employee in HRM.

HR FUTURE · JUNE 2018 41