• Hybrid Work
    The best HR & People Analytics articles of March 2025 2025年3月的《Data Driven HR Monthly》由人力分析专家David Green主编，汇集了全球最新的HR与人力分析领域的重要洞察。文章聚焦于“技能驱动型组织”、“CHRO领导力崛起”与“生成式AI在HR中的落地应用”等核心主题。Insight222最新研究指出，若CHRO和高管团队以身作则地使用数据，HR人员在日常工作中应用人力分析的可能性将提高三倍。Mercer报告显示，高技能效能企业中有73%建立了系统的技能目录。此外，Deloitte《2025全球人力资本趋势》强调，应在“组织文化”“员工个人成长”“企业社会价值”三者之间平衡张力。McKinsey指出，25%的企业通过应用生成式AI，HR成本下降超过10%。Josh Bersin研究则揭示，13%的CHRO已跻身企业前五高薪高管，展现出其日益增强的战略地位。本期还涵盖了关于员工体验设计、DEI策略调整、混合办公模式下的设计思维、HR技术成熟度评估、员工聆听模型等多项实务建议，是HR从业者和决策者必读的专业内容合集。 I was reflecting this weekend that I have now been in the people analytics field for over a decade. Much has changed during that time, but three constants have been the Wharton People Analytics Conference, People Analytics World and UNLEASH. All have acted as a source of inspiration to me and an unmissable opportunity to connect with others in our field. As such, I am looking forward to attending and speaking at all three events in the coming weeks. First, I’m excited to be speaking for the first time at the Wharton People Analytics Conference in Philadelphia on April 10 and 11 on Unlocking the Power of Data: The Case for Analytics Democratization. Other speakers include: Amy Edmondson, Ravin Jesuthasan, Ben Waber, Jennifer Kurkoski, Guru Sethupathy, Siri Chilazi, and Michael Fraccaro. Next up, I’ll be co-chair and opening keynote speaker at People Analytics World in London on April 29 and 30, where I’ll be sharing some of the research and work we do at Insight222. Other speakers include: Dawn Klinghoffer, Alexis Saussinan, and Cole Nussbaumer. The week after, I’ll be heading back to the US for Unleash America, which takes place in Las Vegas, and where I’ll be moderating the Unleash Talent Summit on May 6, and the AI Track on May 7 and 8. Other speakers include; Adam Holton, Anshul Sheopuri, Sue Lam, Avani Prabhakar, Christy Pambianchi, and Amy Coleman. I hope to see some of you in Philadelphia, London and/or Las Vegas. This edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is sponsored by our friends at Mercer Putting skills to work: Benchmarking skills-powered success The scale of skills gaps poses an existential threat to businesses’ ability to get work done. The velocity and volatility of change associated with these gaps stems from compounding trends across geopolitics, climate, demographics and the AI revolution. How can organizations keep pace when supply fails to meet shifting demand? Accelerating agility is one answer. By connecting the dots between skills and the specific tasks that are changing, employers can unlock new ways to connect people to work (beyond moving them from one job to another). A skills taxonomy lays the groundwork: Mercer’s 2024-2025 Skills Snapshot Survey Report shows that 73% of companies with high skills effectiveness have a skills catalog. While technology makes skills mapping easier, the overall journey can feel overwhelming. HR capacity concerns often stop teams from taking the first step to becoming skills-powered. To put skills to work in a manageable way, think big but start small with a pilot program. This may be for a specific talent process like internal mobility or talent acquisition in the context of a fast-changing business area. Find more strategic skills insights in Mercer’s 2024-2025 Skills Snapshot Survey report, including: Building the path to a skills-powered organization Mapping skills to employees Linking skills with rewards Overcoming obstacles Get the Snapshot Enterprises who realize the full potential of Skills-Powered Organization practices use skills to revolutionize how they work, modernize talent deployment, and rethink development and rewards. Their journeys are underpinned by a shared vision and a strong data foundation. To sponsor an edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, and share your brand with more than 140,000 Data Driven HR Monthly subscribers, send an email to dgreen@zandel.org. MARCH ROAD REPORT March turned into a month of highs and lows. Focusing on the former, the first week of March witnessed the most successful and well-attended Peer Meeting yet for member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®, hosted by NBC Universal at their iconic global headquarters at the Rockefeller Center in New York. A huge thank you to Jamie Nevshehir and Jennifer Mandelson for hosting as well as our speakers at the event: Dawn Klinghoffer, Lynette Carlson, Olga Dobromyrova, Geetanjali Gamel, Anshul Sheopuri and Jeremy Shapiro. March also saw me deliver two conference keynotes in my home city of London. First up, I had the privilege of delivering the closing keynote at HiBob’s Heartcore HR event in London (see here) – thanks to Emily Hanssen Arent for inviting me and Toby Hough for hosting. The following week, I had the pleasure of delivering another closing keynote – this time at the Workhuman Forum Live – on how data-driven storytelling can elevate HR’s impact and role in shaping the future (see here) – thanks to Maya Lane and Kathryn Santora for inviting me. Join me for an Insight222 webinar on April 2 on building data literacy in HR at scale. In our research at Insight222, we have found that when both the CHRO and the HR leadership team role-model the use of people data and analytics, HR practitioners are three times more likely to use those insights in their day-to-day work. That’s the kind of cultural shift that unlocks business impact, strategic alignment, and organisational capability. If you’re interested in learning more about why data literacy is central to the success of both the HR function and the wider business—please join Naomi Verghese along with Shannon Rutledge, Director of People Analytics & Data Solutions at T. Rowe Price, and me on 2 April 2025 at 4:00 PM BST for our upcoming webinar, “Upskilling the HR Profession – Building Data Literacy at Scale”. Share the love! Enjoy reading the collection of resources for March and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on February’s compendium. If you enjoy a weekly dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is usually published every other Tuesday – subscribe here – and read the latest edition. HYBRID, GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK HELEN POITEVIN - AI in HR: Hits, Misses and Growing Pains Skills-based talent management cannot scale or be sustainable long-term without AI-enabled skills management. Writing for Gartner, Helen Poitevin presents a AI use-case prism for human capital management (see FIG 1) before providing detailed insights on AI in HR across three key areas: recruiting, virtual assistants and skills in terms of what’s working and what isn’t as well as areas requiring more focus (growing pains) and what to expect next. For example, with AI-enabled skills management, AI is helping organisations to scale and personalise but is still struggling to incorporate unstructured skills data. Helen recommends starting with the teams that are most ready for using skills data alongside creating a long-term skills vision and ambition. She also highlights that growth in the use of AI based skills management tools is set to rise: “Gartner predicts that by 2028, 40% of large organizations will have invested in two or more AI-enabled skills management solutions with the aim of delivering business agility.” Thanks to Brian Heger for highlighting in his excellent Talent Edge Weekly newsletter. FIG 1: AI use-case prism for human capital management (Source: Gartner) McKINSEY - The state of AI: How organizations are rewiring to capture value The latest McKinsey Global Survey on AI finds that the use of AI (both generative and analytical) is increasing with three-quarters of organisations using AI in at least one business function. From a people and HR perspective there are a number of takeaways from the report including these five: (1) Just over 20% of companies have created a comprehensive approach to foster trust among employees in the use of GenAI. (2) 31% of large and 17% of small organisations have established capability-based training courses designed to help employees use GenAI appropriately. (3) AI is shifting the skills organisations need with roles on risk and ethics on the rise and those in data-visualisation reducing. (4) There is an increased focus on reskilling with companies expecting this to further increase in the next three years (see FIG 2). (5) Across industries 13% of companies report they are using GenAI regularly in HR with the media and telecom sector highest at 22%. (6) 25% of companies report cost reductions in HR of more than 10% in the second half of 2025. Kudos to the authors: Alex Singla, Alexander Sukharevsky, Lareina Yee, and Michael Chui, with Bryce Hall. FIG 2: Employee reskilling due to AI use (Source: McKinsey) DELOITTE - 2025 Global Human Capital Trends: Navigating complex tensions and choices in the worker-organization relationship Organizations that successfully increase the capacity of workers to grow personally, use their imagination, and think deeply are: 1.8 times more likely to report better financial results, 1.4 times more likely to say they are creating broad value for customers, community, and society, and 1.6 times more likely to say they provide workers with meaningful work. Deloitte’s annual Global Human Capital Trends report is always insightful, thought-provoking and forward-looking, and the 2025 edition does not disappoint. The introduction sets the scene and highlights the need for organisations and leaders to find a balance between competing tensions (see FIG 3). The report has eight chapters organised around three themes of work, workforce, and organisation and culture, and what it means to navigate the tensions in them. As ever, the report is packed full of insights, visualisations and data – I particularly found the analysis on AI’s potential silent impacts interesting (see FIG 4). Kudos to the authors who include: Susan Cantrell, David Mallon, Kevin Moss, Nicole Scoble-Williams GAICD, and Yves Van Durme. FIG 3: Navigating the tensions (Source: Deloitte) FIG 4: AI’s potential silent impacts (Source: Deloitte) PEOPLE ANALYTICS NAOMI VERGHESE - The Importance of Data Literacy Skills for HR Professionals By embracing people data and analytics, HR can move beyond traditional administrative functions and become a key driver of business success. Insight222’s most recent People Analytics Trends survey confirms that scaling data literacy is a strategic priority for CHROs, with 85% of companies confirming that the CHRO has emphasised people data and analytics as an essential component of the HR strategy. However, only 58% of companies report that they have a data-driven culture for people data and analytics today, and only 51% of companies report that HR Practitioners are actively developing their data literacy skills to become more data driven. In her article, Naomi Verghese provides examples of data literacy in practice (see FIG 5), and highlights five skills for HR professionals to develop data literacy (including being able to tell stories with data) FIG 5: Examples of data literacy in HR in practice (Source: Naomi Verghese, Insight222) MARTHA CURIONI - Analytical AI vs Gen AI – What’s the Difference? | PRABHAKAR PANDEY - Understanding the European Union's Pay Transparency Directive | ALEXIS FINK - The Power of Responding instead of Reacting | RICHARD ROSENOW - An (updated) interview with an unusual People Analytics Expert - ChatGPT 4.5 | SCOTT REIDA - Evaluating Talent Hubs: A Data-Driven Approach using GenAI w/Tableau In each edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, I feature a collection of articles by current and recent people analytics leaders. These are intended to act as a spur and inspiration to the field. Five are highlighted in this month’s edition. (1) Martha Curioni provides a helpful primer on the differences between analytical AI and generative AI in a HR setting (see FIG 6).  (2) Prabhakar Pandey provides a detailed examination on the background, objectives, key provisions, and potential impacts of the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive on employers, employees, and the broader European economy. (3) Alexis Fink provides a timely guide on the power of responding instead of reacting. (4) Richard Rosenow fires a series of questions related to people analytics at ChatGPT 4.5, and gets a pretty good set of answers. (5) Scott Reida walks through a structured, GenAI-powered methodology for evaluating talent hubs using ChatGPT, which explains how to define clear objectives, select job families and locations, weight decision factors, and visualise results for smarter, faster insights. Thanks to Hung Lee and Toby Culshaw for highlighting Scott’s article. FIG 6: The differences between analytical and generative AI (Source: Martha Curioni) THE EVOLUTION OF HR, LEARNING, AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE DAVE ULRICH - Six Actions for HR to Create More Stakeholder Value How can HR create more value for all stakeholders? That’s the question posed by Dave Ulrich at the start of his article. As he explains, answering this pivotal question enables HR leaders to make informed choices about where to prioritise their work and then intentionally share what they are doing and its business impact. In the article, Dave outlines HR’s key stakeholders and the outcomes they require, a human capability framework that integrates 38 initiatives into four pathways, how to focus on outcomes as opposed to activities, and how we can get more precise when it comes to prioritising our work. FIG 7: Six actions, questions, next steps to create stakeholder value from human capability KATE BRAVERY, JOANA SILVA, AND JENS PETERSON | MERCER - Workforce 2.0: Unlocking human potential in a machine-augmented world - Global Talent Trends 2024-25 The world of work is in full metamorphosis, forever changed by the seismic shifts of recent years and accelerated by the imminent human-machine teaming revolution. The rise of generative AI has been met with equal measures of unease and excitement, changing not only how people work but the work experience itself…Unlocking the potential of this new world of work means keeping people at the heart of the transformation agenda. These are an abridged version of the opening words from the Mercer Global Talent Trends report for 2024-25, which has recently been published. As ever, the study, which is based on a survey of 14,400 executives, HR leaders, employees, and investors, and is authored by Kate Bravery Joana Silva and Jens Peterson – with contributions from the likes of Jason Averbook, Ilya Bonic, Lewis Garrad, Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA, Jean Martin and JESS VON BANK is an absolute must-read. As in previous years, the study highlights a disconnect between what HR is prioritising for the 2025 people agenda and the initiatives that executives believe will have the most impact on business growth (see FIG 8). The analysis also highlights that improving people managers’ skills (up from 9th in 2024 to 1st in 2025) and designing talent processes around skills (up from 8th to 3rd) are high on HR’s agenda. The study identifies and breaks down four priorities that firms that outpace their competitors are focusing on: (1) Driving human-centric productivity. (2) Anchoring to trust and equity. (3) Boosting the corporate immune system (including highlighting the importance of insights and analytics – see FIG 9). (4) Cultivating a digital-first culture. My tip to enjoy the study: find a couple of hours, make yourself a cup of tea and have a pen and paper to hand. FIG 8: HR priorities for the 2025 people agenda (Source: Mercer Global Talent Trends 2024-25) FIG 9: What gets measured gets managed (Source: Mercer Global Talent Trends 2024-25) JOSH BERSIN AND KATHI ENDERES - Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO The CHRO role is critical for business success, with CHROs serving as C-suite leaders first, and HR function leaders second. In his article previewing his new paper with Kathi Enderes, Understanding the Path to CHRO, Josh Bersin cites a recent study by Nick Bloom and Mert Akan (see here), which finds that 13% of CHROs are among the top five highest-paid executives in their organisations, a sharp rise from just 0.5% thirty years ago. The paper outlines the role of the CHRO, career trajectories, education, experiences, and high-level success drivers, along with the implications for leaders. Findings include: (1) More than 75% of CHRO appointments come from the outside, indicating a lack of CEO confidence in HR and/or a lack of succession planning for this job. (2) There are four major archetypes of CHRO (see FIG 10): Career CHRO (who change companies regularly), Company CHRO (who grow up inside the company), Business CHRO (who are rotated into the job from non-HR roles), and Operations CHRO (who come from legal, finance, or operations background). (3) Business CHROs drive the greatest change and impact. FIG 10: Four paths to the CHRO (Source: The Josh Bersin Company) WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS MCKINSEY - The critical role of strategic workforce planning in the age of AI S&P 500 companies that excel at maximizing their return on talent generate an astonishing 300 percent more revenue per employee compared with the median firm In many cases, these top performing firms are using strategic workforce planning to stay ahead of their competitors in the talent race, treating talent with the same rigour as managing their financial capital. In their article, Neel Gandhi, Sandra Durth, Vincent Bérubé, Charlotte Seiler, Kritvi Kedia and Randy Lim, highlight how the emergence of generative AI is making strategic workforce planning even more important (see FIG 11), and discuss five best practices for building a holistic talent plan through SWP: (1) Prioritise talent investments as much as financial investments. (2) Consider both capacity and capabilities. (3) Plan for multiple business scenarios. (4) Take an innovative approach to filling talent gaps – by refocusing from hiring to reskilling and upskilling. (5) Embed SWP into business as usual: Strategic workforce planning should become a business-as-usual process, not just a one-off exercise in the face of a single threat to an organization’s talent pipeline or business goals. FIG 11: The impact of GenAI on tasks that previously had low potential for automation  (Source: McKinsey) JOSH TARR - Key Skills-Based Strategies for Building a More Agile and Resilient Workforce | WORKDAY – The Global State of Skills Skills-based strategies are transforming the workplace into a more dynamic, adaptable, and equitable environment. Josh Tarr shares key findings from Workday’s recently published The Global State of Skills report, which finds that 51% of business leaders are concerned about a looming talent shortage, with only 32% in agreement that their organisation possesses the skills needed for future success. The article examines three key skills-based strategies: (1) Skill Identification: Building an Accurate Picture of Workforce Capabilities. (2) Skills-Based Hiring: Focusing on What People Can Do, not Their Credentials. (3) Upskilling and Reskilling: Elevating the Workforce. Thanks to Sophie Barnes for highlighting. FIG 12: Top drivers and anticipated outcomes for becoming a skills-based organisation (Source: Workday) EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING PATRICK COOLEN AND SANDER DE BRUIJN - 7 Golden Rules For Improving Employee Experience Effective EX solutions are built on an iterative and evidence-based approach while co-creating with employees. In their article, Patrick Coolen and Sander de Bruijn of KennedyFitch share their experience and insights on how to do continuous employee listening and improve employee experience. They share seven ‘Golden Rules’ for improving employee experience including: (1) Applying the ‘Triple Diamond Model’ (see FIG 13) in order to capture, understand and act on your employees' needs and ambitions. (2) Ensuring strategic positioning (“EX is a strategic capability, so the responsible team should be positioned in HR accordingly”). (3) Aiming for hyper-personalisation (“By understanding employee differences, organisations can tailor experiences to be more personalised and meaningful”). Read the article to learn about the other golden rules as well as letting Patrick and Sander know what rules eight, nine and ten should be. FIG 13: The ‘Triple Diamond Model’ to drive employee experience (Source: Patrick Coolen and Sander De Brujin) DANIEL WENTZEL, ALICE MINET, STEFAN RAFF-HEINEN, AND JANINA GARBAS - How Remote Work Changes Design Thinking A key advantage of the design-thinking process over other innovation methods is its emphasis on the user experience. Design thinking and user centred design are critical tools in building an exceptional employee experience – and HR practitioners can learn much from how these tools are applied to customer experience. In their article for MIT Sloan Management Review, Daniel Wentzel, Alice Minet, Dr. Stefan Raff-Heinen, and Dr. Janina Garbas share advice for leaders on structuring the design-thinking process to exploit the best features of both physical and virtual environments for more effective ideation, customer experience research, and other design-thinking steps. As outlined in FIG 14, effectively combining physical and virtual formats throughout the design-thinking process allows innovation leaders to harness the distinct advantages of each setting. FIG 14: How to set up hybrid design thinking processes (Source: Wentzel et al) LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND LEARNING STUART L. HART - How to Embed Purpose at Every Level In his article, drawn from his book, Beyond Shareholder Primacy: Remaking Capitalism for a Sustainable Future, Stuart L. Hart presents a practical framework and approach for truly embedding societal purpose, drawing upon the experience of several innovative companies. This framework imagines the company as a house of transformational sustainability – see FIG 15 – where the shared values are the foundation, the roof is the company purpose, the middle floor is the core elements of strategy. The article examines of the elements of the corporate architecture in more depth, along with examples from the 15 companies Hart and his team studied as part of their work: (1) What We Believe: Values (“The transformational companies we examined established a strong foundation built on their organizations’ values”). (2) Why We Exist: Purpose. (3) What We Solve: Aspirations and Quests: (“Together, aspirations and quests serve as the fulcrum for change in leading-edge companies, translating purpose and intention into strategy and operating reality”). (4) How We Win: Strategies and Initiatives. (5) What We Track and How We Accelerate: Goals and Metrics, Rewards and Incentives. FIG 15: The House of Transformational Sustainability (Source: Stuart L. Hart) DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING DANIEL ZHAO – DEI Data Points on Glassdoor | JOELLE EMERSON – Analysis on EEOC Assessment of Unlawful DEI Initiatives | MEG A. WARREN – Amid DEI Rollbacks, Champion Allyship | JEREMIE BRECHEISEN, TERESA ALMEIDA AND NIKITA - When Does a Regional Approach to DEI Make Sense for Multinational Companies? | BRANDON DENON - In the US, DEI is under attack. But under a different name, it might live on With the continuing uncertainty around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, as with the February edition of Data Driven HR Monthly, I wanted to share some of the resources I’ve consumed on this topic with readers: (1) Daniel Zhao shares a number of DEI related data points from Glassdoor, which perhaps not surprisingly has seen that conservations on DEI have surged on Glassdoor’s community platform (see FIG 16). (2) DEI expert Joelle Emerson provides an initial assessment of the EEOC’s recent guidance on unlawful DEI initiatives. (3) Meg Warren, Ph.D. presents research that finds that abandoning DEI initiatives can harm both performance and workplace culture – with inclusive workplaces being better for workers and our businesses. (4) Jeremie K Brecheisen, Teresa Almeida, and Nikita present findings from a study by Gallup and the London School of Economics that found that 77% of companies had centralised DEI operations, but that the companies with decentralised regional operations reported greater business impact. (5) Finally, in a BBC InDepth article, Brandon Drenon writes on how companies in the US are adopting different stances to Trump’s Executive Orders. FIG 16: The rise of DEI conversations on Glassdoor (Source: Glassdoor) HR TECH VOICES Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor and analyst community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from March that I recommend readers delve into: EMILY KILLHAM | PERCEPTYX - The State of Employee Listening 2025 – Perceptyx's annual analysis of employee listening, authored by Emily Killham, is always a compulsory read. The 2025 edition continues the high standard with highlights including (1) How the top barriers to listening and action have changed in the last 12 months. (2) The critical risks associated with increasing burnout of HR leaders. (3) An update to Perceptyx’s 4-stage maturity model that describes the progression of an employee listening and action program from its most fundamental to its most robust. FIG 17: Employee listening maturity model (Source: Perceptyx) PHILIP ARKCOLL - The AI Maturity Curve: Measuring AI Adoption in your Organization – Philip Arkcoll, CEO at Worklytics , sets out a compelling framework for measuring the impact of AI on your organisation – the AI Maturity Curve (see FIG 18), which is comprised of three stages: Adoption (focused on uptake), Proficiency (focused on impact), and Leverage (focused on productivity gains). FIG 18: Measuring the impact of AI on your organisation (Source: Worklytics) DIRK JONKER AND RALF BOVERS - How common are people analytics teams? – In a recent edition of Crunchr’s newsletter, The HR Crunch, Dirk Jonker and Ralf Bovers provide some illuminating insights into the size and location of companies that have people analytics teams (see FIG 19) with the US and larger companies leading the way. FIG 19: Companies with people analytics teams (Source: Crunchr) ERNEST NG - AI Holds the Potential to Lead Organizations Into an Era of Abundance – Workday’s Ernest Ng, PhD discusses how AI agents will impact how we think about the organisation and challenge common HR orthodoxies. His article outlines how we can reimagine the organisation with a ‘beginners mind’ if we were not bound by the limitations of time and human attention, why AI is potentially transformational, and where to go from here. FRANCISCO MARIN - Measuring the Impact of Organizational Network Analysis (ONA): From Insights to Tangible ROI - Francisco Marin and the Cognitive Talent Solutions team share a helpful primer on how to measure the ROI of organisational network analysis (ONA), which includes a table (see FIG 20) with example use cases and ROI estimates. FIG 20: ONA Use Cases & Hard Savings Estimations (Source: Cognitive Talent Solutions) PODCASTS OF THE MONTH In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected five gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below): DR. HOLLY LAM - Bridging the Chasm Between People Analytics & the Business – Holly Lam, PhD joins hosts Cole Napper and Scott Hines, PhD on the Directionally Correct podcast to discuss what it’s like to be decision maker in the business and move back to people analytics. BRENDA KOWSKE - Strategic Workforce Planning in the Age of AI – In an episode of Workplace Stories, hosts Stacia Sherman Garr and Dani Johnson speak with Brenda Kowske about how her people analytics and workforce planning team is breaking down traditional HR silos, integrating workforce planning into business decisions, and staying ahead of the curve with AI and skills-based planning at Boston Scientific. ARNE-CHRISTIAN VAN DER TANG – CHRO Insights – Arne-Christian Van Der Tang, CHRO at TomTom, joins Kathi Enderes on the What Works podcast to explain why the CHRO is no longer an HR leader, but now a business transformation executive. IAN WILSON - How Amazon Builds High-Performing Teams – Ian Wilson, VP HR at Amazon, speaks to Christopher Rainey on the HR Leaders podcast about how Amazon builds high-performing teams, the role of psychological safety, and HR’s role in driving business impact. BRYAN HANCOCK AND BROOKE WEDDLE - How to get return to office right - In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Bryan Hancock and Brooke Weddle speak with host Lucia Rahilly about their recent research on the opportunities and challenges of RTO—and how leaders can drive productivity, collaboration, and innovation successfully. VIDEO OF THE MONTH AMIT MOHINDRA AND HEATHER WHITEMAN – People Analytics Career Skills Live! Two giants of people analytics – Amit Mohindra and Heather Whiteman, Ph.D., who both featured on the recent list of Top 20 People Analytics Influencers join forces as Amit shares his career journey, the key skills for success in people analytics, and a wealth of invaluable advice. The webinar includes a demonstration of how to leverage basic descriptive analytics to perform predictive analytics. BOOK OF THE MONTH KWEILIN ELLINGRUD, LAREINA YEE, AND MARÍA DEL MAR MARTÍNEZ – The Broken Rung: When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women and How They Can Succeed in Spite of It For every 100 men who are promoted to manager, only 81 women get promoted. This causes women to fall behind men early on – far below the ‘glass ceiling’. This is what Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and Maria del Mar Martinez have coined “the broken rung”. Their book is based on a decade of research, their own experiences as the first three chief diversity and inclusion officers for McKinsey, interviews with 50 leaders, and is a guide to help women accelerate their career growth. For a preview of the book, I recommend reading a recent article by the authors: How Women Can Win in the Workplace. RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH FABRIZIO DELL’ACQUA ET AL - The Cybernetic Teammate: A Field Experiment on Generative AI Reshaping Teamwork and Expertise Our results suggest that AI adoption at scale in knowledge work reshapes not only performance but also how expertise and social connectivity manifest within teams, compelling organizations to rethink the very structure of collaborative work. This new paper summarises the findings from a study of how AI transforms the core pillars of collaboration – namely performance, expertise sharing, and social engagement – through a field experiment with 776 workers at Procter & Gamble. The findings include: (1) AI significantly enhances performance, (2) AL breaks down functional silos. (3) AI’s language-based interface prompted more positive self-reported emotional responses among participants (see FIG 21). The paper is a collaboration between Fabrizio Dell'Acqua, Charles Ayoubi and Karim Lakhani from the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard along with Hila Lifshitz, Raffaella Sadun, Ethan Mollick, and Lilach M., and Yi Han, Jeff Goldman, Hari Nair, and Stewart Taub from Procter & Gamble. You can also read Ethan Mollick’s article on the research: The Cybernetic Teammate. FIG 21: Working with AI leads to better emotional experiences (Source: Ethan Mollick) BONUS RESOURCES Some bonus resources to consume this month feature articles from five of my favourite newsletters: Lars Schmidt ’s personal and compelling Confessions of a Reluctant Thought Leader explains why he has shifted back from being an influencer to an operator. Much of this really resonates. In AI’s battle of the skills: upskilling vs deskilling, Laetitia Vitaud asks and then answers the question: “Does generative AI mostly amplify the skills of experienced workers, or does it level the playing field by enabling less experienced, less qualified workers to perform at higher levels?” Andrew Spence’s Workforce Futurist is consistently one of the most insightful newsletters out there – his latest: Seven Ways Technology is Making Us More Human, Not Less is a must-read. Serena H. Huang, Ph.D.’s From Data to Action has close to 10,000 subscribers, and it’s easy to see why as the latest edition: The Future of Work is Wellbeing—And It’s Broken Without Inclusion, tackles an important and timely topic in her typically insightful and personal style. Not many understand the world of HR Tech better than Thomas Otter as his excellent Work in Progress substack consistently testifies. In Explaining M&A through the lens of Income Statement v Balance Sheet analyses two very different recent acquisitions: ServiceNow and Moveworks. and Deel and the global payroll business of Safeguard. As an additional bonus, I also want to highlight the inaugural edition of Phil Kirschner’s The Workline, which features an exclusive interview with Annie Dean of Atlassian on their “Cost Per Visit” metric. See: Exclusive Case Study: Atlassian Humanized the Office with One New Metric. FROM MY DESK March saw the final four episodes of series 45 the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by our friends at Amazing Workplace, Inc. KATHERINE MACNAUGHTON - How Manulife Improved Employee Experience Through Transforming Its Organisational Culture - In this episode I talk to Katherine Macnaughton, CHRL, Vice President of Global Talent Management and Development at Manulife, about how Manulife is embedding purpose into every stage of the employee journey. SHON HOLYFIELD - Why Measuring Happiness Matters Just as Much as Engagement - Shon Holyfield, Founder and CEO of Amazing Workplace, Inc., joins me to explore how focusing on employee happiness can transform business outcomes. LUCY ADAMS - How HR Can Lead Successful Digital Transformation Initiatives – Lucy Adams, CEO of Disruptive HR and former CHRO at the BBC and Eversheds, joins me to discuss how HR can lead digital transformation and enable business leaders to be change champions. ANNA TAVIS - How to Drive Workforce Experience and Learning with Digital Coaching - Anna A. Tavis, PhD, Chair of the Human Capital Management Department at New York University and co-author (with Dr. Woody Woodward, PhD, PCC) of The Digital Coaching Revolution, joins me to explore how organisations can move from traditional coaching methods to scalable AI-powered solutions. LOOKING FOR A NEW ROLE IN PEOPLE ANALYTICS OR HR TECH? I’d like to highlight once again the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which – as Richard’s latest newsletter reveals - now numbers over 525 roles. Look out too for Richard's latest newsletter analysing the current job market. THANK YOU The Economic Times for including Excellence in People Analytics in their Top 20 books HR professionals should consider reading in 2025 Joachim Rotzinger for featuring me in the inaugural issue of his #OrgPeople series, which highlights individuals who are shaping the way we think about organisations and analytics: you can read Joachim’s post here. Chrishtica Sivakumar for including me in her list of 11 HR Professionals to follow and learn from. Similarly, K Nair for including me in his 25 Must-Follow LinkedIn Accounts for HR in 2025. Congratulations to Sukumaran Mariappan on 25 years of growth and gratitude – and thanks for including me as one of 20 people you highlight for having helped you on your journey. Marc Voi Chiuli. (MSc. HRM. Assoc CIPD. MIHRM.) for referencing Excellence in People Analytics in his recent article: HR Analytics Is Here! Are HR Practitioners Ready to Adopt this New Trend and Take Their Businesses to the Next Level? I always enjoy reading posts from listeners of the Digital HR Leaders podcast summarising their key takeaways and learnings from individual episodes. Two great examples (the first from the recent episode with Lucy Adams on HR’s role in transformation and the second with Anna Tavis on digital coaching come from Shrez Ghelani (here) and Olimpiusz Papiez (here). Finally, a huge thank you to the following people who either shared the February edition of Data Driven HR Monthly and/or posted about the Digital HR Leaders podcast, conferences or other content. It's much appreciated: Sam Streak, Anja Leschly, Thomas Kohler, Raja Sengupta, Brandon Merritt Johnson, Galo Lopez Noriega, Mike Madelin FCIPD, Megan Reif, Johann Cheminelle, Gerard Kiely, Charlotte Copeman, Clodagh Scannell, Matthew Phelan, Catriona Lindsay, Aurélie Crégut, Keji Fakeye, MS, CSM, Jose Luis Chavez Vasquez, Kouros Behzad, Jarret O., Callum MacRae, Dan George, Francesca Gabetti, Susana Pires, Felipe Jara, Laurent Reich, Bob Pulver, Megan Sherman, Ph.D., Diego Miranda ??, Amardeep Singh, MBA, Viktoriia Kriukova (Вікторія Крюкова), Krista V., David Simmonds FCIPD, Danielle Farrell, MA, CSM, Ian OKeefe, Sanja Licina, Ph.D., Deborah M. Weiss, Dean Carter, Dan Riley, Sibusiso Mkhize, Nitish Kumar, Aravind Warrier, Sarajit Poddar, Preetha Ghatak Mukharjee, Lewis Garrad, Greg Pryor , Kris Saling, Nick Lynn, Shirley Mariole, MPNGHRI, Richard Bretzger, Till Alexander Leopold, Kyle Forrest, Erik Samdahl, Ralf Buechsenschuss, David Boyle, Ben Berry, Amanda Nolen, Andrew Pitts, Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP-SP, SHRM-SCP, CIPD), Linpei Zhang, Moïra Taillefer, Sonia Mooney, Kathleen Kruse, Timo Tischer, Volodymyr Shevchenko Rebecca Ray, Anyuta Dhir, Tobias W. Goers ツ, John Guy, Kristin Saboe, Ph.D., Caitie Jacobson Mikulis, Hesham Ahmed, Daisy Grewal, Ph.D., Brian Elliott, Paola Alfaro Alpízar, Mila Pascual-Nodusso, John Golden, Ph.D., Heather Muir, Dan Lapporte, Tina Peeters, PhD, Frankie Close, Tonille Miller, Narelle Burke, Ying Li, Raquel Mitie Harano, Saumya Singh, Joseph Frank, PhD CCP GWCCM, John Perrian, Jill Larsen, Kelly Cartwright, Paul Boyle, Paulo Henrique Bolgar, Federico Bechini, Phil Inskip, Tammy Arnaud, Anushree Kabra Tatu Westling, Brad Hubbard, Marie-Hélène Gélinas, MBA (Cand.), Aimee Shirreffs, Delia Majarín, Jo Thackray FCIPD, Gishan Nissanka, Ali Nawab, Pedro Pereira, Natasha Ouslis, PhD, David Balls (FCIPD), Nikita D'Souza, Tanya Jain, Angela LE MATHON, Graham Tollit, Mino Thomas, Dave Millner, Ingi Finnsson ?, Maria Ursu, Craig Starbuck, PhD, Stela Lupushor, Dave Fineman, Monika Manova, Hanne Hoberg, Jacob Nielsen, James McKay, Morgan Baldwin, Mattijs Mol, Sebastian Knepper, Maria Alice Jovinski, Mariami Lolashvili, Shuang Yueh Pui, PhD, Ken Clar, Andrés García Ayala, Dr Philip Gibbs, Elizabeth Esarove, Higor Gomes, Olivier Bougarel, Ron Ben Oz, Louis Gordon, Jeff Wellstead, Agnes Garaba, Erik Otteson, Stephen Hickey UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR PEOPLE ANALYTICS FUNCTION THROUGH THE INSIGHT222 PEOPLE ANALYTICS PROGRAM At Insight222, our mission is to make organisations better by putting people analytics at the centre of business and upskilling the HR profession The Insight222 People Analytics Program® is your gateway to a world of knowledge, networking, and growth. Developed exclusively for people analytics leaders and their teams, the program equips you with the frameworks, guidance, learnings, and connections you need to create greater impact. As the landscape of people analytics becomes increasingly complex, with data, technology, and ethical considerations at the forefront, our program brings together over one hundred organisations to collectively address these shared challenges. Insight222 Peer Meetings are a core component of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®. They allow participants to learn, network and co-create solutions together with the purpose of ultimately growing the business value that people analytics can deliver to their organisations. If you would like to learn more, contact us today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Green ?? is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021. MEET ME AT THESE EVENTS I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in early 2025: April 10-11 - Wharton People Analytics Conference, Philadelphia April 16 - Delegation Rewired: What HR Can Stop Doing, Thanks To Agentic AI, Webinar organised by People Matters April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London May 6-8 - UNLEASH America, Las Vegas June 4-6 - TALREOS (Talent Analytics Leadership Roundtable Economic Mobility Summit), Chicago June 10-11 - Insight222 Q2 North American Peer Meeting, Toronto, (hosted by Royal Bank of Canada, and exclusive to the people analytics leader in member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®) June 25-26 - Insight222 Q2 European Peer Meeting, London, (hosted by BT, and exclusive to the people analytics leader in member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®) July 31 - August 1 - People Matters TechHR India 2025, Delhi October 7-9 - Insight222 Global Executive Retreat, Atlanta (exclusive to the people analytics leader in member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®) October 15-16 - People Analytics World, New York October 21-22 - UNLEASH World, Paris More events will be added as they are confirmed.
    Hybrid Work
    2025年04月14日
  • Hybrid Work
    The top 5 HR trends today – and HR's guide to what's next SAP SuccessFactors 每年都会深入研究全球 HR 趋势，以帮助企业制定更有效的人才战略。2025 年，他们分析了来自 40 家全球权威媒体的 254 项预测，归纳出 5 大核心“元趋势”，展现 HR 在企业中的双重角色：既是变革的“指挥者”，也是政策落地的“引航者”。 1️⃣ 重新连接员工： 由于经济压力、决策争议和信任危机，员工体验恶化，57% 的员工认为如果公司不采取措施，他们的倦怠问题不会改善。HR 需关注心理契约，增强员工信任。 2️⃣ AI 从炒作走向实际价值： AI 进入大规模落地阶段，企业需明确 ROI 并平衡员工和领导者对 AI 价值的不同预期。46% 的员工认为 AI 省下的时间属于自己，而非公司。 3️⃣ 技能转型的平衡策略： 由于 AI 发展迅猛，企业技能鸿沟加剧。除了关注技能，薪酬激励成为推动学习的重要因素，54% 的员工表示，如果公司实施基于技能的薪酬体系，他们会更愿意学习新技能。 4️⃣ DEI&B 的分歧： 企业对多元化、公平性和包容性（DEI&B）态度不一，26% 的员工认为公司对 DEI&B 关注过多，而 33% 认为关注太少。HR 需明确 DEI&B 战略，以促进长期文化变革。 5️⃣ 混合办公的未来： 组织已基本确定办公模式，2025 年将验证其成效。54% 的员工愿意牺牲部分薪酬，以换取更大的工作灵活性。 这些趋势展现了 HR 在塑造未来工作模式中的关键作用，企业需借助创新技术和数据驱动的洞察来优化人力资源管理。 Each year, the HR Research Scientists at SAP SuccessFactors conduct research to understand the top HR and workforce trends facing organizations and share our perspective on what HR teams should consider as they look to help their companies address these trends. This year we aggregated and synthesized data from 40 global and regional reputable business press sources that put forward 254 individual trends and predictions grounded in their own research and data. We then conducted a content analysis of the trends sample to derive the five key themes, or “meta-trends.” While our annual report always includes some pointed commentary and critique about each trend based on our expertise in psychology, new this year is calling upon our own body of original applied research to incorporate datapoints and insights, resulting in a more evidence-based point of view. This year’s trends are in different stages of maturity and on different trajectories; therefore, the role that HR needs to play to help businesses tackle and capitalize on these trends is different. We’ve organized the trends into two sections aligned to the dual role HR will play in addressing them. First, HR will need to act as a Conductor, leading the orchestration of a strategy and associated change management across the business to realize the opportunities these trends offer: Trend #1: Reconnecting the disconnected employee: Contentious decisions, macroeconomic and sociopolitical stressors, and breached trust with leadership has led to employee stress and burnout – and consequently, a crisis of disconnect and counterproductivity. In the year ahead: Leaders must ruthlessly prioritize fulfilling their end of the “psychological contract” by meeting employees’ basic needs. People managers will be seen as a lifeline for employees drowning in disconnect. STAT: 57% of employees feel unless their companies make some serious changes, their burnout will not get better. Trend #2: Moving from AI hype to AI impact:Organizations are shifting from AI pilot projects to enterprise-wide rollouts, demanding proof of clear value and ROI. In the year ahead: Organizations will home in on their key value drivers for AI, revealing their true priorities. The body of research on the ROI of AI will be built this year. Organizations will find friction between leaders’ and employees’ goals for using AI. STAT: 46% of employees feel that the time that they save by using AI tools at work belongs to them, not their organization.​ Trend #3: Striking a balance to steer skills forward: Organizations continue to face pervasive skills gaps, in part due to rapid AI advancements. A more balanced approach is needed to see tangible progress in skills-based transformations this year. In the year ahead: “Skills-based” will no longer be the only goal. Pay will prove itself the missing piece of the upskilling puzzle. The human vs. technical skill debate will move from or to and. STAT: 54% of employees would be more motivated to learn new skills if their company instituted skills-based pay.​ Second, HR will need to act as a Navigator, leading the organization through precarious waters and circumventing obstacles to put policies into practice for the betterment of all stakeholders: Trend #4: Divesting or doubling down on diversity, equity, inclusions, and belonging (DEI&B): Some organizations remain committed to DEI&B goals, continuing to ask “How are we going to do this?” Others plan to divest, instead now asking “Are we going to do this?” In the year ahead: Some will shy away from DEI&B goals, but these approaches will vary. Taking a stand on DEI&B will change company cultures in the long term, but it’s not clear exactly how. STAT: 26% of employees say companies focus too much on DEI&B, 41% of employees say companies focus an appropriate amount on DEI&B, and 33% of employees say companies focus too little on DEI&B. Trend #5: Plugging into or pulling the plug on hybrid work: Now that organizations have determined their position on where their employees will work, it’s time to see if they achieve the outcomes they intended. In the year ahead: Those businesses choosing the return-to-office path will see whether their bets paid off this year. Those choosing the hybrid or remote path will take it a step further, integrating autonomy as a core value in other aspects of work design. STAT: 54% of employees would consider being paid less if they could have more flexibility in where and when they work. Read the report to see what’s now and what’s next for each trend, along with some fast facts that uplevel the nerdiness of this year’s trends report. We also include a section on how SAP SuccessFactors solutions can help organizations address the 2025 HR trends.
    Hybrid Work
    2025年03月07日
  • Hybrid Work
    David Green: The best HR & People Analytics articles of February 2025 2025年2月的 Data Driven HR Monthly 深入探讨了影响未来HR战略的关键趋势，涵盖了混合办公、AI驱动的技能管理、组织设计以及人力资源分析的最新发展。 麦肯锡提出了一种全新的HR运营模式，强调**“人力资源战略家、数据科学家和技术专家”** 的三位一体架构，以增强HR的战略影响力。同时，世界经济论坛（WEF）发布了**《全球技能分类法工具包》**，推动企业采用通用的技能语言，以提升人才管理能力。 另一个重要议题是任务智能（Task Intelligence），TechWolf的研究表明，企业应关注员工实际执行的任务，而不仅仅是他们具备的技能。这种方法有助于精准规划人才需求、优化招聘和培训，并挖掘自动化机会，以提升企业效能。 此外，混合办公和多样性、公平性、包容性（DEI）等议题正日益被政治化。美国最新数据表明，2025年1月仍有29%的工作日为远程办公，但企业对重返办公室（RTO）的讨论持续升温。随着AI的发展，HR部门如何平衡企业需求与员工期望，将成为未来几年最重要的挑战之一。 本期还关注了HR科技市场的发展，例如Gartner对2025年首席人力官（CHRO）的三大战略优先事项，以及AI在HR转型中的应用案例。对于希望在人力资源管理中充分利用数据和科技的HR领导者来说，本期内容不容错过！ February is supposed to be the shortest month but the 2025 version felt conspicuously long. We may be living in a post-truth world but it is an irrefutable fact that it was Ukraine that was invaded just over three years ago by 150,000 Russian troops. The Ukrainian people - and Volodymyr Zelenskyy - need to be supported not disparaged. Compiling this month’s edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly proved to be a welcome distraction from geopolitics, even if two hitherto work topics that are increasingly being politicised - hybrid work and diversity, equity and inclusion - feature prominently. Other selections include a fresh take on the HR operating model from McKinsey, which is founded upon a strategic triumvirate of people strategists, people scientists, and people technologists. Look out also for a Global Skills Taxonomy toolkit from the World Economic Forum, as well a list of 20 global people analytics influencers, which was compiled using active ONA data. Enjoy! This edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is sponsored by our friends at TechWolf Are we looking at skills the wrong way? AI and automation are reshaping work. By 2028, one-third of enterprise software will automate tasks and decisions (Gartner), and McKinsey estimates this could add 1.2% to annual GDP growth. Yet, 92% of HR leaders say (Gartner) they don’t have reliable data on the skills of their workforce. The challenge is clear: How do we ensure skills evolve as fast as work itself? Which skills actually drive business value? How can companies align business and talent strategies with real work? Most organizations track skills through self-reports, manager assessments, and outdated frameworks. An AI data layer like TechWolf revolutionizes that issue. But skills alone don’t tell the full story—tasks do. "Skills tell us what someone càn do, tasks tell us what they actually do" says Jeroen Van Hautte ?, TechWolf’s CTO & Co-Founder, "They explain why those skills are needed and what value they bring." So to understand skills, we need to understand work itself. That’s where Task Intelligence comes in. By analyzing real work data—from projects, collaboration tools, and enterprise systems—Task Intelligence connects skills to actual work, giving companies a real-time, unbiased view of workforce capabilities. Organizations using task intelligence to gain insights in the skills of their workforce can: Plan workforce needs with confidence Target learning & development where it matters Improve hiring by focusing on real skills Identify automation opportunities to free up time for high-value work Curious to see how task intelligence and AI-powered skills insights are shaping the future of work? Dive into our latest insights: ? How TechWolf Bridges Skills and Work ? Exploring the Task-Skill Connection TechWolf helps large enterprises understand the skills they have, the skills they need, and how to manage the gap in between—powered by AI. To explore how TechWolf’s AI can help your organization, reach out at hello@techwolf.ai or visit techwolf.ai. To sponsor an edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, and share your brand with more than 140,000 Data Driven HR Monthly subscribers, send an email to dgreen@zandel.org. FEBRUARY ROAD REPORT In the last week of February, I had the privilege of chairing the second People Analytics World event in Zürich, which Ralf Buechsenschuss perfectly captures in his key takeaways and learnings.  Thanks to Barry Swales and his team for organising a great two days. From Zürich, I am now heading to New York where Jamie Nevshehir and his team at NBC Universal are hosting a peer meeting for members of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®. It promises to be an enthralling two days with more than 70 people analytics professionals attending and a line-up of speakers including: Dawn Klinghoffer, Geetanjali Gamel, Anshul Sheopuri and Jeremy Shapiro. Also in March, I’m looking forward to delivering keynotes at HiBob’s Heartcore HR Live event in London on March 13, as well as the Workhuman Live Forum, also in London on March 19. I hope to see some of you there. February also saw the acquisition of eqtble by Paradox - congrats to Adam Godson, Gabe Horwitz, Joseph Ifiegbu and all concerned. Share the love! Enjoy reading the collection of resources for February and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on January’s compendium. If you enjoy a dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is usually published every other Tuesday – subscribe here – and read the latest edition. HYBRID, GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK PHIL KIRSCHNER - McKinsey On Return To Office: Leaders Are Focused On The Wrong Thing | AARON DE SMET, BROOKE WEDDLE, BRYAN HANCOCK, MARIN MUGAYAR-BALDOCCHI, AND TAYLOR LAURICELLA - Returning to the office? Focus more on practices and less on the policy | NICK BLOOM - There are lies, damned lies and statistics | NICK BLOOM - The Future of Working from Home Leaders must stop obsessing over where work gets done and start improving how it gets done. February’s edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly has to start with this debate on RTO and hybrid. As Phil Kirschner’s article in Forbes explains, McKinsey has been publishing the findings of its ‘talent trends’ research through six studies since 2021. He observes that one clear trend has emerged: “The tension between where employees work and how effectively work gets done has been growing.” The latest McKinsey study finds that there was a surge in RTO from 2023 to 2024, with the proportion of mostly in-person workers (those working in person at least four days a week) doubling to 68 percent, from 34 percent in 2023. In his LinkedIn post citing Mark Twain’s infamous quote, Nick Bloom, who tracks work arrangements and attitudes monthly – see wfhresearch.com – questions the McKinsey data, explaining why he believes it is flawed and has both recall and sample biases. Bloom provides alternative data sources, which find that in January 2025, 29% of paid days in the US were work-from-home days (see FIG 1). Bloom’s supposition is that McKinsey may have felt pressurised by clients that want the narrative that work from home is failing in the media. One hopes that’s not the case, particularly as the main message the authors of the McKinsey article (Aaron De Smet, Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock, Marino Mugayar-Baldocchi and Taylor Lauricella) appear to be making is that: “The working model is far less important than the work environment leaders create.” They highlight five core practices to help firms implement a policy that fits their culture: collaboration, connectivity, innovation, mentorship, and skill development (see FIG 2). With the increasing politicisation – and even weaponisation by the new US Administration - of work topics such as flexible working and DEI, expect more debates like this as the year continues to unfurl. FIG 1: About 29% of Paid Days in the US in January 2025 Were Work-From-Home Days (Source: WFH Research) FIG 2: Employees’ ratings of their organization’s maturity in five practices by working model (Source: McKinsey) CALLUM MCRAE AND SAMUEL BAMIDELE - Redefining workplace flexibility: Harmonizing corporate culture and employee satisfaction | KIM PARKER - Many remote workers say they’d be likely to leave their job if they could no longer work from home | BRIAN ELLIOTT, ANNIE DEAN, AND KEVIN OAKES – Navigating the Return-to-Office, Hybrid and Remote Landscape Three more resources to help readers of the Data Driven HR Monthly navigate the latest research, challenges and discussions on flexible working. (1) Callum McRae and Samuel BAMIDELE present the key findings from WTW’s 2024 Workplace Flexibility Pulse Survey. One finding is that while 50% of 1,200 companies who participated in the study have policies in place requiring employees to be in the office for two to four days per week, the actual number of in-person days per week is lower (see FIG 3). (2) Similar to the WTW study, which also highlights the risk of employee attrition if companies fail to balance employer and employee needs, Kim Parker presents data from the Pew Research Center, which finds that nearly half of workers who currently work from home some of the time would likely leave if they were no longer able to do so (see FIG 4). (3) Finally, I highly recommend tuning into a recent The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) webinar, which saw Brian Elliott, Annie Dean, Kevin Oakes, and host Tom Stone get into the complexities of RTO, hybrid and remote work strategies. Topics covered included workplace design, how AI can augment human potential, and how blanket RTO mandates erode trust and engagement. FIG 3: In-office-days required vs. actual by country (Source: WTW) FIG 4: Source: Pew Research Center HANNAH MAYER, LAREINA YEE, MICHAEL CHUI, AND ROGER ROBERTS - Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI’s full potential Almost all companies invest in AI, but just 1 percent believe they are at maturity. The biggest barrier to scaling is not employees—who are ready—but leaders, who are not steering fast enough. Inspired by Reid Hoffman’s book Superagency, this new report from McKinsey asks a similar question: How can companies harness AI to amplify human agency and unlock new levels of creativity and productivity in the workplace? Perhaps the standout conclusion is that employees are ready for AI but that the biggest barrier to success is leadership. The report is presented in five chapters. (1) An analysis of the rapid advancement of technology over the past two years and its implications for business adoption of AI. (2) The attitudes and perceptions of employees and leaders, with the former three times more likely than leaders realise to believe that AI will replace 30 percent of their work in the next year. (3) An examination of the need for speed and safety in AI deployment, with half of employees worrying about AI inaccuracy and cybersecurity risks. (4) A look at how companies risk losing ground in the AI race if leaders do not set bold goals. (5) Guidance on what is required for leaders to set their teams up for success with AI: “The challenge of AI in the workplace is not a technology challenge. It is a business challenge that calls upon leaders to align teams, address AI headwinds, and rewire their companies for change.” Finally, the article poses three questions each for leaders and employees to meet their AI future (see FIG 5). If you enjoy the article, I also recommend diving into AI in Action, an interactive four-part learning journey featuring Reid Hoffman and Lareina Yee, one of the authors of the McKinsey report. (Authors: Hannah M. Mayer, Lareina Yee, Michael Chui, and Roger Roberts). FIG 5: Questions to shape a company’s AI future (Adapted from McKinsey) FELIPE JARA - The Reality Check: Making AI in HR Actually Work While 75% of organisations are still in early stages of AI adoption, those taking a systematic, process-led approach will see remarkable results - from 40% efficiency gains to fundamental transformations in how HR operates. In his comprehensive and illuminating article, Felipe Jara analyses AI transformation in HR, breaking it down into four sections: (1) The Reality Check, which examines some of the barriers holding HR back: capability, financial constraints, delivery limitations, and technology. (2) The Process Revolution, examining the promise. With cases studies from the likes of Mastercard, IBM and Stanford Health Care, and how AI can augment the employee lifecycle (see FIG 6). (3) The Maturity Journey, which presents a maturity model from Deloitte and provides guidance on how to move forward. (4) The Implementation Framework, presenting a four-step approach to enabling AI in HR. FIG 6: The AI-Augmented Talent Lifecycle (Source: Felipe Jara) PEOPLE ANALYTICS ANDREW PITTS, MATTHEW DIABES, RICHARD ROSENOW AND STEPHANIE MURPHY - Top 20 People Analytics Influencers and more from the PANC Whilst I always appreciate being included on ‘influencer’ lists, most are wholly subjective and compiled using little or no data. This makes the People Analytics Network Census (PANC), all the more interesting. The initiative, which is the brainchild of Andrew Pitts, Matthew Diabes, PhD, Richard Rosenow and Stephanie Murphy, Ph.D., uses active organisational network analysis to map the global people analytics network. The results, which are based on more than 450 participants, are presented in five groups: (1) Top 20 Overall People Analytics Influencers, (2) Top 3 Networking Influencers, (3) Top 3 Mentorship Influencers, (4) Top 3 Technical Influencers (5) Top 10 Influencers from Outside of the United States. It’s a real honour to be included in the first list. Congrats to all those selected – many of whom I count as friends, colleagues and inspirations: Al Adamsen, Alexis Fink, Amit Mohindra, Andrew Pitts, Cole Napper, Dave Ulrich, Dawn Klinghoffer, Heather Whiteman, Ph.D., Ian OKeefe, John Boudreau, Josh Bersin, Mark H. Hanson, Michael Arena, Michael M. Moon, PhD, Patrick Coolen, Richard Rosenow, Rob Cross, Stacia Sherman Garr, Stephanie Murphy, Ph.D., Annika Schultz, Barry Swales, Greg Pryor, Lexy Martin, Michelle Deneau, Kevin Erikson, Kevin S., Michael Walsh, PhD, Adam McKinnon, PhD., David Shontz, Jaap Veldkamp, Kinsey Li, Leopoldo Torres, Ludek Stehlik, Ph.D., Martha Curioni, Rafael Uribe, Sanja Licina, Ph.D. MCKINSEY - What makes product teams effective? In episodes of the Digital HR Leaders podcast with leaders such as Ian OKeefe (here) and Aashish Sharma (here), we’ve talked about the importance of productisation in people analytics. Moreover, Insight222’s 2024 People Analytics Ecosystem study found that ‘analytics at scale’ teams (those teams that turn an insight, prediction, or algorithm into a product) have emerged as a core capability in the people analytics function of Leading Companies. As such, this article by Santiago Comella-Dorda, Vik Sohoni, Arun Sunderraj, Dan Gardner, and Lauren Gingerich McCoy for McKinsey is required reading for people analytics leaders. They analysed data from 1,700 teams, to measure how five capabilities (strategy, structure, people, process, and technology) impact four main outcomes (effectiveness, speed, productivity, and quality). This article focuses on the key capabilities required for three sub-outcomes of effectiveness: (1) Delivery predictability, (2) Value realisation (see FIG 7), and (3) Team engagement. FIG 7: The ten key capabilities of value realisation in product teams (Source: McKinsey) HELEN FRIEDMAN - Early Trends Influencing People Analytics Agendas In 2025 | BEN BERRY - The Rise of External Talent Intelligence as a Strategic Priority | DAVID BOYLE - Beyond Build-Buy-Borrow: "Blend" Emerges as a Pillar of Workforce Strategy | HESHAM AHMED - The three pillars of competitive advantage in data & analytics In each edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, I feature a collection of articles by current and recent people analytics leaders. These are intended to act as a spur and inspiration to the field. Four are highlighted in this month’s edition. (1) Helen Friedman walks through three topics shaping many current people analytics agendas: workforce planning, AI in relation to skills and pay equity, and using data to drive decisions around turnover, pay and managing uncertainty. (2) Ben Berry explains why the use of external talent intelligence data by organisation is rising sharply, how they’re using this data and what we can expect to see in the future. (3) David Boyle writes on the emergence of ‘blend’ as a fourth pillar of workforce planning: “Workforce strategy and AI strategy have the potential to trip over each other if they are not synchronized.” (4) Hesham Ahmed outlines three ways data and analytics can drive competitive advantage: superiority of information, insight and action (see FIG 8): “Superiority of action: it is not sufficient to know something that others don’t. It is the ability to act on that information or insight that leads to an advantage or edge.” FIG 8: Three pillars of competitive advantage in data and analytics (Source: Hesham Ahmed) THE EVOLUTION OF HR, LEARNING, AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE ASMUS KOMM, FERNANDA MAYOL, NEEL GANDHI, SANDRA DURTH, AND JASMIN KIEFER - A new operating model for people management: More personal, more tech, more human Organizations that excel in both people development and financial performance are four times as likely as peers to outperform financially and one and a half times as likely as peers to remain top tier year on year. In the last three years, the most popular resource I have shared on LinkedIn, with over 1m views is McKinsey’s 2022 article, HR’s new Operating Model. The sequel is likely to drive just as much interest. In this article, which I was grateful to be invited to contribute to, the McKinsey team of Asmus Komm, Fernanda Mayol, Neel Gandhi, Sandra Durth, and Jasmin Kiefer explore a new vision of people management, centred on hyper-personalising the employee experience. Their findings conclude that that only about 20 percent of the most strategic activities in today’s HR portfolios will remain with two-thirds of current HR tasks being automated to a large degree (see FIG 9). They also outline the core elements of the operating system required to turn their vision into reality encompassing (1) Establishing a strategic triumvirate of people strategists, people scientists, and people technologists, (2) Streamlining the people operating model: more strategic, more fluid, and more tech-enabled (see FIG 10), and (3) Mastering complexity with technology. The authors also set out concrete steps organisations can take to implement a new people operating system. These steps include the need to experiment, a focus on continuous improvement and an onus on scaling what works. FIG 9: Two-thirds of today’s people management processes can be largely automated (Source: McKinsey) FIG 10: The future operating model for people management will be more strategic, fluid and tech-enabled (Source: McKinsey) GARTNER - Top 3 Strategic Priorities for Chief HR Officers CHROs are navigating a complex landscape shaped by several key trends. CEOs prioritizing growth through transformation, AI deployment challenges and shifting labor market pressures on talent strategies are influencing how the best organizations are leading HR to achieve business goals. New research from Gartner identifying the three top CHRO focus areas for 2025: (1) Elevating HR’s impact on the organisation’s growth strategy. (2) Building a deep bench of change leaders. (3) Creating a future-ready workforce. The report provides a deep-dive on the three priorities with guidance and methodologies on how to drive success in each, such as the Talent Risk Assessment Heat Map (see FIG 11). The report also contains a powerful section on the new capabilities required by chief people officers (see FIG 12) and HR professionals. A must-read. FIG 11: Example Talent Risk Assessment Heat Map (Source: Gartner) FIG 12: Model of a World-Class CHRO (Source: Gartner) DAVE ULRICH AND ROBERT DAVID - How HR Can Help Deliver Both Market Share and Customer Share through Human Capability The evidence shows that when HR engages customers in talent, organization, leadership, and HR department initiatives, both market share and customer share improve. What role can chief human resources officers play in helping their organisations to increase customer share while building market share? In their article, Dave Ulrich and Robert David outline five specific steps CHROs can take, which together demonstrate how HR can move from its traditional support role to help drive customer relationships and business growth: (1) Identify targeted customers – focus human capability investments on these. (2) Track customer share. (3) Define customer connection. (4) Engage with target customers (see FIG 13), and (5) Change HR conversations. For more on why and how HR professionals can increase their engagement with customers, do listen to Dave in discussion with Stacia Garr and me on this episode pf the Digital HR Leaders podcast: How HR Can Create Stakeholder Value and Drive Organisational Growth. FIG 13: Ways to connect and engage with customers (Source: Dave Ulrich and Robert David) WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM - Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit: Defining a Common Skills Language for a Future-Ready Workforce Skills and talent shortages are critical challenges hindering economic growth, limiting business opportunities, and curbing individual potential. As technology rapidly advances and economic landscapes continue to shift, a common skills language is urgently needed to bridge gaps and enable workforce transformation. The World Economic Forum is spoiling us thus far in 2025. Not content with publishing the barnstorming Future of Jobs 2025 report, they have also released the Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit, which will be a boon for workforce planners and people analysts everywhere. The toolkit is designed to equip leaders with actionable steps, evidence-based insights, and real-world case studies to adopt a common skills language and embed skills-first approaches into talent management strategies. Contents include (1) reasons for adopting a common skills taxonomy, (2) a Global Skills Taxonomy roadmap comprised of three phases (see FIG 14), and (3) key insights and methodologies for implementing each phase. Kudos to the authors - Neil Allison, Ximena Játiva, and Aarushi Singhania along with a stellar cast of contributors including Peter Brown MBE, Simon Brown ??, Shannon Custard, Soon Joo Gog, Kelli Jordan, and Jan Meyer. FIG 14: Global Skills Taxonomy adoption roadmap (Source: World Economic Forum) EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING IT SURVEY GROUP - The Future of Feedback: Trends Shaping Employee Listening in 2025 AI and technology advancement are game changers for the listening and survey space. They will allow us to synthesize and interpret data – particularly qualitative data – with unprecedented speed and complexity What are the key trends shaping the evolution of employee listening? Who better to ask than practitioners at the forefront of this important work. In their article, members of the IT Survey Group – including Megan Sherman, Ph.D., Kristin Saboe, Ph.D., Sophie Horneber, Anthony Ariano, Caitie Jacobson Mikulis, David Koch, Kellie Roberts, M.A., Stephanie Andel, PhD, and Robyn Petree-Guzman, Ph.D. present five trends shaping employee listening in 2025 (see FIG 15): (1) Supercharging sentiment, (2) “Silent” signaling, (3) Synergising surveys, (4) Guiding greatness, and (5) Refining the rhythm. FIG 15: Top five trends for employee listening (Source: IT Survey Group) NICK LYNN - Proactive Accountability: Turning Employee Insights into Action Proactive accountability is more than just a practice — it’s a cultural commitment to transforming insights into meaningful action. It thrives on clear ownership, well-defined goals, and unwavering transparency. Nick Lynn uses the concept of ‘proactive accountability’, which is commonplace in health and safety work, to solve the habitual challenge of turning insights gathered from employee listening work into meaningful actions (see FIG 16). Nick examines some of the common challenges from moving from insight to action such as the lack of a framework to prioritise feedback, slow decision-making, and poo communication. He explains why proactive accountability matters and how to foster it including developing a structured framework, assigning clear ownership, setting measurable goals, leveraging technology, building a community of change leaders, and celebrating success. FIG 16: Proactive accountability (Source: Nick Lynn) LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND LEARNING DARRELL RIGBY AND ZACH FIRST – The Power of Strategic Fit Companies that excel at creating stakeholder value attract and retain the most valuable stakeholders, gaining a competitive advantage. In their article for Harvard Business Review, Bain partners Darrell Rigby and Zach First how to create a cohesive strategy that unleashes the power of ‘strategic fit’, which they define as: “Strategic fit is the degree of alignment and amount of synergy in a company’s business system.” They identify seven strategic factors: (1) the mental model, (2) purpose and ambitions, (3) stakeholder value creation, (4) macro forces, (5) markets and products, (6) competitive advantages, and (7) the operating model. They explain how aligning them generates beneficial multiplier effects, and – especially relevant for HR and people analytics professionals – demonstrate how creating value for employees and other stakeholders leads to higher returns (see FIG 17). FIG 17: Strategic Fit Leads to Higher Returns (Source: Bain) ANNE MCSILVER | LINKEDIN – Workplace Learning Report 2025: The rise of career champions Learning combined with career development — leadership training, coaching, internal mobility, and more — accelerates the flow of critical skills to keep pace with business needs The key theme of LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report 2025 is that the 36% of companies categorised as ‘career development champions’ (those companies with robust programs that yield business results) enjoy positive correlations with profitability outlook, confidence to attract and retain talent, and increased adoption of GAI. The report, with lead author Anne McSilver, features contributions from a host of talent leaders including: Vidya Krishnan (“The companies that outlearn other companies will outperform them.”), Chris Louie, Chris Foltz, Jennifer Shappley, Al Dea and Amanda Nolen (“You must be able to answer at least one of these three questions: How will this initiative help you to make money, save money, or mitigate risk for the company.”). The report also presents five talent foundations designed to accelerate career-driven learning: (1) Build the right skills, faster (see FIG 18). (2) Help people – and skills – move more easily. (3) Measure business impact. (4) Empower managers to support employee careers. (5) Inspire individual career growth. Thanks to Jennifer Gronski for making me aware of the report. FIG 18: Skills-based talent and career development champions (Source: LinkedIn) DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING STACIA GARR - Understanding the Impact of Recent DEI Executive Orders | KENJI YOSHINO, DAVID GLASGOW, AND CHRISTINA JOSEPH - The Legal Landscape Around DEI Is Shifting. Your Messaging Should, Too | JOSH BERSIN - Despite Political Firestorm, Diversity Investments Are Alive And Well | JOELLE EMERSON - Continuing the Work of DEI, No Matter What Your Company Calls It | While DEI the acronym may be on the decline, the work itself will remain vital for organizations that want to thrive today and in the future. President Trump’s two executive orders (EOs) to “end radical and wasteful” Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility initiatives, and litigate up to nine private companies as examples have set off a hailstorm of amazement and uncertainty. From what I’ve come across to date, here are some resources I recommend consuming: (1) Stacia Sherman Garr of RedThread Research was one of the first out of the blocks with a very helpful summary of the EOs and their implications. (2) Kenji Yoshino, David Glasgow, and Christina Joseph from the NYU School of Law’s Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, set out best practices on communicating about DEI, offer some sample language to avoid legal risk, and share strategies to disseminate these best practices throughout your organisation. (3) Josh Bersin offers a glimmer of hope in his article, first by highlighting organisations like Apple, Microsoft and JP Morgan that have all come out publicly against anti-DEI initiatives, and second by emphasising that rather than turning away from DEI, many companies are instead “embedding DEI into the disciplines of leadership, recruitment, performance management, and rewards.” (4) Joelle Emerson presents findings from a study by Paradigm, The State of Culture and Inclusion: 2024 Trends and a Look Ahead at 2025, which outlines three ways companies should consider shifting their approach to DEI: resetting the narrative, using data more effectively, and moving from siloed efforts to an embedded company-wide focus on creating cultures that work for everyone. HR TECH VOICES Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from February that I recommend readers delve into. In a slight change-up this month, I’ll start with a couple of pieces that analyse the people analytics and wider HR technology market: FRANZ GILBERT AND MATTHEW SHANNON - How agentic AI is changing HR dynamics in 2025 – Deloitte's Human Capital Forward team of Franz Gilbert and Matthew Shannon unveil six trends that will likely change how humans and technology work together in the year ahead. Their first prediction is that: “Improved macroeconomic factors will drive increased investment and transactions in the HR technology market.” MERCER - The 2024/2025 Skills Snapshot Survey report – The Mercer team of Brian Fisher, Melba Gant, Katie Jenkins, ?Heather Ryan, and Peter Stevenson unveil the findings from their skills snapshot survey. One of the main findings is that the number of organisations attaining a high or very high level in skills maturity has increased significantly compared to 2023 (see FIG 19). FIG 19: Skills maturity across organisations in talent practices, 2024 vs 2023 (Source: Mercer) PHILIP ARKCOLL - How to get people to care about your insights – Philip Arkcoll, CEO at Worklytics, provides a five-step guide to help organisations turn insights from people data into meaningful outcomes. JOHN GUY AND GARETH FLYNN - Simply Skills Chat: SWP, Tasks, AI, Skills and HR – John Guy and Gareth Flynn explore how HR can take advantage of the latest data, toolsets and mindsets to advance the field and drive business value. LOUJAINA ABDELWAHED - Remote Companies Grow Twice as Fast – Loujaina Abdelwahed, PhD presents analysis by Revelio Labs, which finds that workforce growth in companies offering remote and hybrid work arrangements has outpaced that of in-person firms (see FIG 20). FIG 20: Remote and hybrid companies have grown twice as fast as in-person companies (Source: Revelio Labs) PODCASTS OF THE MONTH In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected five gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below): HEATHER BUSSING – Navigating Trump’s DE&I Executive Orders: Clarity – In a must-listen episode of Workplace Stories, Heather Bussing joins Stacia Sherman Garr and Dani Johnson to unpick the recent executive orders on DE&I, what they mean for businesses, and how employers can navigate this complex landscape without overreacting. JEFFREY PFEFFER – Is Work Killing Us? – “An employer can be a good steward of the human beings whose lives have been entrusted to them — or not,” explains Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of Dying for a Paycheck, to host Kevin Cool, in this powerful episode of the if/then podcast from Stanford Business School. MARC EFFRON - The Science of Talent, 8 Steps to High Performance – Marc Effron joins Cole Napper and Scott Hines, PhD of the Directionally Correct podcast for an absorbing discussion covering topics such as why top I/O psychology Ph.D. programs aren’t more practitioner focused, as well as Marc’s two recent articles: “It’s not the mortar, it’s the bricks” and “Is the juice worth the squeeze”. RICHARD ROSENOW – Reimagining HR: Leveraging AI and Data for Better Outcomes – Richard Rosenow guests on the Capital H podcast with Kyle Forrest to discuss the role of data quality, governance, and AI in enabling HR teams to focus on strategic insights and drive business outcomes. DEBORAH PERRY PISCIONE - Employment Is Changing Forever – Sharing insights from her new book with Josh Drean, Employment is Dead: How Disruptive Technologies are Revolutionizing the Way We Work, Deborah Perry Piscione joins host Alison Beard on HBR IdeaCast to explain why we’re at a pivot point where old models of employment will be replaced by entirely new ones, and how mindset shifts and upskilling can help us prepare. VIDEO OF THE MONTH NAOMI VERGHESE, MADHURA CHAKRABARTI, AND DAVID GREEN | INSIGHT22 – People Analytics Trends Webinar Hopefully, I’ll be excused the mild dose of self-indulgence here, but this month’s ‘Video of the Month’ is the recent webinar I hosted with Naomi Verghese and Madhura Chakrabarti, PhD on the key findings of fifth annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends report. The webinar includes a deep dive on the four main findings of the study, which include insights on the impact of AI on people analytics, how leading companies measure the value of their work, and what we’ve identified as the adoption gap in people analytics. BOOK OF THE MONTH SERENA HUANG - The Inclusion Equation: Leveraging Data & AI For Organizational Diversity and Well-being Serena H. Huang, Ph.D.’s debut book is incredibly well-timed given the current assault on diversity, equity and inclusion. The Inclusion Equation provides a compelling guide to merging DEI and wellbeing initiatives with people analytics and AI to deliver outcomes for employees – and the business. As I wrote in my endorsement of the book: “The Inclusion Equation acts as a guide for chief people officers to harness data, analytics and technology to create a truly inclusive and healthy environment where workers can thrive.” RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH KYLE LAGUNAS - Unlocking AI’s Potential in HR: A Practical Guide for Leaders This new report from Kyle Lagunas and the team at Aptitude Research is certainly worth a read. It features insights from seasoned HR thinkers and executives like Bob Pulver, Manjuri Sinha, Dustin Cann, and Meghan Rhatigan as well as a practical framework – impact, complexity, and risk - for assessing AI use cases, helping HR and operations professionals cut through the hype and so making smarter technology decisions. FIG 21: Adoption of AI in HR is slowing, but interest isn’t (Source: Aptitude Research) BONUS RESOURCES Some bonus resources to also consume this month: I don't anyone is writing with more quality or consistency on the impact of AI on work and on HR than Jason Averbook read one of his latest pieces, Thriving, Not Just Surviving, in an AI-First World, and then - if you haven't already - subscribe to his Now to Next Substack. Adam Bryant’s Strategic CHRO newsletter is always required reading as his recent interviews with Ellyn Shook (CHROs Must Never Forget That They Are The Voice Of The People On The C-Suite Team) and Peter Fasolo, Ph.D. (You Have To Be Curious About How All The Levers Work In Large-Scale Social Systems) ably demonstrate. Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic asks Can AI Fix Succession Planning? and highlights how passive data can be used to help predict leadership success: “The work of David Stillwell, Sandra Matz and Michal Kosinski demonstrates how AI can infer personality traits and leadership potential from digital footprints, as well as internal company data not historically seen as critical to leadership talent.” In a recent edition of his This Week, In Recruiting newsletter, Hung Lee asks is Elon Musk an existential threat to HR, and presents six compelling arguments to suggest he might be. After reading Hung’s piece, readers may wish that Musk is handed a one-way ticket to mars. Thomas Otter is one of my favourite writers, and in The difficult second album: Advice for HR TECH vendors on launching a second product uses The Stone Roses sophomore album, The Second Coming (actually, a very good album) as a warning for HR Tech vendors intent on launching a second product. Tom Redman and Donna Burbank explain how by mixing together some training, providing an opportunity to speak up, and having better KPIs, leaders can hone a data driven culture: How to Make Everyone Great at Data. In his article, Laurent Reich provides five learnings to make the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and opportunity for HR: CSRD: HR's Burden or Breakthrough? Turning Compliance into Opportunity: 5 learnings. FROM MY DESK February saw the final two episodes of series 44 the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by our friends at TalentNeuron (thanks to John Lynch, David Wilkins, Maureen McGinness, and the TalentNeuron team). It also saw a special bonus episode featuring my colleagues from Insight222, and the first episode of series 45, sponsored by our friends at Amazing Workplace, Inc. (thanks to Shon Holyfield). HENRIK HÅKANSSON - What People Analytics Leaders Need to Know About Scaling Their Function – Henrik Håkansson, who has built people analytics functions at three companies: Sony, Delivery Hero, and now Volvo Cars, joins me to share practical insights from his journey—what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons he’s learned on scaling people analytics along the way. TOBIAS BARTHOLOMÉ – How Lufthansa Group Combines Operational and Strategic Workforce Planning - Dr. Tobias Bartholomé, Project Lead for Strategic Workforce Planning at Lufthansa Group, joins me to explore why—after nearly a decade—Lufthansa has taken a bold step back to reimagine how it plans for the future of work. JONATHAN FERRAR AND NAOMI VERGHESE - How Leading Companies Turn People Analytics Into Business Value – In a special bonus episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, I was joined by my Insight222 colleagues Jonathan Ferrar and Naomi Verghese to uncover what truly differentiates leading companies in people analytics, and what research tells us about the evolution of the field over the last five years. ERIN MEYER - How to Bridge Cultures and Lead Global Teams for Success – Erin Meyer, Professor at INSEAD and author of The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business joins me for a conversation exploring how cultural differences shape the way we work, lead, and collaborate. DAVID GREEN - How do you leverage People Analytics to inform Strategic Workforce Planning initiatives? – A wrap up of series 44 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, which featured conversations with Stacia Sherman Garr, Dave Ulrich, Prasad Setty, David Wilkins, Henrik Håkansson, and Dr. Tobias Bartholomé, and featured the common question: How do you leverage People Analytics to inform Strategic Workforce Planning initiatives? LOOKING FOR A NEW ROLE IN PEOPLE ANALYTICS OR HR TECH? I’d like to highlight once again the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which – as Richard’s latest newsletter reveals - now numbers over 500 roles. Look out too for Richard’s People Analytics Talent Book. THANK YOU The team at 365Talents for including me in their Top 50 HR influencers to follow in 2025 Mila Pascual-Nodusso for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast in her list of the Top 6 Spotify Podcasts on Human Resources, Talent Management, and Leadership Development. Neeru Monga for also including the Digital HR Leaders podcast on a list of her seven favourite podcasts. Steve Hunt for concluding after running a ChatGPT summary of the January edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, that my version “is far more informative, interesting, and enjoyable even if it does take more time to read.” I won’t hang up my cap, just yet then ;-) Hirex for including me as one of 10+ influential experts you need to follow in 2025 Thinkers360 for including me in their list of Top 100 B2B Thought Leaders, Analysts & Influencers You Should Work With In 2025 (EMEA). Finally, a huge thank you to the following people who either shared the January edition of Data Driven HR Monthly and/or posted about the Digital HR Leaders podcast, conferences or other content. It's much appreciated: Thomas Kohler, Steve Sands, Christian Vetter ??, Ashish Pant, Stela Lupushor, Jo Thackray, Elin Thomasian, Guusje Brummer, Russell Flint, Kevin Le Vaillant, RJ Milnor, Ben Berry, Sewmini Amanda, Malinda Perera, Terri Horton, EdD, MBA, MA, SHRM-CP, PHR, Nesimi Akgul, Charlotte Copeman, Amardeep Singh, MBA, Diego Miranda, Jeff Wellstead, Dr Philip Gibbs, Amber O'Mahony, David Simmonds FCIPD, Sachin Sangade, Thiago Pimentel Pinto, Robin Haag, Susan Podlogar (she/her), Torin Ellis, Scott Reida, Catriona Lindsay, Kris Saling, Graham Tollit, Aravind Warrier, Jacob Nielsen, Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP-SP, SHRM-SCP, CIPD), Lewis Garrad, Viktoriia Kriukova (Вікторія Крюкова), Ying Li, Marc Steven Ramos, Danielle Farrell, MA, Greg Pryor, Jose Luis Chavez Vasquez, Michel Ciampi, Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN ?️ (née Schouten), Till Alexander Leopold, Richard Bretzger, José Valdivieso, John Golden, Ph.D., Kathleen Kruse, Kyle Forrest, Matthew Hamilton, Asaf Jackoby, David McLean, Dave Millner, Ben Waber, Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA, Federico Bechini, Rebecca Ray, Aizhan Tursunbayeva, PhD, GRP, Tobias W. Goers ツ, Andrew Spence, Michelle Lee ?, Alex Franco, MHRM, Destin Cacioppo, Anisha Aulbach, Megan Reif, Dolapo (Dolly) Oyenuga, Kirsten Edwards, Kimberly Rose, Amanda dos Reis Garcia, Paola Alfaro Alpízar, Anna Kjellberg, Lucie Vottova, Kouros Behzad, Alexis Vergani, Francesca Gabetti, Brandon Roberts, Delia Majarín, Peter Ryan, John Gunawan, Sergio Garcia Mora, Dan George, Gal Mozes, PhD, Chris Long, Ohad Geron, Ryan Wong, Raja Sengupta, Pedro Pereira, Nikita D'Souza, Timo Tischer, Dave Fineman, Monika Manova, Shuang Yueh Pui, PhD, Holly Kortright (she-her), Hanne Hoberg, Andrés García Ayala, Arne-Christian Van Der Tang, Daisy Grewal, Ph.D., Nicolas Quadrelli, Erik Otteson, Bejoy Mathew, Stephen Hickey, Agnes Garaba, Gawain Wang, Emanuele Magrone, Maria Ursu, Marc Caslani, Dan Lapporte, Patrick Coolen, Ian Grant FCIPD, Joonghak Lee, Jaejin Lee, David Balls (FCIPD), Craig Starbuck, PhD, Mariami Lolashvili, Mattijs Mol, David Elkjær, Marie-Hélène Gélinas, MBA (Cand.), Aurélie Crégut, Nick Hudgell, Teodora Staneva, Sonia Mooney, Elizabeth Esarove, Søren Kold, Moïra Taillefer, Monika Mardaus, Tina Peeters, PhD, Ken Clar, Maria Alice Jovinski, Marcela Mury, Toon van der Veer, Madeline Cedeno, Marc Voi Chiuli. (MSc. HRM. Assoc CIPD. MIHRM.), Herbert Burri, Alexander S. Locher, Ava Dossi, Anna Kuzmenko ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Green ?? is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021. MEET ME AT THESE EVENTS I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in early 2025: March 13 - HiBob Heartcore HR LIVE, London March 19 - Workhuman Live Forum, London April 10-11 - Wharton People Analytics Conference, Philadelphia April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London May 6-8 - UNLEASH America, Las Vegas June 4-6 - TALREOS (Talent Analytics Leadership Roundtable Economic Mobility Summit), Chicago July 31 - August 1 - People Matters TechHR India 2025, Delhi October 21-22 - UNLEASH World, Paris More events will be added as they are confirmed.
    Hybrid Work
    2025年03月02日
  • Hybrid Work
    Goolge 创始人Sergey Brin呼吁员工每周至少工作60小时，并建议尽可能回到办公室 谷歌联合创始人谢尔盖·布林（Sergey Brin）近日发布内部备忘录，呼吁员工每周至少工作60小时，并建议尽可能回到办公室，以在人工智能（AI）竞赛中保持领先。他认为，谷歌拥有赢得通用人工智能（AGI）竞赛的所有必要条件，关键在于提高工作效率，充分利用AI工具进行编码，从而加速AGI的实现。 布林在备忘录中还批评了一些员工的工作态度，指出部分人仅仅“勉强完成最低要求”，不仅效率低下，还影响了团队士气。他强调，谷歌的AI工程师应该成为世界上最优秀、最高效的开发者，并充分利用AI工具提升工作效率。 近年来，人工智能（AI）竞赛加速升温，各大科技巨头争相投入资源，试图在这一领域占据领先地位。而近日，谷歌联合创始人谢尔盖·布林（Sergey Brin）的一份内部备忘录再度将AI竞赛推向新的焦点。他在备忘录中敦促谷歌员工回到办公室工作，并建议每周至少投入60小时，以加速通用人工智能（AGI）的实现。这一表态不仅引发了科技界的关注，也引出了关于工作效率、员工福祉和企业竞争策略的讨论。 布林的倡议：回归办公室+高强度工作 在布林的备忘录中，他直言谷歌拥有赢得AGI竞赛的所有要素，但前提是员工需要更高效地投入工作。他建议团队成员尽量回到办公室，并鼓励他们使用谷歌的AI工具提升编码效率。他强调，AI本身也可以成为提高生产力的关键，借助AI自动优化代码，将能帮助谷歌在与OpenAI、微软和Meta的竞争中占据优势。 尽管布林的建议并未改变谷歌现行的混合办公政策（每周至少三天线下办公），但这一呼吁无疑向员工传达了更高的工作期望。布林认为，60小时工作周是提高生产力的“最佳区间”，并批评部分员工仅满足于最低工作要求，认为这种“摸鱼”行为不仅无助于公司发展，还会影响团队士气。 AI竞赛白热化，科技巨头纷纷收紧远程办公 谷歌的这一举措，正值整个科技行业收紧远程办公政策的大趋势。亚马逊早前已宣布，2025年起要求企业员工每周回归办公室五天，而摩根大通、高盛等公司也陆续取消混合办公模式，强调团队面对面协作对于创新和效率的重要性。 科技行业的竞争焦点正在发生变化。自从OpenAI推出ChatGPT以来，谷歌面临着前所未有的挑战，尽管它曾是AI领域的领军企业，如今却不得不奋起直追。布林在2022年重返谷歌，积极参与AI产品开发，并直接与DeepMind团队合作，足见公司对AI战略的重视。在过去两年中，谷歌已对业务进行重组，并推出了Gemini 2.0等AI模型，以加快产品落地速度，缩小与竞争对手的差距。 高强度工作模式：突破创新还是透支员工？ 布林的“60小时工作制”倡议无疑提升了谷歌AI团队的紧迫感，但这一策略也引发了外界对员工倦怠（burnout）问题的担忧。在高压竞争环境下，过度加班可能导致员工身心疲惫，影响创造力和长远的生产力。此前，埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）也曾在特斯拉和推特（现X）推行高强度工作文化，尽管提升了短期效率，但也引发了大量员工离职的情况。 谷歌的这一策略，是否能够真正带来AI突破，还是会带来人才流失的风险？这不仅仅是谷歌的选择，也代表了整个科技行业未来工作模式的演变方向。 结语：AI竞赛的未来，效率与平衡并存？ AI竞赛进入白热化阶段，科技巨头们正在用更激进的方式争夺市场。但对于企业而言，如何在保持创新速度的同时，避免员工过劳、维持团队稳定，将成为AI时代管理层的重要考题。布林的倡议或许能短期加速谷歌的AI进程，但从长远来看，如何在高效与平衡之间找到最优解，才是谷歌能否真正赢得AI竞赛的关键。
    Hybrid Work
    2025年02月28日
  • Hybrid Work
    The best HR & People Analytics articles of January 2025 2025年伊始，人工智能（AI）和人力资源（HR）领域发生了一系列重大变革。DeepSeek的崛起是否标志着AI的“斯普特尼克时刻”尚未可知，但可以确定的是，AI正以前所未有的速度重塑产业、企业和工作方式。与此同时，混合办公、DEI（多元、公平与包容）等工作议题的政治化，在特朗普政府的回归下变得尤为突出，使得HR领导者面临更大挑战。 全球HR趋势与预测 世界经济论坛《未来工作报告2025》：未来五年内将新增1.7亿个新岗位，但9200万个工作将被取代，人才技能转型成为关键。 Spotify CPO Katarina Berg 提出HR应从“资源”转向“关系”，建立更具信任感和数据驱动的HR模式。 Gartner：AI第一的企业可能会因过度追求生产力而适得其反。 AI与人才分析 Josh Bersin的“AI超级员工”概念：AI将助力员工提高生产力、创造力，并推动企业文化变革。 Visier报告：欧洲64%企业高管 已获得员工数据分析权限，数据驱动HR决策成为主流。 员工体验与健康 麦肯锡健康研究院研究表明，关注员工健康的企业在业务表现上明显优于同行，健康与生产力紧密相关。 组织架构正在向技能为本的模式转型，人才战略已成为企业核心竞争力之一。 2025年，HR的核心任务将围绕AI技术、数据分析、员工福祉展开。面对变革，HR如何借力AI，实现企业与人才的双赢？欢迎讨论！? To rework Lenin’s infamous observation, replacing weeks with months: “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are months where decades happen” – this manifestly could be applied to January 2025. It’s still way too early to judge whether the sudden emergence of DeepSeek is AI's Sputnik moment, but it is safe to say that AI is already rapidly reshaping industries, companies and how we work. We are increasingly seeing the politicisation of work topics such as hybrid work and diversity, equity and inclusion programs – especially with the arrival of the new Trump administration in the United States. Let's just say that there’s a lot on the plate for chief people officers to contend with at the moment. Perhaps this partly explains the slew of insightful resources in January, which has made compiling this month’s collection as challenging as it has been enjoyable. Selections include the unmissable new Future of Jobs report from the World Economic Forum, the big trends and opportunities to look out for in HR, AI and data science in the year ahead, and a powerful new study from the McKinsey Health Institute, which finds that companies that prioritise employee health and wellbeing enjoy better business outcomes than their peers - a ray of light in the darkness. There’s lots to enjoy and learn from. This edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is sponsored by our friends at Visier In Visier's latest research report, "The State of People Analytics in European Organisations," we explore how European companies are leveraging data-driven strategies to achieve measurable business outcomes. With 64% of organisations now enabling senior executives to access people insights, the shift toward analytics-driven decision-making is clear. Based on a recent study by The Josh Bersin Company in partnership with Visier Inc., the report highlights key people analytics adoption trends in Europe, the maturity journey of people analytics teams, and the tangible advantages experienced by organisations using advanced people analytics platforms. From adaptive workforce planning to meeting regulatory demands, this report is essential for HR leaders driving growth and innovation in 2025. Download the new report to learn: Key trends driving people analytics adoption and growth in Europe Why strategic investments in people data are critical for the future of work The measurable business benefits of advanced people analytics practices To sponsor an edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, and share your brand with more than 140,000 Data Driven HR Monthly subscribers, send an email to dgreen@zandel.org. JANUARY ROAD REPORT I’m typing this on the Eurostar on my way back from Paris, where Laurent Reich and his team hosted the first Peer Meeting of 2025 for member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program® at L'Oréal’s Global HQ. A huge thank you to Laurent, his team and all the speakers over the two days: Isabel Gomez Garcia de Soria, Theo Leccia, Ashish Pant, Tracy Villanueva, David Tregidgo, Luc-O D L, Kai Wehmeyer, and Julien Legret, as well as my Insight222 colleagues: Naomi Verghese, Jordan Pettman, Jane Bloomfield, David Bebb and James Garrett, and all those who attended what was an absorbing, collaborative and fun two days. Attendees at the January 2025 Peer Meeting for member companies of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, hosted by L'Oreal in Paris January also saw two webinars, the first with the Italian People Analytics community (thanks to Martha Curioni, Aizhan Tursunbayeva, PhD, GRP and Federico Bechini), and the second, where I moderated a panel with Anette Bohm, Dawn Klinghoffer and Ian Cook on The Strategic Outlook for People Analytics in 2025 (click to get access to the recording) – thanks to Barry Swales, People Analytics World and Visier Inc. for organising. Speaking of webinars… Join me for an Insight222 webinar on February 5 to discover the key themes shaping People Analytics in 2025. If you want to learn how AI, close alignment with people strategy, and data democratisation, are enabling Leading Companies to drive business value with people analytics, register for the Insight222 People Analytics Trends Webinar. The webinar, which will take place on February 5, will be hosted by me and feature Naomi Verghese and Madhura Chakrabarti, PhD unpack the findings from the recently published 5th annual People Analytics Trend study. You can register for the webinar here – or by clicking the image below. Share the love! Enjoy reading the collection of resources for January and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on December’s compendium as well as the five-part 2024 retrospective (Part 1: Creating value through people analytics, Part 2: Orchestrating the future of work, Part 3: Enhancing employee experience and wellbeing, Part 4: Developing leaders, culture and inclusion, and Part 5: Building the strategic HR function. If you enjoy a weekly dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is usually published every other Tuesday – subscribe here – and read the latest edition. 2025 HR PREDICTIONS, TRENDS AND PRIORITIES KATARINA BERG - 2025 HR Predictions: Looking Into the Crystal Ball In 2025, it’s time for HR to double down on the Human and rethink the Resources. Katarina Berg, Chief People Officer at Spotify, presents ten predictions organised under her clarion call for HR to focus on the Human and replace Resources with Relationships. Three that stand out are: Make Trust and Purpose Great Again (“Trust is the glue, and purpose is the fuel”), Data-Informed HR: Sherlock, Not Skynet (“Data is your detective, not your dictator.”), and Ethical AI: Keep It Human (“AI is like your overachieving intern – it’s great at automating the boring stuff, but it can’t replace human judgment”). These are, in my view, by far and away the best set of HR trends, predictions for HR in 2025. If you agree, I also recommend buying Katarina’s book, Bold: A New Era of Strategic HR, and subscribing to the Spotify HR Blog. GARTNER – 9 Future of Work Trends for 2025 and HR Toolkit | JEANNE MEISTER - 10 HR Trends As Generative AI Expands In The 2025 Workplace | JOSH BERSIN - The Rise of the Superworker: Delivering On The Promise Of AI There has been the usual flood of commentators offering their take on the trends, priorities, and opportunities for HR in 2025 – including my own 12 Opportunities for HR in 2025: Thriving People, Thriving Organisation. With so many to choose from, it can be a challenge to ‘separate the wheat from the chaff,’ but hopefully I have done this for readers here! As well as those I highlighted in the December edition from the likes of Steve Hunt, Andrew Spence, and Lars Schmidt – and the one above from Katarina Berg, here are three others I recommend diving into. (1) Gartner’s Emily Rose McRae presents nine future of work trends for 2025 (see FIG 1) with perhaps the standout being that “AI-first organizations will destroy productivity in their search for it.” (2) I always enjoy Jeanne C M.’s annual set of HR trends, and the 2025 edition is no exception. Jeanne frames her ten trends around her belief that 2025 will see a more organisations “moving from experimenting with generative AI to making it an essential part of their business planning process”, and that this will transform HR. Two of Jeanne’s predictions that standout are: a) AI Agents Will Proliferate And Become The Killer App In The AI Era, and b) Generative AI Will Transform the Future of HR Jobs, where she highlights 13 HR jobs of the future (see FIG 2). (3) Josh Bersin’s 2025 set of HR and leadership predictions is themed: The Rise of the Superworker: Delivering On The Promise Of AI. Josh describes a Superworker as “an individual who uses AI to dramatically enhance their productivity, performance, and creativity,” and a Superworker company as “an organization that embraces this transformation, building a culture of adaptability where people reinvent themselves.” The study breaks down four types of superworker (see FIG 3) as well as the five imperatives for 2025, including the need to redesign works, jobs, and organisational models. FIG 1: 9 Future of Work trends for 2025 (Source: Gartner) FIG 2: 13 HR jobs of the future (Source: Jeanne Meister) FIG 3: The four dimensions of AI automation – and ‘superworker’ (Source: The Josh Bersin Company) HYBRID, GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM – Future of Jobs Report 2025 Analytical thinking remains the most sought after core skill among employers, with seven out of 10 companies considering it as essential The fifth edition of the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report is, like its predecessors, an absolute treasure trove of data, insights, and visualisations. The 2025 report is based on data from more than 1,000 companies and over 14m workers, and will be a much referenced resource by researchers as well as workforce planning and people analytics practitioners. It offers a comprehensive analysis of the interconnected trends shaping the global labour market and explores what this will mean for the evolution of jobs and skills over the next five years. There are far too many highlights in the report to list them all here, but here are some standout ones for me: (1) By 2030, 170 million new jobs will emerge, yet 92 million will be displaced—a net increase of 78 million roles (see FIG 4), which not surprisingly means that (2) Skill gaps are considered the biggest barrier to business transformation, with 63% of employers identifying them as a major barrier over the 2025- 2030 period. (3) On average, workers can expect that two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period. (4) Analytical thinking remains the most sought after core skill among employers, with seven out of 10 companies considering it as essential in 2025 (see FIG 5). (5) Two demographic shifts are increasingly transforming global economies and labour markets: aging and declining working age populations, predominantly in higher income economies, and expanding working age populations, predominantly in lower-income economies. Kudos to the authors: Attilio Di Battista, Sam Grayling, Ximena Játiva, Till Alexander Leopold, Ricky LI, Shuvasish Sharma, and Saadia Zahidi. If you only read one of the resources I've selected this month, read this. FIG 4: Total job growth and loss 2025-2030 (Source: World Economic Forum) FIG 5: Top sought after skills by employers in 2025 (Source: World Economic Forum) RAVIN JESUTHASAN, RUPAL KANTARIA, AND SIMON LUONG - Workforce Transformation In The AI Era Leaders need new talent strategies as AI and demographic changes create the need for agile, skills-based organizations. In their article, Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA, Rupal Sachdev Kantaria, and Simon Luong explain how with several workforce megatrends converging successful CEOs are being transformed into talent architects, with workforce strategy becoming as important to companies as financial strategy (see FIG 6). This is expanding the role of the chief people officer, whose mandates at some companies have expanded to include strategy, transformation and operations. All this, argue the authors, is leading to a transformation of work and the human experience of work across three critical dimensions: (1) Redesigning work for a truly agile operating model. (2) Skills as the currency (see FIG 7). (3) Adaptive leadership. The report is part of a series, The State of Our World 2025, compiled by the Oliver Wyman Forum, which has been designed to help global leaders navigate what is a turbulent and exhilarating environment. These include: The Revenge of Geopolitics, Solving the Demographic Dilemma, and Unlocking the Value of AI. If you want to know what's on your CEO's mind, read this. FIG 6: Talent strategy is leading board agendas (Source: Oliver Wyman Forum) FIG 7: The need to rethink skills as currency (Source: Oliver Wyman Forum) PEOPLE ANALYTICS TOM DAVENPORT AND RANDY BEAN - Five Trends in AI and Data Science for 2025 Our long-term prediction is that generative AI alone is not enough to make organizations and cultures data-driven. The 2024 edition of this article, by Tom Davenport and Randy Bean was MIT Sloan Management Review’s most-read article of last year, and the 2025 version looks set to similarly popular. The five trends outlined in the article are: (1) Leaders will grapple with both the promise and hype around agentic AI. (2) The time has come to measure results from generative AI experiments. (3) Reality about data-driven culture sets in. (Only 37% of companies surveyed said they work in a data- and AI-driven organisation, and 33% said they have a data- and AI-driven culture. 92% believe that cultural and change management challenges are the primary barrier to becoming data- and AI-driven). (4) Unstructured data is important again. (5) Who should run data and AI? Expect continued struggle. RICHARD ROSENOW – People Analytics Conferences: 2025 By focusing on community building, providing diverse and practical content, and addressing accessibility concerns, conferences can better serve the evolving needs of People Analytics professionals. A terrific resource compiled by Richard Rosenow on the top events scheduled for 2025, which was based on a survey of people analytics professionals. It lists the top events that practitioner are attending (including People Analytics World, TALREOS and Wharton People Analytics), those events that are top of the wishlist, which I’m proud to see includes the Insight222 Global Executive Retreat, plus insights on what people enjoy and need from these events. SCOTT REIDA - The Augmented Workforce: Redefining Roles and Hierarchies in the Age of GenAI | MATTHEW HAMILTON - Three mental blocking & tackling drills to recenter your People Analytics efforts | CAITLIN VAN MIL - SHAP Values | AMIT MOHINDRA – Who is the Human in the Loop? In each edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, I feature a collection of articles by current and recent people analytics leaders. These are intended to act as a spur and inspiration to the field. Four are highlighted in this month’s edition. (1) Scott Reida, a workforce strategist at AWS, walks through a workforce scenario from now to 2035 to demonstrate year-on-year how tasks for data scientists will be automated through AI (see FIG 8) allowing human workers to focus on more strategic work with role-levels consolidated and cost savings realised. (2) I’ve always enjoyed Matthew Hamilton’s thoughtful musings, and in this article, he walks through three mindsets for people analytics professionals to adopt including: embracing the power of visual analytics. Thanks too to Matthew for his kind mention of the Data Driven HR Monthly in his article. (3) Caitlin van Mil launches her Everything Data Science microblog series with a piece that breaks down SHAP values. (4) Amit Mohindra outlines how The “human-in-the-loop” imperative presents an opportunity for HR to elevate its role in leading their organisation’s adoption of AI: Organizations do not adopt AI; individuals do. HR facilitates organizational change through its influence on leadership, culture, and learning. The chief people officer is in a better position to spearhead AI adoption initiatives than the chief technology officer. FIG 8: Source – Scott Reida THE EVOLUTION OF HR, LEARNING, AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE KEVIN COX, SUSAN PODLOGAR, AND KATIE BURKE - Less is More: The Transformative Power of Discarding Outdated HR Concepts If HR sees technology as someone else’s work, HR will have missed a huge opportunity. To drive these discussions, rather than follow others, HR leaders should be students of technology and how it can influence work, strategy, and culture. As this excellent article in People + Strategy begins, the job of the chief people officer is increasingly complex with their C-suite peers often turning to them to solve the new challenges that have made leadership so hard in this turbulent decade. Instead of more, three experienced chief people officers, who have recently stepped down from their roles, provide some thoughts on what HR should be spending less time on moving forward. One example from each: (1) Kevin Cox highlights culture surveys, and advocates how AI can create better assessments by analysing more sources. (2) Susan Podlogar (she/her) calls for the setting aside of low-value HR work to focus instead on high-value transformation work including being at the forefront of how technology is integrated (see quote). (3) Katie Burke writes how HR needs to be better at connecting employee experience and happiness to impact, productivity and business results. DAVE ULRICH, REBECCA RAY, AND ALAN TODD - Next Step in GenAI for Human Resources: Proliferation vs. Prioritization Proliferation offers an abundance of innovative ideas but can lead to being overwhelmed and not having a clear idea about where to invest. Prioritization filters the opportunities into priorities that deliver value. With the proliferation of GenAI in the HR market (estimated at $3.25 billion USD in 2023 and projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 24.8 percent from 2024 to 2030), how can HR leader prioritise the investments in GenAI apps that will provide the biggest benefit to their stakeholders and organisations? That is the question tackled by Dave Ulrich, Rebecca Ray, and Alan Todd in their article, where they provide four concrete recommendations: (1) Define desired stakeholder and outcome (“focus on impact rather than activity”). (2) Rely on an integrated framework to organise apps (see FIG 9). (3) Determine which GenAI apps best deliver stakeholder value. (4) Build a guidance system on existing HCM platforms. FIG 9: Human Capability Framework (Source: Dave Ulrich) WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS MARC RAMOS - 6 Part Series: Tasks Versus Skills - Squaring the Circle of Work with AI - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 The world of work is changing rapidly, and the skills we need to succeed are evolving faster than ever before. While a strong focus on skills development is crucial, many organizations find that a sole skills-based approach is insufficient. There's a missing piece of the puzzle: tasks. Tasks are the building blocks of work, and understanding how they connect with skills is essential for developing effective workforce strategies, particularly as AI becomes increasingly integrated into our workflows. As I’ve been sharing broadly, HR, Talent and Learning & Development teams have increasingly had a laser focus on skill development, upskilling/reskilling, Skill-Based Organisations, and most recently gaining the right AI skills. Marc Ramos takes a slightly different approach: “A dilemma regards an over-reliance on a skills-first mindset as a somewhat dominant charter. What’s missing is acknowledging the proportional value of tasks, quantifiable tasks with the complementary value of skills, qualified skills.” AI and AI tooling is at the heart of this provocative new series; that is, how to address the combination of Tasks + Skills + AI. Part 1 and Part 2 re-emphasise the critical value of tasks and provide 7 Playbook Takeaways.  The remaining “What-If” sections share forward-looking AI-centric scenarios: Let Learning Breathe, A Task Intelligence Control Room, Employee Experience as an AI Product, and Ramos has also created an Instructional Quality AI Agent using OpenAI’s API Models.  Marc has also generously bundled all of this into a free eBook. FIG 10: Control Room mock up or heatmap of tasks not accomplished and negative impacts to sales quotas and related skills (Source: Marc Ramos) EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING BARBARA JEFFERY, BROOKE WEDDLE, JACQUELINE BRASSEY, AND SHAIL THAKER - Thriving workplaces: How employers can improve productivity and change lives By making work a place that improves health, organizations can build a strong, productive, and engaged workforce and release greater individual and organizational potential. A landmark new report from the McKinsey Health Institute in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, which has the headline finding that enhanced employee health and well-being could generate up to $11.7 trillion in global economic value. The report, authored by Barbara Jeffery, Brooke Weddle, Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN ?️ (née Schouten), and Shail Thaker, addresses three key questions: (1) Why prioritise workplace health? (e.g. financial return, improvements in productivity, engagement and retention, lower healthcare costs and absenteeism, enabling a more resilient and adaptive workforce – see FIG 11). (2) What is the current state of workplace health? (with a survey of 30,000 employees worldwide finding only 57% reported good holistic health). (3) How can organisations measure workforce health and develop an action plan? (how to build the investment case and company-specific KPIs – see FIG 12, case studies from the likes of Novo Nordisk, Swiss Re, and Novartis, and the role of people analytics including a case study from Experian. Finally, guidance is provided on six principles organisations can follow to get started: (i) understand the baseline health status of employees and the value at stake, (ii) develop initiatives for a sustainable healthy workforce, (iii) pilot interventions to test and learn, (iv) track three to five metrics to measure success, (v) ensure leadership commitment and sponsorship, and (vi) embed employee health into organisational culture. A tour de force. FIG 11: Workplaces with high well-being outperform other stock market indexes (Source: McKinsey) FIG 12: KPIs to build the investment case for employee wellbeing (Source: McKinsey) CARLIJN POPELIER AND RUUD RIKHOF – The (de)Humanized Workforce: Job Deconstruction - to what extent is the future workforce at risk of being further dehumanized? HR must take the lead in understanding AI’s impact and guide conversations about how these benefits are distributed. By doing so, we can keep the human experience at the center of this transformation. The cornerstone of this thoughtful paper from Carlijn Popelier and Ruud Rikhof is the concept of Humanized Growth, which they describe as “integrating the interests of employees, consumers, local communities, government, the planet, and broader humanity.” The paper takes a deep dive into the (un)intended consequences of new work arrangements and how they impact ‘humans’ and provides some helpful recommendations to chief people officers and senior leaders. Three of these are: (1) Leave HR service delivery to others and set expectations for employee experience. (2) Have a point of view on how AI impacts the workplace and how the benefits of productivity improvements are distributed. (3) Lead the transition to a skill-based approach. The authors also provide a primer on deconstructing jobs, including a helpful visualisation of the hopeful and cynical view of implementing this approach (see FIG 13). A highly recommended read. FIG 13: The ‘hopeful’ and ‘cynical’ view of deconstructing jobs (Source: Popelier and Rikhof) LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND LEARNING JONATHAN HUGHES, JESSICA WADD, AND ASHLEY HETRICK - Why Influence Is a Two-Way Street Managers achieve better outcomes when they prioritize collaborative decision-making over powers of persuasion The ability to wield influence is important for meeting team and individual goals in highly matrixed organizations, but research, presented by Jonathan Hughes, Jessica Wadd, and Ashley Hetrick finds there is too much of an emphasis on selling one's own point of view (see FIG 14). The authors explain how this can hamstring good decision-making and argue for a collaborative model of influence where the best decision for the organisation is the primary goal. They also share five research-based strategies on how managers can steer culture toward two-way influence. (1) Expand job definitions and responsibilities so that they provide guidelines for cross-functional engagement. (2) Replace traditional influence training with training focused on collaborative influence. (3) Engage in cross-functional goal setting and alignment of incentives. (4) Rethink criteria for promotions to management and executive leadership. (5) Model behaviours of collaborative influence. FIG 14: How Influence Is Wielded in Organizations (Source: Hughes et al) DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING TORIN ELLIS - Reducing Bias in HR using Artificial Intelligence Only 27% of companies are using AI to address bias despite AI’s potential to automate processes and minimize personal and unreasoned judgment. This research study provides a helpful primer on how the thoughtful application of AI can remove bias from HR processes such as hiring, promotion and performance management. The report, which is a collaboration between Torin Ellis as well as Madeline Laurano and Kyle Lagunas of Aptitude Research for plum, covers: (1) How AI impacts HR processes and its role in either perpetuating or eliminating unconscious bias. (2) How to implement AI tools to foster DEIB values. (3) Examples where AI has been successfully employed to neutralise bias and promote fairness in HR practices. FIG 15: Actions companies are taking to reduce bias (Source: Torin Ellis, Aptitude Research) LILY ZHENG – What Comes After DEI? Instead of the performative, individual-centered, isolated, and zero-sum methods of the current mainstream approach, DEI work must evolve to become outcomes-based, systems-focused, coalition-driven, and win-win. A timely and thoughtful article by Lily Zheng, which outlines how their new framework built around fairness, access, inclusion, and representation can succeed where Lily believes that DEI has failed. As Lily explains, (1) Fairness is when all people are set up for success and protected against discrimination. (2) Access is when all people can fully participate in a product, service, experience, or physical environment. )3) Inclusion is when all people feel respected, valued, and safe for who they are. (4) Representation is when all people feel their needs are advocated for by those who represent them. HR TECH VOICES Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from January that I recommend readers delve into: FRESIA JACKSON AND HEATHER WALKER - The biggest lie continues: The impact of leaders vs. managers – Fresia Jackson and Heather Rose Walker, PhD mine Culture Amp’s extensive data to bust the oft-repeated myth that “People don’t quit companies; they quit managers.’ The findings they do uncover include: (1) Career opportunities, leadership, and company confidence drives employee commitment, and; (2) Leader’s impact on engagement has grown since 2020 (see FIG 16). FIG 16: Leadership’s impact on employee engagement has grown since 2020 (Source: Culture Amp) LIGHTCAST – The Speed of Skill Change – A new report from Lightcast, which analyses the extent of skills disruption in US job postings, finds that the average job has seen one-third of its skills change from 2021 to 2024. The report identifies three big themes: (1) Adapting to Artificial Intelligence, (2) The Growth of Green Skills, and (3) Cybersecurity skills Continue Climbing, and provides workforce planning tips for each. FRANCISCO MARIN - Why Now is the Time for Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) to Go Mainstream – Advancing social capital is one my 12 Opportunities for HR in 2025, and in his article, Francisco Marin of Cognitive Talent Solutions, looks at the historical evolution of the field and writes why the time is now for ONA. FIG 17: The historical evolution of ONA (Source: Cognitive Talent Solutions) JOHN GUY - Skills-Powered – Our maturity framework for getting the right skills – John Guy outlines the skills-powered maturity framework that developed with Simply Get Results’s customers (see FIG 18). FIG 18: Skills-powered maturity framework (Source: Simply) PHILIP ARKCOLL - How to Evaluate and Defend Your Flex Work Strategy – This is a terrific resource from Philip Arkcoll and the team at Worklytics. It highlights 15 common issues they are seeing in their research into flexible working and the metrics they’re using to help organizations identify them. These include: (1) Are people maintaining their networks or becoming isolated? (2) Is your organization becoming more siloed? (3) Do you have enough overlap on distributed teams? (see FIG 19). FIG 19: Team overlap based on working hours (Source: Worklytics) PODCASTS OF THE MONTH In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected five gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below): JEREMY SHAPIRO - People Analytics Trends for 2025 & Revisiting Competing on Talent Analytics – Jeremy Shapiro joins Cole Napper and Scott Hines, PhD on the Directionally Correct podcast for a lively and insightful discussion on the evolution of the field, reflections on Jeremy’s seminal 2010 HBR article, Competing on Talent Analytics, and a review of 2025 predictions for people analytics from Jeremy, Cole and Scott, as well as research from RedThread, Bersin, and Insight222. BRANDON ROBERTS - The future of AI in the workforce: Lessons from ServiceNow’s four-point strategic journey – Brandon Roberts, Head of People Analytics and AI at ServiceNow, joins host Kyle Forrest on the Capital H Podcast to dive into the company's transformative journey with AI. He shares a four-point plan guiding their AI strategy, covering key areas like AI operating models, data and tech infrastructure, the right investments and talent, and workforce enablement. STACEY HARRIS - The Future of HR – Stacey Harris from Sapient Insights Group joins hosts Stacia Sherman Garr and Dani Johnson on RedThread Research’s Workplace Stories to discuss the HR landscape as we enter 2025. They have an absorbing conversation on what ‘engagement’ truly means, the limitations of current AI applications, and why a company’s culture—not its tech—might be the biggest obstacle to success in 2025 AMIT MOHINDRA – Strategic Workforce Planning – Amit Mohindra joins Nick Kennedy on SWP – The Strategic Workforce Planning Podcast, to talk all things SWP and people analytics. ELLEN HENDRIKSEN – Dealing with Perfectionism – In a fascinating episode of HBR IdeaCast, psychologist Ellen Hendriksen speaks with Curt Nickisch about her new book, How to Be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists, where perfectionism comes from and how it affects teams. VIDEO OF THE MONTH BEN WABER, GEORGE LAROCQUE, AND CLIFF JURKIEWICZ – Helping Employees Gain Valuable AI Skills In this insightful panel discussion on Nasdaq, Ben Waber, George LaRocque and Cliff Jurkiewicz of Phenom join host Jill Malandrino to discuss how to strike a balance that helps employees gain valuable AI skills while simultaneously giving the organization a competitive edge. BOOKS OF THE MONTH AIZHAN TURSUNBAYEVA - Augmenting Human Resource Management with Artificial Intelligence | MARTIN R. EDWARDS, KIRSTEN EDWARDS, AND DAISUNG JANG - Using R in HR Analytics: A Practical Guide to Analysing People Data There are two book recommendations this month. First, Aizhan Tursunbayeva, PhD, GRP’s book explores human resource management technologies across operational, relational, and transformational elements. It includes an analysis of vendor value propositions, and pays significant attention to the ethical implications of AI and how they can be addressed through Responsible AI principles. The second book, by Martin Edwards, Kirsten Edwards, and Daisung Jang is designed to help readers learn how to use R and R Studio to analyse HR data and deliver insights that drive workforce and business performance. The authors also cover data privacy and the ethical considerations of using people data. Two excellent and complementary reads. RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH SCOTT HINES, JUSTIN O’NEAL, CHRIS HUNYH, AND JOHN GOLDEN - An alternative path to unlocking high-potential talent: Universal models beware In this paper for the Consulting Psychology Journal, Scott Hines, PhD, Justin O'Neal, Ph.D. Chris Hunyh, and John Golden, Ph.D., investigate the intricacies of identifying high-potential talent within organisations overcoming the challenges of using a single defined measure of potential. As John Golden highlights here, insights from the paper include: (1) Redefining Potential: The article challenges traditional notions of potential, advocating for a behavioural framework that aligns with strategically critical roles: “It’s not just about climbing the ladder; it’s about finding the right fit for every rung.” (2) Innovative Methodologies: By integrating multiple theoretical constructs and utilising behavioural ratings, this study paves the way for predicting employee readiness for future growth opportunities. For those unable to access the report, have a listen to this podcast on the study. BONUS RESOURCES Some bonus resources to also consume this month: Hung Lee published his annual set of forecasts for recruitment and HR technology, which are always worth checking out and cover much, much more than recruiting: See Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four. In a recent edition of his excellent Workforce Futurist newsletter, Andrew Spence unveils 35 New AI Roles to Watch Out For. Sharna Wiblen’s article in MIT Sloan Management Review, Who’s Making Your Talent Decisions? explores how technology—algorithms, vendors, and systems—shapes talent decisions to a much greater extent than many of us realise. Stacia Sherman Garr provides a helpful primer on Understanding the Impact of Recent DEI Executive Orders. Speaking of DEI, Bruce Daisley does an admirable takedown of Mark Zuckerberg’s cowardly decision to roll back on DEI at Meta: Zuckerberg cancelling DEI is a grim day for work. Finally, Nathan Warren’s column on Exponential View, outlines five contrarian ideas that may just change your perspective—and your strategy—on AI at work. These include: You're likely only scratching the surface – with organisations actually needing to retool entire processes around AI (see FIG 20). FIG 20: The shift from assistants to agents will be dramatic (Source: Exponential View) FROM MY DESK January proved to be a productive month for writing as well as the first three episodes of Series 44 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by our friends at TalentNeuron (thanks to John Lynch, David Wilkins, Maureen McGinness, and the TalentNeuron team). DAVID GREEN – The Best HR and People Analytics Articles of 2024 – My 11th annual retrospective of the best articles of the year came in five instalments: Part 1: Creating value through people analytics, Part 2: Orchestrating the future of work, Part 3: Enhancing employee experience and wellbeing, Part 4: Developing leaders, culture and inclusion, and Part 5: Building the strategic HR function. Enjoy! DAVID GREEN - How can organisations leverage skills intelligence to make more informed decisions? – A wrap-up of Series 43 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, which featured Sandra Loughlin, PhD, Keith Sonderling, Mikaël Wornoo?, Melissa Daimler, and Christophe Cabrera , and featured the common question: How can organisations leverage skills intelligence to make more informed decisions? STACIA GARR AND DAVE ULRICH - How HR Can Create Stakeholder Value and Drive Organisational Growth in 2025 – In our traditional opening to the year at the Digital HR Leaders podcast, I was joined by Stacia Sherman Garr and Dave Ulrich for a conversation on the key priorities and opportunities in 2025. PRASAD SETTY - How Will AI Shape the Future of People Analytics? – Having established and led the fabled people analytics team at Google, Prasad Setty has an abundance of knowledge and wisdom to share about people analytics. We discuss learnings from his time at Google, current challenges in the field, and how AI is shaping the future of people analytics. DAVID WILKINS - How to Turn Strategic Workforce Planning Into Impactful Action – David Wilkins joins me to share TalentNeuron’s findings on the key priorities for organisations when it comes to SWP. This shapes our conversation on what it really takes to master Strategic Workforce Planning. LOOKING FOR A NEW ROLE IN PEOPLE ANALYTICS OR HR TECH? I’d like to highlight once again the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which now numbers over 600 roles. You can also read Richard’s latest newsletter related to this here. THANK YOU Nick Lynn for including the Data Driven HR Monthly in his list of recommended newsletters alongside some of my personal favourites by the likes of Bruce Daisley (Make Work Better), Rachel Botsman (Rethink with Rachel), and Serena H. Huang, Ph.D. (From Data to Action). Gianni Giacomelli for also recommending the Data Driven HR Monthly in his 2025 New Years Resolution: Only Read Good Newsletters post, which included another of my favourites from Thomas Otter (Work in Progress). Mike Irvine for including my 12 Opportunities for HR in 2025 article in a recent edition of LinkedIn’s The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week. Rick Leunisse for including me in this ‘General HR Tech Influencers’ category in his list of LinkedIn Influencers to follow. Rick also included categories for Workday Subject Matter Experts, Workday Employees, and HRIS Innovators and Thought Leaders. Offbeat for including me as one of 50 learning professionals to keep an eye on in 2025. I can happily return the favour by highly recommending Offbeat’s weekly newsletter, edited by Lavinia Mehedințu, which is one I read every week: Where L&Ds Always Learn. Thanks to Matt Manners and the Inspiring Workplaces team for including me as one of The Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers 2025 Kyle Forrest for generously including me in two posts. Firstly, in a list of six 2025 set of predictions and trends for the world of work, and then secondly, in his list of non-Deloitte sources to obtain insights in the HumanCapital and HR ecosystem. MagnusHR for including Excellence in People Analytics as one of its five reading recommendations for 2025. Jeroen Naudts for including me in his list of 10 People Analytics Experts to Follow. Kalpana Joshi for including me in her list of five top HR influencers on LinkedIn to follow in the HR and people management space. Teamflect for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast at number 5 in its list of 15 Podcasts for HR Professionals. Thinkers360 for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast in its article: 125 Podcasts from You Should Listen To in 2025. Aurélie Crégut for citing the Digital HR Leaders podcast episode with Yves Van Durme, in her excellent post on Structuring Data for Success: A Guide for HR Teams. Phil Kirschner for including me in his group of inspiring thought leaders who introduce and amplify new perspectives on the future of work. Olimpiusz Papiez for posting another wonderful set of learnings from an episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, this time the one with Stacia Garr and Dave Ulrich: How HR Can Create Stakeholder Value and Drive Organisational Growth in 2025. Finally, a huge thank you to the following people who either shared the December edition of Data Driven HR Monthly and/or posted about the Digital HR Leaders podcast, conferences or other content. It's much appreciated: Ollie Henderson, Paola Alfaro Alpízar, Sarah White, Mila Pascual-Nodusso, Robin Haag, Elliott King, Ryan Wong, Mark Woodhouse, Hakan Sahin, Veronika Birkheim, Gareth Flynn, Thomas Kohler, Monika Manova, Alice Reinhold, Javier Calzolari, Nicolas Quadrelli, Bastiaan Starink, Dan George, Jaqueline Oliveira-Cella, Alessandro Cosentino, Kouros Behzad, Diane Gherson, Ihuaku Ugwu, Amardeep Singh, MBA, Ian Grant FCIPD, Kevin Metherell, Francisca Solano Beneitez, Sanja Licina, Ph.D., Laura Oh, PhD, Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP-SP, SHRM-SCP, CIPD), Irada Sadykhova, Ian OKeefe, Anna A. Tavis, PhD, Bengi Bozdag, Monica Sirbu, Shonna Waters, PhD, Adam Tombor (Wojciechowski), Sachin Sangade, Robin Kane, Jason Saltzman, Johnatan Moreno, Roshaunda Green, MBA, CDSP, Phenom Certified Recruiter, Jaap Veldkamp, Patrick Coolen, José Valdivieso, Danielle Farrell, MA, Nevena B., Menna Shehab ElDin, David Simmonds FCIPD, Debbie Harrison, Meghan M. Biro, Kathleen Kruse, John Healy, Greg Pryor, Daria Manoilenko, Samir Murgude , SPHR®, SHRM-SCP, IHRP-SP, Catriona Lindsay, Mark North, Maria Alice Jovinski, Zohaib Azhar, Michael Arena, Michelle Lee ?, Malgorzata Langlois, Erin Spencer, Timo Tischer, Richard Bretzger, Nick Hudgell, Evan Franz, MBA, Darshana D., Johannes Sundlo, Luis Maria Cravino, Sergio Garcia Mora, Graham Tollit, Ifraan Karim, John Gunawan, Jay Chang, Hanadi El Sayyed, Alexis Baker, Neil Vyner, Giovanna Constant, Marcela Mury, Monika Buzasy, Lewis Garrad, Tina Peeters, PhD, Lewis Garrad, Abhilash Bodanapu, Kouros Behzad, Dan Lapporte, Ying Li, Stephanie Andel, PhD, Kris Saling, Caitie Jacobson Mikulis, Roxanne Bisby Davis, Joonghak Lee, Delia Majarín, Emanuele Magrone, Claire Masson, Lucie Vottova, Gawain Wang, Sophia Huang, Ed.D., Jacob Nielsen, Søren Kold, Samy Ben Said, Ralf Buechsenschuss, Gal Mozes, PhD, Alexis Fink, Dave Fineman, Danielle Bushen, Peter Ryan, Elizabeth Esarove, Ken Clar, Erik Otteson, Mariami Lolashvili, Craig Starbuck, PhD, Maria Ursu, Mattijs Mol, Toon van der Veer, Arne-Christian Van Der Tang, ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Green ?? is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021. MEET ME AT THESE EVENTS I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in early 2025: February 26-27 - People Analytics World, Zürich March 13 - HiBob Heartcore HR LIVE, London March 19 - Workhuman Live Forum, London April 10-11 - Wharton People Analytics Conference, Philadelphia April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London May 6-8 - UNLEASH America, Las Vegas June 4-6 - TALREOS (Talent Analytics Leadership Roundtable Economic Mobility Summit), Chicago July 31 - August 1 - People Matters TechHR India 2025, Delhi October 21-22 - UNLEASH World, Paris More events will be added as they are confirmed.
    Hybrid Work
    2025年02月02日
  • Hybrid Work
    The best HR & People Analytics articles of December 2024 The December edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is an opportunity to reflect on the year that is about to pass into history and look forward to what lies ahead. 2024 has proved to be another tumultuous year of geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty, and upheaval in the world of work. Perhaps for HR and people analytics it is a case of “in chaos, there is opportunity,” as we move into 2025. Enjoy this month’s collection of resources, and to all readers who are taking a break over the festive season, I wish you Happy Holidays, and a prosperous and healthy 2025. Thank you to everyone who has supported Insight222, the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, and the Data Driven HR Monthly in 2024. It means a lot and is much appreciated. This edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is sponsored by our friends at TechWolf Task Intelligence: rethink work, redefine skills Work happens at the task level, where skills meet action. But are your skills aligned with the work that drives impact? TechWolf has proven that bridging the gap between tasks and skills is the key to workforce transformation. By applying Task Intelligence within our own teams, we’ve unlocked measurable results: $76,000 saved in productivity gains by automating repetitive tasks. Freed up time for strategic, high-value work. Reshaped hiring strategies by focusing on the skills that truly matter. At TechWolf, we believe that getting close enough to the work being done is the key to doing skills right. As our own 'customer zero'; we’ve put our AI to the test, integrating it with JIRA to analyze and optimize our work processes. The results speak for themselves in our first Task Intelligence Impact Case: $76,000 saved in productivity gains by automating repetitive tasks. Freed up time for strategic, high-value work. Reshaped hiring strategies to focus on the skills that truly matter. What is Task Intelligence? It’s a new way to connect real-time task data with workforce skills to: Identify tasks that drive the most value. Adapt skills as work evolves. Streamline processes and unlock productivity. As Jeroen Van Hautte ?, TechWolf CTO, says: Skills tell us what people can do. Tasks show us why it matters. Task Intelligence brings it all together. ? Discover Task Intelligence ? Insights from the Experts: Explore how Gina Jeneroux, MBA FLPI, Chief Skills & Innovation Officer at Executive Networks, is helping organizations move beyond learning to embed skills strategies into their business. ? Read Gina’s interview The future of work demands more than adapting—it demands leading. Task Intelligence is how you get there. To sponsor an edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, and share your brand with more than 140,000 Data Driven HR Monthly subscribers, send an email to dgreen@zandel.org. What are the biggest opportunities for HR in 2025? HR’s role in creating a thriving workforce and organisation is the underlying theme of my recently published 12 Opportunities for HR in 2025 article (see FIG 1). I’m crowdsourcing the final two opportunities, so if you’d like to contribute suggestions for opportunities 11 and 12, please click here and add your suggestion in the comments. FIG 1: 12 Opportunities for HR in 2025 (Source: David Green) December Road Report The main event for December was the publication of the fifth annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends study, which was our biggest yet with 348 participating organisations. A summary of the key findings follows in the ‘People Analytics’ section below, but one is that 62% of companies told us that they were in the first year of their AI journey in HR. Click here to download the report, and see how the people analytics function in your company compares to ‘A Teams’ by taking the Leading Companies Diagnostic. I had the privilege of taking the findings from the study out on the road to two events in December. First, I delivered the opening keynote at Visier Inc. Outsmart Local in London, which also featured the likes of Nick Hudgell, Rosemary Byde, Kevin Metherell, and Neera Ridler-Mayor, AIA (see more here). The following week I was in Amsterdam for Workday Rising EMEA, where I was interviewed on stage by Phil Willburn, as well as delivering a keynote on the characteristics of People Analytics ‘A Teams’ (see more on Workday Rising here). 2024 seemed like the year when the 'in-person' event fully returned - and as such it proved to be a busy year on stage. I emceed Unleash World in Paris, People Analytics World events in Zurich, London, and New York, and the Insight222 Global Executive Retreat in Amsterdam. I keynoted at the three People Analytics World events, Workday Rising in Las Vegas and Amsterdam, Gloat Live in New York, the Deloitte Workforce Innovation Forum in Dallas, a Mercer/Corporate Research Forum event on Productivity, Purpose and Profit in London, and Visier Outsmart Local in London. I moderated panels at a number of these events as well as at Strategic HR Analytics MeetUp in New York. Share the love! Enjoy reading the collection of resources for December and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on November’s compendium. If you enjoy a weekly dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is published on Tuesday: subscribe here. 2024 REFLECTIONS HUNG LEE -  What Happened in Recruiting in 2024 - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Don't be fooled by the title, Hung Lee's 2024 reflections covers topics much broader than recruiting, and contains a plethora of data, analysis and visualisations that should act as a guide for the year ahead too. Taking one highlight from each of the four-part series (and 20 reflections in total), I'd go with AI and Automation (Part 1), the re-emergence of Talent Density (Part 2), Atlantic Divergence on DEI - see FIG 2 (Part 3), and War on Middle Managers (Part 4). If you don't already follow Hung's twin newsletters, Recruiting Brainfood, and This Week in Recruiting, I highly recommend you do. FIG 2: Is DEI a 'good thing'? (Source: Pew Research Center) 2025 HR PREDICTIONS, TRENDS AND PRIORITIES STEVE HUNT - A guide to HR predictions, trends, and forecasts | ANDREW SPENCE - 5 Big Questions for Work in 2025 | DANIEL ZHAO - Glassdoor Worklife Trends 2025 | VISIER – Embracing the AI Driven Workforce: 5 Workforce Trends for 2025 | i4CP – 2025 Priorities and Predictions | LARS SCHMIDT - 7 ways HR will look different in 2025 | JOSH BERSIN - A Tumultuous Year Behind: A Challenging, Important 2025 A people analytics team cannot sit on the sidelines while AI is poised to transform the world of HR. If you don't embrace AI to surface insights and support data-driven decisions, you may miss out on the ability to scale decision intelligence Putting my own 12 Opportunities for HR in 2025 to one side, there are a plethora of other HR trends, predictions, and priorities being published. Here are seven resources that I recommend digging deeper into. (1) Firstly, Steve Hunt provides a helpful ‘buyer beware’ guide on eight lessons to consuming HR predictions, trends and forecasts, including a warning that most HR forecasts are designed to influence buying behaviour. (2) Despite being a Man United fan, Andrew Spence’s Workforce Futurist newsletter is one of the best around. In a recent edition, Andrew ponders five big questions for work in 2025 including: Is the office dead or just evolving (see FIG 3)? (3) Daniel Zhao presents five trends based on Glassdoor data including: Employers are investing in holistic wellbeing. (4) Visier Inc.’s five workforce trends for 2025 includes the need for organisations to build the backbone of data infrastructure to fully realise the promise of AI in HR and workforce topics, and features contributions from the likes of Dawn Klinghoffer, Eric Bokelberg (see quote above), Angela LE MATHON, Ryan Wong and Adam McKinnon, PhD. (5) As Kevin Oakes writes in his Foreword to The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp)’s thoughtful annual look at the year ahead: “perhaps the safest prediction we can make is those who embrace agility will have much more success than those who resist change.” (6) Lars Schmidt takes his annual look at how HR is likely to evolve as a function in the year ahead, with my favourite of his seven being that "Learning and development will take center stage." (7) Josh Bersin looks back at a tumultuous 2024 to highlight the priorities for the year ahead in his big idea of 'Citizenship': "Our job in HR is to help our leaders and organizations practice this kind of citizenship. In a year of tumultuous change, Citizenship will serve us well." FIG 2: Office utilisation 2020-now (Sources: Andrew Spence, Nicolas BEHBAHANI) HYBRID, GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK BRIAN ELLIOTT - Five Hybrid Work Trends to Watch in 2025 | JOSE MARIA BARRERO, NICK BLOOM, SHELBY BUCKMAN, AND STEVEN J. DAVIS - SWAA December 2024 Updates | LYNDA GRATTON - Seven Truths About Hybrid Work and Productivity | BETH SCHINOFF, ASHLEY E. HARDIN, KRIS BYRON, AND RACHEL BALVEN - Research: How WFH Can Actually Strengthen Bonds Between Coworkers Forward-looking organizations will shift toward measuring performance based on results, not attendance As I wrote in 12 Opportunities for HR in 2025, HR has the opportunity to help their organisations elevate the conversation on hybrid working from where to how. With outliers like Amazon getting a lot of column inches about their decision to bring employees back to the office five days a week (although this move may not be working out well), HR leaders in other firms may come under pressure from their CEOs to follow suit. Five articles that can help resist this move are included here. (1) First, Brian Elliott outlines five hybrid work trends to look out for in 2025 including: “Organizations that embrace flexible work will steal talent from organizations that impose harsh return-to-office mandates.” (2) The latest data from Nick Bloom and his WFH Research team finds that only 44% of employees would comply if their company imposed a five-day return to office (compared to 53% in 2022), which suggests Elliott’s prediction is likely to be prescient. (3) Lynda Gratton unveils seven key findings from what she is seeing from experiments in hybrid working including: (i) Hybrid work is a continuum. (ii) Productivity is usually challenging — and measurement is always complex. (iii) It’s useful to view hybrid work as fundamentally a job design option. (4) Beth Schinoff, Ashley Hardin, Kris Byron, and Rachel McCullagh Balven present research that finds (contrary to beliefs that employees are able to form richer relationships in person than they can working remotely), remote work can actually make coworkers feel closer by giving them authentic glimpses into each others non-work lives through video calls. FIG 4: Compared to Fall 2022, Persons Who WFH 1+ Days/Week Are Less Willing to Comply With RTO Mandates (Source: WFH Research, December 2024) RASMUS HOUGAARD AND JACQUELINE CARTER - How AI Can Make Us Better Leaders In their article for Harvard Business Review, Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter outline their research, which finds that AI can enhance and empower leaders, and actually help them to be more human. They explain why leaders need to focus on the core leadership qualities of awareness, wisdom, and compassion, as well as take on a both/and mindset. In this way, the “AI-augmented leader” can leverage both the power of AI and develop their most human qualities, bringing the best of both human and machine to their leadership practice. FIG 5: The AI Augmented leader (Source: Potential Project) PEOPLE ANALYTICS JONATHAN FERRAR, NAOMI VERGHESE, AND MADHURA CHAKRABARTI - Harnessing Data for Growth: The Impact of People Analytics Article | Full Report The fifth annual People Analytics Trends study was our biggest yet at Insight222, with 348 participating organisations. The four key findings were: (1) Growth: people analytics continues to expand in scope and investment. (2) Intelligent automation: the advent of GenAI has catalysed HR’s use of AI with people analytics at the core and central to AI strategy in HR. (3) Adoption crisis: the adoption of people analytics remains a challenge with a significant gap between the democratisation of people insights and data (71% of organisations) and a high-level of adoption within HR (47%) and outside HR (28%) – see FIG 6. (4) Value: measuring and demonstrating value is now essential for people analytics teams to increase their impact and drive greater ROI. Kudos to the authors: Jonathan Ferrar, Naomi Verghese, and Madhura Chakrabarti, PhD. Thanks too to the practitioners featured in the study: Adam Tombor (Wojciechowski), Peter Ryan, and Phil Willburn. FIG 6: Trends in the democratisation and adoption of analytics (Source: Insight222) RICHARD ROSENOW – People Analytics is Growing | People Analytics Roles Review Richard Rosenow devotes part of his monthly People Analytics Roles Update newsletter to data highlighting the growth of people analytics. He cites three sources: (1) The 30% increase in people analytics roles that Richard and the One Model team have tracked between 2023 and 2024. (2) The aforementioned Insight222 study, which found that the ratio of people analytics professionals to total employee headcount has improved from 1:4000 in 2020 to 1:2500 in 2024. (3) Data by Jason Saltzman at Live Data Technologies, which finds that both core and specialist people analytics roles are on the rise (see FIG 7). FIG 7: The growth of people analytics jobs (Source: Live Data Technologies) BENJAMIN ROGOJAN – Data Science v Data Engineering | PATRICK COOLEN – What Is Not People Analytics | PIETRO MAZZOLENI - The Power of Integration: Why People Data Thrives Within Enterprise Frameworks | JACKSON ROATCH - From Correlation to Causation: Levelling Up People Analytics with Econometrics | SCOTT REIDA - Transform Performance Evaluations with GenAI: Smarter Grading, Visual Insights, and Next Steps | CHRISTOPHER ROSETT – Storytelling: The Story Arc and The Journalist’s Pyramid In each edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, I feature a collection of articles by current and recent people analytics leaders. These are intended to act as a spur and inspiration to the field. Six are highlighted in this month’s edition. (1) Thanks to Richard Rosenow for highlighting Benjamin Rogojan’s post, which may be the best explanation (and visualisation – see FIG 8) yet on why you need data scientists and data engineers in an effective analytics team. (2) Patrick Coolen provides a powerful list of what is not people analytics – my favourite is: “People Analytics is ??? about HR (only). It should be strongly focused on high impact business threats and opportunities.” (3) In a recent edition of his (excellent) People Data Platform newsletter, Pietro Mazzoleni explains how HR and people analytics leaders can increase their impact by integrating people data with broader organisational impacts. (4) Jackson Roatch outlines how people analytics teams can create more impact by adding econometric methods to its tools and capabilities. (5) Scott Reida explains how to use GenAI to transform employee performance evaluations from vague feedback into actionable insights. (6) Christopher Rosett breaks down two models – The Story Arc and The Journalist’s Pyramid (see FIG 9) – that can be used to underpin storytelling with data in different contexts. FIG 8: How data engineers and data scientists deliver value (Source: Benjamin Rogojan) FIG 9: The Story Arc and The Journalist’s Pyramid (Source: Christopher Rosett) THE EVOLUTION OF HR, LEARNING, AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE DAVE ULRICH - The Next Agenda for Human Resources: What’s So? So What? Now What? Evidence shows that organizational capability has 4x more impact on results than individual talent efforts alone - yet most of the HR field remains heavily focused on talent. Dave Ulrich provides some astute observations on the current state of the HR field, and concludes that most of the focus is on the talent domain of his human capability model (see FIG 10) and so on individuals rather than organisational capability. He then provides four ‘next agenda’ recommendations to shift the profession to creating stakeholder value through human capability: (1) Advance that HR is less about HR and more on creating stakeholder value. (2) Offer a complete human capability agenda and assessment. (3) Prioritise using analytics and AI. (4) Upgrading HR professionals. FIG 10: Human Capability Taxonomy (Source: Dave Ulrich) KENNETH KUK, DONALD DELVES, AND JOHN BREMEN - A Board Outlook on Effective Human Capital Governance Human capital governance can be an overwhelming subject for the board. They do not want to get stuck with minute detail about HR policies or programs. Best practice is for the board to focus their oversight on human capital areas most material to the business, either because they pose a significant risk or are a differentiator for competitive advantage. Kenneth Kuk, Don Delves, and John Bremen present the findings of WTW research into board prioritisation of human capital governance. Findings include: (1) Boards do not spend enough time on long-term strategic workforce planning. (2) Leadership succession and development, talent attraction and retention, and workforce planning and skills for the future were identified as the top three priority human capital topics. (3) Only one-third of board members agree that human capital governance is effective on their boards. (4) Boards do not spend enough time, nor do they receive the right level of information, to engage in meaningful and strategic discussions about human capital governance (see FIG 11). FIG 11: Boards do not spend enough time or receive enough information on human capital governance topics (Source: WTW, Directors & Boards) WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM AND PwC - Leveraging Generative AI for Job Augmentation and Workforce Productivity: Scenarios, Case Studies and a Framework for Action The organizations quickest to adopt GenAI in their workforce are those that could be described as “data-driven” In their new report, the World Economic Forum and PwC present the findings of their study into how early adopters are leveraging GenAI across the workplace, the impact it is having, and the lessons they have learned along the way. The big takeaway is that they found that success depends as much on people as it does technology. Workers need to understand, trust and adopt GenAI. The report also presents four different scenarios for how the deployment of GenAI in organisations could play out (see FIG 12). With the recent Insight222 People Analytics Trends study finding that 62% of companies are in the first year of their journey with AI in HR, this report will be required reading. Credit to the authors: Adèle Jacquard, Isabelle Leliaert, Till Alexander Leopold, Shuvasish Sharma, Peter Brown MBE, Marlene De Koning, Kiera Thomas, and Astrid van der Werf. FIG 12: Four scenarios for the near future of GenAI (Source: PwC and World Economic Forum) THE BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE - Measuring the Impact of Skills-Based Talent Initiatives A helpful and practical guide from The Business Roundtable group of companies to help other organisations effectively implement skills-based hiring and talent management strategies. The report provides a blueprint for how to measure the success of skills-based talent strategies, which is comprised of four components: (1) Aligning on goals and selecting the right metrics to achieve them. (2) Enhancing internal data reporting (see sample balance scorecard in FIG 13). (3) Leveraging data for strategic change management. (4) Collaborating to report success at scale. Thanks to Brian Heger for highlighting in his Talent Edge newsletter. FIG 13: Measuring the impact of skills-based talent initiatives – sample balance scorecard (Source: The Business Roundtable) EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING SHARON K. PARKER AND CAROLINE KNIGHT - Design Work to Prevent Burnout Small, locally led work design changes can have a powerful effect on work quality. Employee burnout and disengagement is bad for business and bad for workers. A much better approach is to create healthier and more sustainable jobs through good work design. In their article, Sharon Parker and Caroline Knight, outline their SMART Work Design model (see FIG 14), which is designed to improve worker wellbeing and performance. The authors describe each of the five characteristics in the model, before emphasising that the first step in improving work design is to start with data: “The first step in improving work design is to assess its current state, using employee surveys, interviews, and observations. The most comprehensive assessment would incorporate all three.” They then provide guidance on five ways to use the model to drive positive collaboration between managers and their teams to: (1) Redesign teams' work, (2) Align people management systems, (3) Build leader capability for SMART work design, (4) Guide and evaluate operational change, and (5) Encourage and support employee job crafting. FIG 14: A model for making work smarter (Source: Sharon K. Parker and Caroline Knight) JACQUELINE BRASSEY, AARON DE SMET, AND DANA MAOR WITH SHEIDA RABIPOUR - Developing a resilient, adaptable workforce for an uncertain future To successfully move their business strategies forward, 21st-century leaders need an engaged and innovative workforce that can change course quickly, effectively, and fluidly. A recent study by the McKinsey Health Institute finds that when employees experience strong levels of organisational support, psychological safety, resiliency and adaptability, these are associated with high levels of engagement and innovation (see FIG 15). In their article, Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN ?️ (née Schouten), Aaron De Smet, Dana Maor, and Sheida Rabipour, PhD present a blueprint composed of four actions for leaders to develop their own capacity for change while in parallel fostering resilience and adaptability in the workforce: (1) Setting a North Star for the organisation. (2) Building a psychologically safe community, not just a workforce. (3) Ensuring that leaders themselves are resilient, adaptable, and can serve as role models. (4) Encouraging teams to build resilience and adaptability skills in groups. FIG 15: The relationship between organisational support, psychological safety, resilience and adaptability with engagement and innovation (Source: McKinsey) LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND LEARNING STEVEN LEVY - Relevance! Relevance! Relevance! Microsoft at 50 Is an AI Giant—and Still Hellbent on Domination | KATHLEEN HOGAN AND DAWN KAWAMOTO - How Microsoft’s chief people officer built a dynamic company culture In 2015, Nadella called for a major transformation of Microsoft’s culture: from a ‘know-it-all,’ fixed mindset culture to a ‘learn-it-all’ growth culture When Satya Nadella took over as CEO in 2014, Microsoft was seen as lumbering and uncool. Together, with Kathleen Hogan, who he appointed as Chief People Office, Nadella cleaned up a toxic culture, crafted the deal of the decade, and put Microsoft back on top. These two resources provide the context from a business perspective and a people one, on who this was achieved. The first article, in Wired, tells the business story: including the acquisitions of LinkedIn and GitHub, the partnership with OpenAI, and how Microsoft closed the AI gap with its competitors. The second article and video, sees Kathleen Hogan sharing how the company changed its company culture and how that evolution continues: “We always joke, the minute you think you’ve arrived and have a growth mindset is the minute you have a fixed mindset.” MICHAEL ARENA AND PHILIP ARKCOLL - When flatter isn’t better: The hidden cost of collaborative demand In an effort to create flatter organizational structures, indiscriminately cutting managers without first assessing collaborative demand can have detrimental consequences. In order to speed up decision making, companies like Meta and Amazon have cut managers as part of a ‘flatter is faster’ approach. The theory is that fewer managers means more speed, more agility, and more innovation. In their article, Michael Arena and Philip Arkcoll provide a counterpoint through Worklytics data showing that when managers are stretched thin—leading teams of seven or more— they encounter overwhelming workloads, rising burnout, and reduced ability to effectively support their teams (see FIG 16). To strike the right balance, Arena and Arkcoll advocate the use of data to assess collaborative demand and drive targeted actions. They provide guidance on (1) Optimising span of control , (2) Focusing on managerial overload, (3) Providing delegation strategies, and (4) Monitoring workloads. FIG 16: Manager hours worked compared to team size (Source: Worklytics) ARNE GAST, ERIK MANDERSLOOT, KAI GRUNEWALD, AND NEIL PEARSE WITH CARMEN JAMES AND NATACHA CATALINO - All about teams: A new approach to organizational transformation Team-focused transformations can lead to 30 percent efficiency gains in organizations that implement these strategies effectively. According to McKinsey, when it comes to organisational transformations there is a third way beyond the top-down or bottom-up approaches that are typically employed. That is a team-centric approach. Indeed, in their article, Arne Gast, Erik Mandersloot, Kai Grünewald, Neil Pearse, Carmen James, and Natacha (Simon) Catalino reveal that a team-centric approach can lead to 30 percent efficiency gains in organisations that implement these strategies effectively. The article provides guidance on four practical steps to empowering teams and unleashing their potential: (1) Identifying the highest-value teams, (2) Activating the value-creating teams (see FIG 17), (3) Lifting the leaders to support their teams, and; (4) Scaling this approach to more and more teams. FIG 17: Transformation requires collaboration within and across teams throughout the organisation (Source: McKinsey) HR TECH VOICES Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from December that I recommend readers delve into: FRANCISCO MARIN - Unlocking HR Potential with Organizational Network Analysis: Insights from Gartner’s 2025 HR Priorities – Francisco Marin of Cognitive Talent Solutions takes inspiration from Gartner’s Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025 report to highlight the role ONA can play in areas such as change management and leadership development – highlighting a case study by Allstate that is contained in the Gartner report (see FIG 18). FIG 18: Network model for change planning and execution (Source: Gartner) LISA K. SIMON - AI Isn’t Coming for Your Job—Unless You Ignore It – Lisa K. Simon reveals insightful data from Revelio Labs, on the exposure and adoption of different roles to AI. Findings include: (1) High AI exposure is positively correlated with higher salaries: A ten percentage point increase in AI exposure is associated with 25% higher salaries. (2) The higher the AI exposure, the higher the adoption of AI tools (see FIG 19). FIG 19: Data scientists lead the way in AI adoption (Source: Revelio Labs) BEN WIGERT AND COREY TATEL - The Great Detachment: Why Employees Feel Stuck – Ben Wigert, Ph.D, MBA and Corey Tatel, Ph.D. present data from Gallup that finds that employees across the US are increasingly detached from their jobs – hence The Great Detachment – with satisfaction at record lows, employees seeking new opportunities at the highest rate since 2015, but with a cooling job market organisations face risks with regards to productivity and  future talent loss (see FIG 20). FIG 20: Overall satisfaction and intent to leave, among US employees (Source: Gallup) PODCASTS OF THE MONTH In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected five gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below): NICK HUDGELL - AI And Data Governance – Nick Hudgell, Global Head of People Insights at Sanofi, joins hosts Stacia Sherman Garr and Dani Johnson on Workplace Stories, to discuss how his team has built an infrastructure that connects disparate systems, improves data quality, and uses machine learning to unlock insights that genuinely improve employee experiences. LASZLO BOCK - Becoming a Courageous, Data-Driven HR Leader - Laszlo Bock, co-founder of the Berkeley Transformative CHRO Academy joins Lars Schmidt on what looks like the last episode of Redefining Work (for now at least – see here) to share his journey from shaping Google’s data-driven HR practices to mentoring the next generation of CHROs. If it does prove to be the final episode, Lars you certainly went out on top. MARK MA - RTOs: Research-backed Realities and Recommendations - Mark Ma, a research professor at the University of Pittsburgh, joins host Sophie Wade on the Transforming Work podcast to shares his discoveries that stock market declines generated RTO mandates but not improved corporate results. In the episode, he advocates for workplace flexibility – giving choices to employees and teams. ERIN SPENCER AND MACKENZIE WILSON - AI and innovations in HR technology – In this episode of the Capital H podcast, hosts David Mallon and Franz Gilbert sit down with Human Capital analysts Erin Spencer and Mackenzie Wilson to discuss innovative AI solutions emerging in the market from established vendors and agile startups. BRYAN HANCOCK AND BROOKE WEDDLE - What works—and doesn’t—in performance management – In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Bryan Hancock and Brooke Weddle join host Lucia Rahilly to share their research on what drives performance: what motivates employees most, what matters less than you think, and the changes organisations need to make to ensure their feedback, ratings, and review processes are on track. VIDEO OF THE MONTH BRIAN ELLIOTT, LAURIANNE MCLAUGHLIN, AND M. SHAWN READ - RTO Mandates: Hard Truths for Leaders In this video, Brian Elliott, who we featured earlier in the special on hybrid working, discusses the impact of RTO mandates with Laurianne McLaughlin and M. Shawn Read. Brian highlights data and examples that shines a light on return-to-office directives, offers predictions for those companies who have implemented these mandates. He also provides alternative, evidence-based strategies that forward-thinking leaders can use to boost productivity without hurting employee trust, engagement, or talent retention. RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH SHONNA WATERS, ERIN EATOUGH, SHEHZAD BASHIR - People Analytics Across Company Growth Stages: Evolving Your Approach as You Scale In an era where people are at the heart of organizational success, making data-driven talent decisions is no longer optional - it's a strategic imperative. In their white paper, four esteemed experts in people analytics - Shonna Waters, PhD, Erin Eatough, PhD, Shehzad Bashir, and Ian OKeefe, break down how to build and refine people analytics capabilities that grow with your organisation. The authors introduce a practical framework for people analytics based on four pillars - each with its own set of capabilities: Governance (with seven capabilities including strategy, ethics and compliance), Infrastructure (also with seven capabilities such as storage, performance and security), Methods (with eight capabilities including primary research, statistical models and machine learning), and Products (with nine capabilities including metrics, dashboards, and nudges), which they state form the basis for organisations to build and subsequently scale their people analytics function. This is a well-researched, practical and helpful paper. HR Analytics adoption is associated with higher return on investment by an average of 6.2% for return on capital employed BOOK OF THE MONTH KATARINA BERG – Bold: A New Era of Strategic HR Behind every innovative company there should be an innovative HR function. That certainly applies to Spotify and Katarina Berg, the company’s Chief People Officer where being bold is etched into the DNA of the HR function she leads. This is evident in the Spotify HR Blog, and now in Bold, which is finally available in English. As I describe in my endorsement of the book: The pandemic has thrust HR into the spotlight and given the function the opportunity to lead in shaping the new model of work. To do this, HR has to embrace data and digital. It must deliver for leaders and employees alike. Above all, HR must be bold. Spotify’s HR function, under the leadership of Katarina Berg, is setting the template for other to follow. With ‘Bold’, Katarina and her team build on the visionary Spotify HR Blog, providing a rich vein of insights on the practice of a leading-edge HR function and how it delivers value for employees and the business. BONUS RESOURCES Some bonus resources to also consume this month: Andrew Kilshaw provides data, insights and guidance to companies looking to streamline their organisations in Middle Management Is Tough Enough As It Is.... If You're Going to Streamline Your Organization, Do It Right And Give Them "Space to Lead". The latest edition of Gareth Flynn’s consistently excellent newsletter summarises the findings of his research into skills-based approaches to talent management: 2024 Skills Research - You Don't Need to Become a SBO or SPO to Drive Value From Skills. Tejas Kumar provides some helpful guidance on how to grow professional relationships (see FIG 21). Madeline Laurano and Kyle Lagunas provide some helpful guidance on how HR Tech vendors can build better partnerships in 2025. Donald Sull highlights here the excellent series of 'Culture Champions' based on a webinar series and research by Donald and the CultureX team, which features interviews with leaders including Sharon MacBeath, Manny Maceda, Jim Whitehurst, Marvin Boakye, and Katie Burke. Rob Briner provides a cautionary tale about telling stories with data. FIG 21: The Journey to Synergy (Source: Tejas Kumar) FROM MY DESK December saw the final three episodes of Series 43 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by TechWolf (thanks Maaike Standaert, Andreas De Neve ?). MIKAËL WORNOO - How to Use Skills Data to Solve Business Challenges – Mikaël Wornoo? joins me to explore how organisations can move beyond surface-level discussions centred on build a skills-based organisation to drive real business impact. MELISSA DAIMLER - Drive Success Through Intentional and Adaptive Company Cultures – Melissa Daimler, Chief Learning Officer at Udemy and author of ReCulturing: Design Your Company Culture to Connect with Strategy and Purpose for Lasting Success, joins me to share how HR leaders can design company cultures that are intentional, adaptive, and aligned with business goals. CHRISTOPHE CABRERA - How to Navigate Challenges in Skills-Based Transformation Journeys - Christophe Cabrera, Director and Head of IT Talent and Company Reputation at UCB, joins me to share how UCB kicked off its skills transformation with an initial proof-of-concept for 500 employees, how it used AI, and its rollout across additional parts of the company. LOOKING FOR A NEW ROLE IN PEOPLE ANALYTICS OR HR TECH? I’d like to highlight once again the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which now numbers over 550 roles. THANK YOU Oli Meager for including me in his list of HR Tech Analysts you can Trust along with a number of people I really respects such as Stacia Sherman Garr, David Perring, FLPI, Kyle Lagunas, and Dani Johnson Gareth Flynn for posting about the Digital HR Leaders podcast episodes with Sandra Loughlin, PhD and Mikaël Wornoo? as part of sharing his insightful learnings on skills Josh Tarr for also posting about the Digital HR Leaders podcast episodes with Sandra and Mikael here Serena H. Huang, Ph.D. for including Excellence in People Analytics as one of ten books that inspired her to write her first book, The Inclusion Equation, which is published in January 2025 Laureano Pérez Caballero for including Excellence in People Analytics in his selection of five books to give as gifts Thomas Kohler for including the November edition of Data Driven HR Monthly in his list of HR resources Thinkers360 for including me in their list of Top Voices EMEA 2024 Teamflect for including me on their list of leaders redefining HR Paul's Job for including me in their list of Experts Shaping the Future of HR Voxeon Communicationsfor including me in their list of Visionaries redefining the Future of Work Finally, a huge thank you to the following people who either shared the November edition of Data Driven HR Monthly and/or posted about the Digital HR Leaders podcast, conferences or other content. It's much appreciated: Tanguy Dulac Joseph Nabarro Sven Hultin Alan Susi Sibusiso Mkhize Sebastian Knepper Samir Murgude , SPHR®, SHRM-SCP, IHRP-SP Catriona Lindsay Amardeep Singh, MBA Kouros Behzad Matthew Hamilton Ian Grant FCIPD Dave Millner Vijay Patnaik, MBA Kathleen Kruse Danielle Farrell, MA Aravind Warrier Alexis Fink Errol Kruger Jose Luis Chavez Vasquez Marijana Brasiello, MHRM Andrew Pitts Joachim Decock David Simmonds FCIPD Dr. Jeeta Sarkar Maximilian Lankheit Chris Long Maria Alice Jovinski Felipe Jara David McLean Danielle Bushen Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP-SP, SHRM-SCP, CIPD) Lukasz Sowinski Geetanjali Gamel Timo Tischer Henrik Håkansson Serena H. Huang, Ph.D. Sander de Bruijn, Kristin Saboe, Ph.D. Giovanna Constant Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA Russ Fatum BS, BS, MSA, MBB, PMP Ekta Lall Mittal Luis Maria Cravino Sameer Raut Chandresh Natu Praful Tickoo Ron Ben Oz Emanuele Magrone Laurent Reich Scott Nemeth Chris Lovato Philippa Penfold FCIPD Gal Mozes, PhD Christina Bui Matt Burns Bhawna Bist Melissa Hopper Fritz Rex Blodgett Delia Majarín Asaf Jackoby Joonghak Lee Jaejin Lee Mark Lawrence Kimberly Rose Mariami Lolashvili Malgorzata Langlois Irene Wong Kelly Monahan, Ph.D. Doug Chartier Sophia Huang, Ed.D. Caitie Jacobson Roxanne Bisby Davis Hanna Salo Toon van der Veer David Littlechild Jeff Wellstead Pedro Pereira Dr. Sebastian Projahn Melissa Arronte Linda Jonas John Healy Greg Pryor Kristina Kersiene, PhD Kris Saling Dr Philip Gibbs John Golden, Ph.D. Irada Sadykhova Dolapo (Dolly) Oyenuga, Phil Inskip Joseph Frank, PhD CCP GWCCM Lina Makneviciute Alexandra Nawrat John Brazier Marcela Mury Jacob Nielsen Søren Kold Lucie Vottova Stephanie Murphy, Ph.D. John Gunawan Gawain Wang Dave Fineman Craig Starbuck, PhD Ralf Buechsenschuss Bob Pulver Daniel Ivezaj Nico Orie Greg Newman Brandon Mistry Elizabeth Esarove Julia Brandon, PhD Evan Franz, MBA Erik Otteson Higor Gomes Ken Clar Ruben Santos Dr. Peter Schulz-Rittich Mattijs Mol Tina Peeters, PhD Tim Peffers Ludek Stehlik, Ph.D. Abhilash Bodanapu Mukesh Jain Ohad Geron Jonathon Frampton ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Green ?? is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021.
    Hybrid Work
    2024年12月29日
  • Hybrid Work
    12 Opportunities for HR in 2025: Thriving People, Thriving Organisation This quote, most commonly attributed to Sun Tzu, aptly captures the essence of the 2020s as we reach the halfway point of what has been a turbulent decade thus far. The chaos element has been to the fore with a global pandemic, geopolitical tension, and economic uncertainty leading to an increasingly complex and volatile business environment. Sprinkle in the rapid advances in technology and artificial intelligence, then it’s not hard to see why 45% of CEOs believe their company will not be viable in ten years if it stays on its current trajectory (1). Here comes the opportunity element. For the HR profession, there’s a strong case to be made this perfect storm has accelerated the transformation of the field from a support function to a strategic partner to the C-suite and the board. Josh Bersin argues that the chief people officer may now be the most important C-suite role of them all (2). Certainly, the opening words of Deloitte’s latest Global Human Capital Trends report encapsulates that many of the major challenges organisations face have people topics at their heart (3): We’re operating in a world where work is no longer defined by jobs, the workplace is no longer a specific place, many workers are no longer traditional employees, and human resources is no longer a siloed function Herein lies the opportunity for chief people officers: to align people strategy, analytics and technology to enable company growth, lead transformation both for the business and the function, act as the steward for ethical AI (4), and upskill HR professionals. Thriving people, thriving organisation. During the 10+ years I’ve been publishing this annual look at the year ahead, it has evolved from a framing of predictions or trends to opportunities, given that much of what follows will likely take years to play out. As ever, the 2025 opportunities are informed by the research and work we do at Insight222 (5), interviews with guests on the Digital HR Leaders podcast (6), conversations with leaders in the field and market analysis. References are numbered throughout, and a comprehensive list with links is included at the end. Get involved – what should opportunities #11 and #12 be? Readers may note that the title and accompanying image indicate 12 opportunities, whereas only ten are outlined. That is because – as was the case in previous years - I’m keen to crowdsource the final two opportunities from readers. What other opportunities should be included? Please let me know in the comments section below, and I’ll add my favourite two to an updated version in January. THE 2025 OPPORTUNITIES FOR HR Ten opportunities for HR to realise in 2025… 1. Cultivating the thriving organisation Ask not what your people can do for you, but ask instead what you can do for your people A 2024 study by McKinsey estimates that the total global opportunity for optimising employee health and wellbeing could be up to $11.7 trillion (7). Numerous studies, including by Oxford University, find a strong positive relationship between employee wellbeing and firm financial performance (8). Indeed, according to Accenture, companies that take a people-centric approach could create $10.3 trillion in economic value (9). When people thrive, organisations thrive. Yet, employee burnout levels remain at an all-time high (10, 11). This presents an opportunity for HR to flip the script and, to paraphrase President John F. Kennedy, ask not what your people can do for you, but ask instead what you can do for your people. By focusing on creating value for employees and helping them to thrive, companies can create a virtuous cycle whereby employee outcomes enhance organisational outcomes and vice-versa (12, 13). For example, one PwC study found that making investments in 11 key areas of employee experience can yield savings equivalent to 12.6% of revenues (14). While Deloitte reports that the organisations that score highest on treatment of their workforce had a 2.2% higher five-year return on equity (15). Reimagining work as a product (16), becoming a listening organisation focused on turning employee feedback into action (17), as well as using people analytics to measure how wellbeing, purpose, learning, and attrition connect to business outcomes (18, 19), are three ways to create value. If successful in this mission, HR could elevate the function from its traditional role as a cost centre to a true value creation centre, while creating a fairer, healthier, and more humane organisation (20). What could be a bigger and better opportunity than that? An organization that views its employees as its most important resource can maximize its return on talent (21) FIG 1: Thriving stars have an outsize influence on organisations (Source: McKinsey) 2. Transforming HR into a strategic partner The CHRO must transform the HR team, moving from the “service delivery” model to an HR team of consultants, problem-solvers, and analysts. (22) With CEOs increasingly demanding more from HR and with data and AI enabling the transformation of HR into a more strategic, value-added and insight-driven function (23, 24), chief people officers have the opportunity to elevate HR from its traditional role as a support function into a true strategic partner (25). Six areas to consider are: i) Rethinking the HR operating model. Nearly two-thirds of companies have done so in the past two years (26). There’s certainly no shortage advice (27 – see FIG 2, 28, 29, 30). ii) Putting people analytics at the right-hand of the CHRO.Our research at Insight222 finds that a strong connection with the people analytics leader together with combining people strategy and analytics enhances the credibility and impact of the CHRO with the board (31, 32), as does embedding it as part of the HR service model (33). iii) Reimagining key HR roles and processes through automation toincrease the focus on high-value strategic work (34, 35). iv) Prioritising high-impact use cases for deploying AI across HR programs and the employee lifecycle (36, 37). v) Identifying future skills and capabilities of HR professionals together with a strategy to close any gaps. vi) Leading on the development of ethical and responsible AI policies and enablement programs (38) – and never forgetting the ‘H’ in HR. FIG 2: Assessment of Ten Dimensions of HR Effectiveness (Source: The RBL Group) 3. Setting the agents to work We're using AI in three broad categories: recommendations, assistants, and agents. This is transforming our HR function. (39) The topic du jour is agentic AI – the next frontier of generative AI (40). Gartner predicts that by 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024 (41). Josh Bersin believes that agentic AI will change the HR tech stack and make our HR roles easier (42, 43). The likes of SAP (Joule), Workday (Illuminate) and ServiceNow (AI Agents) have already launched tools (44). Early use cases in HR are also emerging such as HiRO, a digital worker, IBM has used to save 50,000 hours in its quarterly promotion process (45, 46). From what I’ve learned in the last few months (and I’m still learning about this too), agentic AI – in essence a shift from Large Language Models to Large Action Models - provides a huge opportunity to rapidly accelerate HR’s progress from support function to strategic partner. Some suggestions for chief people officers to prepare: i) stay informed with the latest developments by keeping in touch with your peers, enterprise and HR tech partners, ii) identify and prioritise potential use cases, iii) upskill and prepare your team, iv) double down on ethics, privacy and responsible AI (47, 48, 49). One additional recommendation is to engage your people analytics team. Our research at Insight222 identified that AI strategy for the HR function is increasingly coming under the auspices of the people analytics leader (50). Moreover, this is also seeing the people analytics leader in some companies taking on a wider portfolio for disciplines such as HR tech and digital transformation, people strategy and operations (51, 52, 53). FIG 3: A System of Agents (Source: Foundation Capital) 4. Elevating hybrid from where to how What we need isn’t an office mandate—it’s a ‘collaboration mandate.’ (54) There’s still too much focus on where people work rather than how work gets done. Despite executives being 3x more likely to say the how is more important (55). Indeed, with more than 90% of companies having hybrid workers (56) and with employees working remotely on average more than 25% of the time (57) it’s time to elevate the conversation from an office to a collaboration mandate (58). HR has an opportunity to lead the redesign of work through conducting experiments and collecting data to learn how work is getting done, and how employees are feeling (59). The shift to hybrid has been one of the key factors driving growth in people analytics (60). The body of published research is growing with several studies finding that in comparison to their fully in-person or remote colleagues, hybrid workers have higher wellbeing (61), engagement (62) and retention but no difference in collaboration and innovation (63). Additional research provides guidance on when in-person matters (64), making the office a magnet not a mandate (65), cultivating culture (66), fostering trust (67), and focusing on outcomes (68 – FIG 4) including broadening how we measure productivity (69). Hybrid is here to stay, so let’s make hybrid work – for companies, and for workers – and let’s follow the science rather than the headlines (70). FIG 4: Focus on Productivity, Not Physical Presence (Source: Brian Elliott) 5. Investing in a people analytics “A Team” In “A” Teams, people analytics is embedded in the people strategy. “A” Teams regularly and dynamically prioritise their work according to the needs of the C-suite and the business agenda (71) People analytics is now widely acknowledged as an organisational imperative (72), with chief people officers recognising that they need data and insights to gain traction with the board (73). Recent studies by Deloitte (74), Josh Bersin (75) and PwC (76), as well as our own fifth annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends study (77), all show significant growth in people analytics. Yet, together, they also highlight that most organisations are still only scratching the surface of what is possible. Only 10% of the 348 companies that participated in the Insight222 study are defined as “A” Teams (see FIG 4). Our research – and experience of working directly with over 100 organisations through the Insight222 People Analytics Program® – finds virtually all “A” Teams play a key role in defining the people strategy and effectively align their work to the most important business priorities accordingly (78), echoing other studies (79, 80). Additionally, chief people officers can realise more value with people analytics by focusing on: i) Improving the adoption and consumption of people data and insights by employees and managers. ii) Using intelligent automation to personalise analytics solutions. iii) Measuring the value of people analytics, working closely with finance (81). Success istarts with the right people analytics leader (82), who should be executive influencers, consultants, storytellers and marketeers. The role of the people analytics leader continues to evolve, and chief people officers should carefully consider the type of leader they need (83, 84). People analytics - and the ability to drive actions with insights – is the silver thread to unlock and realise all the opportunities outlined in this article, and a critical element of the drive to make HR more evidence-based (85). Remember, as Jonathan Ferrar and I wrote in our book, Excellence in People Analytics: People Analytics is not about HR. People Analytics is about the business (86, 87). FIG 5: Insight222 Leading Companies in People Analytics model (Source: Insight222) 6. Making workforce planning strategic Strategic workforce planning is a perennial challenge. Although the core principles are not new, the urgency to act has increased, and the availability of data-driven insights has changed the competitive landscape (88) Strategic workforce planning (SWP) is essentially a systematic and data-led approach for an organisation to ensure it has the right workforce to achieve its business objectives (89). With the speed and extent of change arising from the fifth industrial revolution, talent shortages and the shift to skills, SWP has arguably never been so important. It is consistently cited as a top three priority for people leaders (90, 91), a challenge compounded by studies suggesting that only 15% of organisations currently practice SWP (92). Our research at Insight222 finds a growing number of companies – 50% in a 2024 study - combine SWP with people strategy and analytics (93). These companies are more successful in connecting their SWP activities to their business priorities (94), have a better view of their future talent needs, and the strategies to close any gaps (95). Four other steps to increase success with SWP are: i) Aligning SWP efforts with business strategy (96, 97 – see example from Merck Group in FIG 6) including prioritising business critical roles and skills (98); ii) Bringing together people, business and external data to get the full picture (99); iii) Connecting SWP to other talent capabilities such as internal mobility, recruiting and learning (100); and, iv) Measuring the impact of workforce planning activities and linking these to business outcomes (101). FIG 6: How Merck prioritises SWP needs by relevance and actionability (Source: Gartner) 7. Orchestrating skills for Impact A cultural shift to skills-first approaches needs both sponsorship from executives and governance from human-resources professionals (102) While ‘skills’ has been an opportunity for HR for several years, the topic continues to gather momentum. Skills gaps and shortages are one of the most pressing concerns for companies (103). Rapid advances in technology only exacerbate the challenge (104), with 44% of workers’ skills expected to be disrupted by 2028 (105) and reskilling workers a primary objective for many companies (106). Consequently, one study reports that 90% of companies are experimenting with a skills-based approach (107). Why? Because becoming skills-based can lead to greater agility, resilience, and flexibility in the face of rapid change (108). EPAM, which has adopted a skills-based approach for 30 years, believes it catalyses its business agility and enables the company to attract, develop and retain some of the best tech talent in a highly competitive market (109). Meanwhile, Standard Chartered has generated over 1,700 gigs and $6m of productivity from its initial talent marketplace pilot in India (110, 111) and has also calculated that reskilling and redeploying internal talent generates a saving of $49,000 per role versus hiring externally (112). We are continually learning more about what drives success in this space including at companies such as Ericsson (113), J&J (114, 115), IBM (116), Google (117), Mastercard (118) and Lloyds Banking Group (119). Some steps to consider: i) Do your homework – shifting to a skills-based approach is not cheap or easy, make sure there is a business problem to solve (120, 121, 122 – see FIG 7). ii) Experiment – a skills-based approach will likely not be right for every role in your company. Focus on critical roles, start with a pilot and an executive sponsor (123). iii) Focus on data quality – data is the foundation on which your skills initiative will succeed or fail (124). iv) Get your people analytics team involved – our research at Insight222 finds that 50% of people analytics teams are supporting their company in becoming skills-based (125). v) Communicate the value and use skills as the glue to connect recruiting, learning, mobility, compensation and workforce planning together. FIG 7: Skills-based talent management strategy, business outcomes can guide your actions (Source: Gartner) 8. Turning up the volume on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging The backlash against DEI is out of sync with the opinions held by the most important set of stakeholders: your employees (126) Some companies – particularly in the US – are backtracking on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) even inexplicably decided to drop the ‘E’ from its IED framework, despite this flying in the face of years of research on DEI in the workplace (127, 128). This is an opportunity for HR to lead the fightback and protect the networks of people engaged in DEI work (129). It was certainly good to hear L’Oreal CHRO Jean Claude Le Grand on the main stage at UNLEASH declare that “DEI is not a trend. DEI is part of our DNA (130).” In 2025, despite fears about what Trump’s second term could mean for DEI (131), let’s hope we hear more chief people officers – especially those based in the US – making similar declarations, and backing it up with action. They will be helping their companies if they do. Firstly, because DEI programs are getting more popular with employees, not less (132) and help organisations attract, retain and engage talent (133). Secondly, research finds DEI, particularly at the leadership level, is connected to financial performance, innovation, and societal impact (134). Thirdly, incorporating DEI practices into core business planning can provide a competitive edge (135). People analytics has an important role to play in measuring DEI efforts and connecting them to outcomes (136) including using advanced analytics to get deeper insights on belonging (137), inclusion (138) and psychological safety (139). Indeed, our own research at Insight222 finds, for the fourth consecutive year, that DEI is one of the top three areas where people analytics is adding the most business value (140). While some companies pause or roll back their DEI programs, those that stay the course and redouble their efforts will drive organisational performance. So, let’s turn up the volume to maximum on DEI in 2025 and beyond. FIG 8: The business case for diversity on executive teams and financial outperformance 9. Advancing social capital If ‘human capital’ is about what an individual knows, ‘social capital’ is about how well positioned that individual is to use what they know to get work done. Social capital represents the next frontier for HR in gaining a deeper understanding of what drives individual, team and organisational effectiveness. As Michael Arena explains, if ‘human capital’ is about what an individual knows, ‘social capital’ is about how well positioned that individual is to use what they know to get work done. (141). The study of social capital is not new. Indeed, the likes of Arena and Rob Cross have been doing this work for decades – and specialist firms such as Worklytics, Cognitive Talent Solutions, Polinode and Innovisor have grown by specialising in this field. But like a lot of the 2025 opportunities presented here, a combination of the pandemic, the rise of distributed and hybrid work, and advances in technology mean that the need for analysing social capital and the ability to do so have increased dramatically. We can see this in the passive element of employee listening programs, which enables organisations to combine active data from surveys with passive data to understand the impact of topics such as hybrid working, meetings, and focus time on outcomes such as wellbeing, collaboration, innovation, productivity and attrition (142,143,144,145,146, 147, 148). Other use cases for network data exist to support work around topics as diverse as: M&A (149), performance (150), DEIB (151, 152), skills mapping (153), team effectiveness (154) and the identification of key influencers (155). For those looking to get started with a pilot, I recommend identifying a specific business problem to solve, getting a business sponsor, keeping the scope manageable, involving your IT and privacy team (and works council if appropriate), and considering partnering with a vendor (156). FIG 9: Organization network analysis can help uncover collaboration within an organization (Source: Deloitte) 10. Enabling the HR professional of the future 41% of chief people officers wish they had had greater depth in people analytics prior to assuming their roles (157) If HR is to become a true strategic partner to the business, then we must upskill ourselves, focusing on developing competencies that create value (158, 159). Chief people officers need to invest in attracting and developing HR professionals with the vision, agility and business acumen to navigate an everchanging landscape, raising the technology and analytical expertise of the function (160). Let’s take one area where the function needs to upskill that I know well from the work we do at Insight222 around improving the data literacy of HR professionals (161). Our research highlights five key skills to elevate data of literacy for HR: i) consulting, ii) influencing stakeholders, iii) interpreting data, iv) building recommendations from insights, and v) storytelling (162). While there has been steady progress with 58% of companies (163) now saying they have a data driven culture in HR (up from 42% in 2021), there is still some way to go – and the opportunities afforded by AI make it even more important for HR professionals to acquire these skills. Tellingly, this is an area of development for senior HR leaders too with 41% of chief people officers wishing they had had greater depth in people analytics prior to assuming their roles (164). With Insight222 research also finding that role-modelling of people data and analytics by the chief people officer and HR leadership team is paramount for the improvement of data literacy across the HR function overall (165), this is an opportunity that chief people officers can ill afford to squander. The HR function will continue to evolve with new roles emerging (166). We need to take the ethos of continuous learning that we advocate for the rest of the organisation and apply it to ourselves in HR. FIG 10: Example of a learning journey Insight222 delivers to HR leaders, BPs and professionals (see here) FIG 11: 13 HR Jobs of the Future (Source: Jeanne Meister) References (1) PwC 27th Annual Global CEO Survey: Thriving in an age of continuous reinvention (PwC 2024) (2) Josh Bersin Why Is It So Hard To Be A Chief HR Officer (CHRO)? (Josh Bersin 2024) (3) 2024 Global Human Capital Trends: Thriving beyond boundaries – Human performance in a boundaryless world (Deloitte 2024) (4) Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA Miriam Daucher Alexandra Zea - The future of human resources: Who will care for the human at work? 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Thomas-Hunt, How DEI Can Survive This Era of Backlash (Harvard Business Review, 2024) (130) David Green ??, Key Learnings from Unleash World 2024 (LinkedIn, 2024) (131) Kenji Yoshino, David Glasgow, and Christina Joseph, What Trump’s Second Term Could Mean for DEI (Harvard Business Review, 2024) (132) Elliott (see reference 126) (133) BCG, It’s Time to Highlight the Business Opportunity of DEI Initiatives (BCG, 2024) (134) Dame Vivian Hunt, Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle, Celia Huber, Maria del Mar Martinez, Sara Prince, and Ashley Thomas - Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact (McKinsey, 2023) (135) Quinetta Roberson, How Integrating DEI Into Strategy Lifts Performance (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2024) (136) Lily Zheng, To Make Lasting Progress on DEI, Measure Outcomes (Harvard Business Review, 2023) (137) Shujaat Ahmad, Real Measures that Matter for Real Change on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) (Belong & Lead, 2024) (138) Serena H. Huang, Ph.D., DEI Funding Cuts? You Need Data Analytics and AI More Than Ever (LinkedIn, 2024) (139) Henrik Bresman and Amy Edmondson, Research: To Excel, Diverse Teams Need Psychological Safety (Harvard Business Review, 2022) (140) Ferrar et al (see reference 71) (141) Michael Arena, Leveraging Social Capital (HR Exchange Network, 2018) (142) Klinghoffer et al (see reference 64) (143) Rob Cross, Mike Benson, Jack Kostal, PhD, and RJ Milnor, Collaboration Overload is Sinking Productivity (Harvard Business Review, 2021) (144) Arena et al (see reference 66) (145) Michael Arena, Adaptive Space (McGraw Hill, 2018) (146) Rob Cross, Beyond Collaboration Overload (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021) (147) Rob Cross and Karen Dillon, The Microstress Effect (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023) (148) Michael Arena and David Green ??, What the Impact of Distributed Work on Organisational Networks Tells Us About the Future of Talent Management, (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2024) (149) Francisco Marin, 5 Ways ONA Creates Value in Mergers and Acquisitions, (LinkedIn, 2020) (150) Maya Bodan, Don Miller, Susan Cantrell, Gary Parilis, and Carissa Kilgour, Harnessing organization network analysis (ONA): Measure workforce performance and optimize strategies (Deloitte, 2024) (151) Inga Carboni, Andrew Parker, and Nan Langowitz, Mapping Exclusion in the Organization (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2021) (152) Jonathan Ferrar and David Green ??, How Can Passive ONA Highlight the Impact of Relationships on Diversity and Inclusion? (MyHRfuture, 2021) (153) Lee (see reference 121) (154) Michael Arena and Philip Arkcoll, Enabling High-Velocity Teams (HR Exchange Network, 2024) (155) Jeppe Vilstrup Hansgaard, How to Rethink Change with the Three Percent Rule (Innovisor, 2019) (156) Manish Goel and David Green ??, The Role of Network Analytics (ONA) in Ensuring Team Collaboration and Well Being (myHRfuture, 2020) (157) Jonathan Gordin, Shari Chernack, Karen Shellenback, and Yamile Bruzza, Evolving the CHRO role in a rapidly changing world of work (Mercer 2023) (158) Dave Ulrich, Update on HR Business Partner Model Continuing Evolution and Relevance (LinkedIn, 2024) (159) Dave Ulrich, Patrick Wright, Mike Ulrich, Erin Wilson Burns, Do you want to be more effective as an HR professional? Here’s how (The RBL Group, 2021) (160) Chernack and Gordin (see reference 67) (161) Insight222 Building a Data-Driven Culture in HR, Immersive Learning Experiences, (Insight222, 2024) (162) Naomi Verghese, Jonathan Ferrar - Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale (Insight222, 2023) (163) Ferrer et al (see reference 71) (164) Gordin et al (see reference 157) (165) Naomi Verghese Why is Role-modelling by the CHRO and HRLT Essential for Building Data Literacy in HR? (myHRfuture, 2023) (166) Jeanne C M. 13 HR jobs of the future (HR Executive, 2024) A selection of other 2025 HR predictions, opportunities and trends There are a plethora of other resources documenting predictions, opportunities and trends for HR and the future of work in 2025 including (in alphabetical order): Alexandra Nawrat, Five New Year’s resolutions for HR leaders in 2025 Andrew Spence, Beyond Prediction: Shaping Your Work Story in an Uncertain World - Andrew walks through seven dominant narratives on the Future of Work - from 'Dataism' to the 'Singularity' via 'Job Destruction.' Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor Worklife Trends 2025 - includes data showing that Gen Z will make up 1 in 10 managers in 2025. Gartner, Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025 The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), 2025 Priorities & Predictions Jen Colletta, 5 CHROs share what’s topping their 2025 HR strategy agenda - includes Melissa Werneck highlighting the HR's role as the ambassador for the responsible implementation of generative AI at work. LinkedIn, Global Talent Trends Dr. Solange Charas and Stela Lupushor, Crystal Balls and Cold Reality: HR Predictions for 2025 Steve Hunt, A guide to HR predictions, trends, and forecasts Visier Inc., Embracing the AI Driven Workforce: 5 Workforce Trends for 2025 Unlock the potential of your people analytics function through the Insight222 People Analytics Program ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Green ?? is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021. MEET ME AT THESE EVENTS I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in early 2025: January 21 - People Analytics in Italy: Insights from Research and Practice with Martha Curioni and Aizhan Tursunbayeva, PhD, GRP (VIRTUAL - Register here) January 23 - The Strategic Outlook for People Analytics in 2025 with Ian Cook and Dawn Klinghoffer (WEBINAR - Register here) February 26-27 - People Analytics World, Zürich April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London More events will be added as they are confirmed.
    Hybrid Work
    2024年12月19日
  • Hybrid Work
    The best HR & People Analytics articles of October 2024 Never forget what the ‘H’ in HR stands for... This was the unanimous advice of the CEO panel, skilfully moderated by Charles-Henri Besseyre des Horts, at the recent Unleash World show in Paris, where I had the privilege of being emcee of the Main Stage. One of the main themes that emerged from the show (see my key learnings from Unleash) is that HR continues to make significant progress in its journey from support function to strategic partner. To complete this transition, HR must embrace data (as opening keynote Peter Hinssen put it: “You can’t connect the dots, if you don’t collect the dots”). Moreover, as I said in my opening words: HR can’t lead the charge on AI, skills and new ways of working, if it doesn’t upskill itself. This edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly is sponsored by our friends at Visier Pay Equity: A Critical Workforce Challenge You Can No Longer Ignore. According to a recent study by The Josh Bersin Company on pay equity, as it stands today, the gender pay gap won't close until 2048. Even worse: progress in some areas is slowing with less than 5% of companies excelling in pay equity despite it having 13 times the impact on employee experience compared to pay levels. Read the report. The report, “The Surprising Truth about Gender Pay Equity”., examines: The current state of gender pay equity Barriers companies face in addressing pay The projected timeline for closing the gender pay gap Examples of companies implementing strategies to achieve pay equity It’s time to face the challenge head-on, embed pay equity into everyday practices, and have informed conversations about compensation. Get the report. Visier gives you a Workforce AI Edge: the set of AI-powered capabilities every leader needs to confidently navigate an exponentially more challenging business environment. October road report October was a busy month. It started in New York, where I moderated a panel on Workestration at the NY Strategic HR Analytics Meetup Group before co-chairing the first People Analytics World to take place in the US. The next stop was Paris, for the aforementioned UNLEASH World, which had over 7,000 attendees. Finally, it was back to the US for a Peer Meeting for North American members of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®, which was hosted by Phil Wilburn and his team at Workday. For more on People Analytics World, I recommend reading takeaways from Craig Starbuck, PhD (here), Al Adamsen (here), Christopher Cerasoli (here), Lore Muraina, PMP, PMI-ACP, CPP (here), Lydia Wu (here), and Melissa Arronte (here). Thanks to Barry Swales for entrusting me to co-chair with Michael M. Moon, PhD. For more on Unleash, read my key learnings, as well as checking out the Unleash site for articles by Alexandra Nawrat, John Brazier and Lucy Buchholz. A huge thank you to Marc Coleman, Paige Richmond, Zoltán Kőváry and the whole Unleash team – it was a joy to work with you all again. A huge thank you too to Phil Willburn and the Workday team for hosting the Insight222 Peer Meeting at Pleasanton, as well as the speakers at the Peer Meeting: Shannon Vallina, Kanwal Safdar, Dr. Sebastian Projahn, Ashley Goldsmith, Rex Blodgett, Kun Gu, Victoria Holland, Greta Stahl, Kinnari Desai, Sven Linsmaier Finally, thanks as well to Stela Lupushor for inviting me to chair the panel on Workestration, Anna A. Tavis, PhD for hosting us at NYU, and Annie Dean, Brydie Lear and Chris Butler for making it such a rich conversation. Attendees at the Insight222 Peer Meeting for members of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, hosted by Workday, October 22-23, 2024 Sign-up to receive the 5th annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends research report The 5th Annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends study will be released on December 2. The report, which is informed by a survey of 340 participating organisations, will uncover how AI, data democratisation, and impactful people analytics strategies drive business value and elevate workforce decision-making. You can pre-register to receive the report on the day of release here or by clicking on the image below. Share the love! Enjoy reading the collection of resources for October and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on September’s compendium. If you enjoy a weekly dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is published every Tuesday – subscribe here. HYBRID, GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK ERIC ANICICH AND DART LINDSLEY - Reimagining Work as a Product If companies listen to employees the way they do customers, they can increase retention and engagement. In their Harvard Business Review article, Eric Anicich and Dart Lindsley challenge the traditional approaches to employee experience by painting a vision where work is viewed as a product employers offer to employees. Drawing on Clayton Christensen’s the jobs to be done theory, they suggest that employees ‘hire’ their jobs to fulfil specific needs, much as customers choose products. This perspective shifts the focus from maximising productivity to something akin to customer satisfaction. The authors share examples from a myriad of companies including Asana, Eli Lilly, Shopify and Dropbox, explain how companies can better balance company needs with employee satisfaction (see FIG 1), and discuss the merits of splitting the manager role in two (see also ‘Managers Can’t Do It All’ by Lynda Gratton and Diane Gherson). Finally, the article examines four challenges of implementing the model: (1) Changing HR (“Work-as-a-product requires a new HR mindset”). (2) Balancing employee preferences and organisational needs. (3) Maintaining flexibility and fairness. (4) Aligning incentives. FIG 1: Balancing company needs with employee satisfaction (Source: Anicich and Lindsley) NICHOLAS BLOOM, JAMES LIANG, AND RUOBING HAN - One Company A/B Tested Hybrid Work. Here’s What They Found With Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently announcing that Amazon is going back to five days in the office: “to further strengthen our culture and teams”, this article by Nick Bloom, James Liang, and Ruobing Han based on A/B testing at Trip.com into different work modes makes for very interesting reading. The experiment involved 1600 employees being split into two groups. The first group worked five days a week in the office, with the second working three days in the office and two days a week at home. Over a two-year period, the experiment found no differences between the two groups in productivity, performance, promotion, learning or innovation. However, the study found that the hybrid group experienced higher satisfaction and lower attrition rates compared with their colleagues who worked exclusively from the office (see FIG 2). This reduction in turnover saved millions of dollars in recruiting and training costs, thereby increasing profits for the company. As the article explains, organisations can learn several valuable lessons from this study to implement a successful hybrid work model: (1) Establishing rigorous performance management systems, (2) Coordinating team or company-level hybrid schedules, (3) Securing support from firm leadership, and (4) A/B test their own management practices to find what works best for them. Our results showed that under a hybrid-work policy, Trip.com was able to generate millions of dollars of profits by reducing expensive attrition without any impact on performance, innovation, or productivity. FIG 2: Source: Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance MICHAEL ARENA AND PHILIP ARKCOLL - The collaboration mandate: Does returning to the office improve innovation? What we need isn’t an office mandate—it’s a “collaboration mandate.” Shifting our focus from where we work to how we work could unlock the innovation we’re seeking. In all the hullabaloo of return to office mandates, there’s still too much focus on where employees work rather than how they collaborate. As Michael Arena and Philip Arkcoll write in their excellent article, dragging employees back into the office won’t magically spark innovation. Instead of an office mandate, they advocate for a “collaboration mandate”. The article explains how innovation is generated through three critical phases of collaboration: (1) Discovery (“the generation of new ideas and insights, often benefiting from the intentional bridging of connections and in-person interactions”), (2) Development (“transforming those ideas into viable solutions, where the focused team interactions of experimentation and rapid iteration are essential. It also requires an environment with minimal distraction for focused concentration.” – see FIG 3) and (3) Scaling (“the process of implementing solutions across the organization, which requires more deliberate interactions with key influencers to ensure widespread adoption and buy-in.”). The article examines the impact of remote and in-person on each stage, and provides guidance on practices to improve collaboration in each. For more, I recommend listening to Michael on a recent episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast with me: What the Impact of Distributed Work on Organisational Networks Tells Us About the Future of Talent Management. FIG 3: High levels of focus, such as 4.4 hours daily versus a low focus level of 2.7 hours, significantly drive productivity in development (Source: Worklytics) https://youtu.be/-giwBOuYwio BCG - Five Must-Haves for Effective AI Upskilling Embedding AI in daily tasks at all levels creates a network effect: the more people use and understand it, the more the entire organization gains in knowledge, innovation, and efficiency. Upskilling its workforce on AI helps a company maximise its investments in the technology and equips it with a competitive edge. In a new study by BCG, Hean-Ho Loh, Vinciane Beauchene, Vladimir Lukic, and Rajiv Shenoy provide guidance on five actions to help achieve this: (1) Assess needs and measure outcomes (the article recommends using the Kirkpatrick method). (2) Prepare workers for change - individually, at the team level, and organisation-wide. (3) Introduce appropriate incentives to unlock employees’ willingness to learn (e.g. nudges). (4) Position the C-suite at the forefront of adoption and training initiatives. (5) Use AI tools and the network effect to upskill people on AI (see FIG 4). FIG 4: AI learning and support tools fall into four categories (Source: BCG) KAI HAHN | INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE LEADERS ALLIANCE - AI & The Future of Work Within People Analytics’ transformation into a strategic business partner the advance of AI is shaping up as an accelerator if used to drive business outcomes Kai Hahn presents the results of a comprehensive study by the Intelligent Enterprise Leaders Alliance on the state of AI adoption in HR and people analytics. The report features a stellar list of contributors including: Arianna Huffington, Dave Ulrich, Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Amit Mohindra, Nicole Lettich, Kalifa Oliver, Ph.D. and Alim A. Dhanji. Key findings include: (1) Talent Acquisition is at the forefront of embracing AI tools with 70% currently piloting/leveraging AI, followed by People Analytics and L&D with 65%. (2) Priorities for People Analytics in the next 6-12 months with AI are first and foremost automating HR operations. (3) The biggest barrier to adoption is resistance to change, ahead of skills gaps, challenges with data quality and security, privacy and trust, and ethical concerns and bias. FIG 5: Where organisations are leveraging AI in HR (Source: IELA) PEOPLE ANALYTICS JAAP VELDKAMP - Positioning People Analytics into the HR Service Model: A Path to Sustainable Impact Embedding People Analytics within the HR Service Model is essential for creating a lasting and meaningful impact. In his thoughtful article, Jaap Veldkamp, Global Head of People Analytics and Organisational Effectiveness at ABN AMRO, provides guidance on how people analytics should be positioned within the broader HR service model. Jaap provides a simplified view of the HR operating model (see FIG 6), which has three components: (1) Identifying needs. (2) Prioritising needs. (3) Executing and evaluating strategies. He then describes how the key capabilities of ABN AMRO’s people analytics function (Dashboarding and reporting, Employee listening, Data science and research, Organisational effectiveness, and Consulting) flow through the HR service model. As Jaap highlights: “the overall aim is to ensure that the capabilities of the People Analytics team are part of every step in the HR Service Model.” FIG 6: Simplified HR Service Model (Source: Jaap Veldkamp) RICHARD ROSENOW - From Data to Strategy: The New Role of Workforce Systems Leaders in Transforming HR Without a Workforce Systems Leader, these decisions fall to the CHRO, pulling them into day-to-day inter-functional debates when they should focus on the strategic vision In Insight222’s recent study, Building the People Analytics Ecosystem, we identified three types of people analytics leader that are emerging as the people analytics operating model continues to evolve. One of these – the Portfolio Analytics leader – has similarities to a trend identified by Richard Rosenow in his new white paper for One Model. The findings are based on more than 40 HR teams hiring a Workforce Systems Leader combining people strategy, operations, technology, data and analytics (see FIG 7). In the paper, Richard covers: (1) Key challenges in people analytics – how the role of people analytics often extends far beyond their original role description. (2) Mastering the People Data Supply Chain – highlighting the essential steps to building a robust people analytics function. (3) The emergence of Workforce Systems Leaders. Read a preview in Richard’s LinkedIn post and download the full paper here. FIG 7: The role of a Workforce Systems Leader (Source: One Model) SCOTT ROGERS - People Analytics & HRBPs - Navigating the art of imperfect collaboration | ALDAR NIKOLAEV - People Analytics Recipes: Advancing Employee Turnover Story P.1 | RALF BUECHSENSCHUSS - Becoming a data-driven (HR) organization - Leveraging generative AI to democratize data and insights | PETER MEYLER – How much time do People Analytics teams spend on reporting vs. analytics? | PATRICK COOLEN – The Four Faces of People Analytics | YUYAN SUN - 5 Ways to Use AI in People Analytics Everyday In each edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly, I feature a collection of articles by current and recent people analytics leaders. These are intended to act as a spur and inspiration to the field. Six are highlighted in this month’s edition. (1) Having worked in both domains, Scott Rogers is well-qualified to explore the dynamics of the HRBP-People Analytics relationship. He presents a framework identifying the key focus areas for people analytics leaders (e.g. championing HR operational excellence) and HRBPs (e.g. engaging with and advocating for people analytics). (2) Aldar Nikolaev provides a practical guide on how to analyse and visualise employee turnover and conduct scenario planning (see FIG 8). (3) Ralf Buechsenschuss offers a practical guide – including videos – to showcase what is already possible when embedding generative AI into the flow of work in the context of people analytics. (4) Peter Meyler presents the findings of his survey, which finds that 48% of people analytics teams spend at least 75% of their time on data and reporting. (5) Patrick Coolen documents the four faces of people analytics practices: the strategist (see FIG 9), the gatekeeper, the specialist, and the designer. (6) Yuyan Sun breaks down five ways to use AI everyday in people analytics: Don't just use AI as a tool. Use it as a thought partner. FIG 8: Measuring employee turnover (Source: Aldar Nikolaev) FIG 9: The Four Faces of People Analytics: The Strategist (Source: Patrick Coolen) THE EVOLUTION OF HR, LEARNING, AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE MARC EFFRON - It’s (Still) the Mortar not the Bricks Some CHROs are not willing to drive significant change in reducing headcount, upgrading the capabilities of their team or holding their HRLT accountable to “wire” the business properly. Marc Effron and his team at The Talent Strategy Group cut through the hyperbole to analyse the state of the HR operating model, critique what the consulting firms (EY, Deloitte, Gartner, Mercer and McKinsey) propose and where they fit with the Ulrich Model, and offer guidance on how to structure, upskill and wire your HR operating mode for success. Highlights include Effron’s views that: (1) Dave Ulrich’s model is the reference standard for good HR operating models. (2) That despite statements to the contrary by the consulting firms advocating why the HR operations model needs to change, the world of work remains largely the same. (3) HRBP’s should be fewer in number, stronger in capabilities and deployed against major business units and/or geographies. (4) The future HR service centre will perform a far larger percentage of overall HR work and do at least 80% of this through technology. (5) Companies should create an ‘HR Wiring Team’ to assess where the HR wiring is either not fully developed or isn’t being followed. Effron defines wiring as “Wiring means the agreement among HR team members about how vital processes will flow – the steps, the accountabilities, the technology, etc.” A compulsory read for any chief people officer considering whether to revamp their HR operating model. FIG 10: People Value Chain (Source: EY) SHARI CHERNACK AND JONATHAN GORDIN | MERCER - 2024 Voice of the CHRO: Maximizing HR effectiveness in a changing landscape Article | Full Report While much of the focus and headlines of Mercer’s 2024 Voice of the CHRO report, authored by Shari Chernack and Jonathan Gordin, is understandably on the challenges and opportunities associated with AI (see FIG 11), what really stands out for me is the section on maximising HR’s influence with the C-suite and board. The results demonstrate that HR is increasingly a strategic partner: 56% of CHROs meet with the board every week, 51% report higher levels of C-suite engagement than previous years, and 71% report high alignment on HR and people priorities. Data is increasingly key, with 76% of CHROs believing that using data to showcase HR’s impact on business performance will help drive further engagement with the C-suite and board. The report highlights six key actions for CHROs: (1) Accelerate AI for HR readiness. (2) Drive AI adoption across the enterprise. (3) Strengthen C-suite relationships and alignment. (4) Understand and plan to bolster key skills. (5) Don’t sleep on employee experience. (6) Build your HR team for the future. Build your HR team for the future. Reshape and develop your team to reflect the cross pressures of increasingly complex demands on HR, including an anticipated need for greater technology and analytical expertise on the team, and the lean HR team size in most organizations. FIG 11: AI’s anticipated impact (Source: Mercer) MARK WHITTLE, LIANA PASSANTINO AND MAGGIE SCHROEDER-O’NEAL | GARTNER - Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025 Leader and manager development remains the No. 1 priority in 2025 for HR leaders for the third consecutive year, according to Gartner, with organisational culture, strategic workforce planning, change management and HR technology rounding off the top five (see FIG 12). The report (authors: Mark Whittle, Liana Passantino, PhD, and Maggie Schroeder-O’Neal) provides detailed analysis on each of the top five priorities, defining the problem statement and imperative for each along with a case study. My eyes were drawn to the section on Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) and the rather stark finding that only 15% of organisations currently practice SWP. Guidance is provided on expanding the scope and complexity of SWP through small phases and a powerful case study is provided on Merck (kudos Ruben Groen Alexis Saussinan) (see FIG 13): Instead of striving for perfection and getting stuck gathering every piece of information available, Merck’s SWP team reduces the complexity of SWP by narrowing their team’s focus to solving a problem, enabling them to take action and drive impact. FIG 12: Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025 (Source: Gartner) FIG 13: How Merck prioritizes SWP needs by relevance and actionability (Source: Gartner) ROB BRINER | CORPORATE RESEARCH FORUM - Driving Organisational Performance: HR’s Critical Role HR functions can and should do more to contribute to organisational performance. But, in order to do this, they need to be able to identify for themselves and in their context what specifically they need to do to help the business meet its strategic objectives. The purpose of this excellent new report, authored by Rob Briner for the Corporate Research Forum (CRF), is to provide a framework for HR functions to more effectively drive performance – within their own organisational context. There’s lots to unpack in the report, but highlights include: (1) The evaluation of six ways of thinking about how HR impacts organisational performance (see FIG 14). (2) Key questions HR should be able to answer about the business, its strategic objectives, and how HR can help achieve these objectives. (3) Guidance on joining the causal dots between HR practices and strategic objectives. (4) A self-assessment for HR leaders to assess how well their own function contributes to organisational performance. (5) An eight-step process model of how HR can drive organisational performance. For more from Rob Briner, I recommend listening to his conversation with me on the Digital HR Leaders podcast: What is Evidence Based HR and Why is it Important? FIG 14: Perspectives of how HR contributes to organisational performance and likely value (Source: CRF, Rob Briner) PwC - Saratoga Annual Benchmarking Report 2024 As the introduction to this report highlights, PwC Saratoga has over 30,000 benchmarks for 1000+ metrics covering a wide variety of HR and workforce topics. This annual report includes benchmarks for 400 organisations across 20 industries including those related to employee attrition, talent attraction, and diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as benchmarks relating to HR and people analytics FTE ratios (see FIG 15 for FTE ratios for business partners and people analytics). Similar to the annual People Analytics Trends study we publish at Insight222, Saratoga finds that people analytics is showing rapid growth in many industries including technology, financial services and manufacturing/engineering. There is an increasing focus on people analytics as organizations invest deeper into digital capabilities and as the importance of data is elevated across industries. FIG 15: HR Business Partners and People Analytics FTE ratios 2022 and 2023 (Source: PwC Saratoga) WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS JAEJIN LEE - Skill-based Transformation: “Don't Start with Skills, Start with Work!” Jaejin Lee takes an incredibly thoughtful deep-dive on the shift towards a skills-based organisation. He analyses a number of factors driving this shift including why the consensus is shifting towards skills, the technology changes driving the movement, and the need to start with the work while viewing the transformation through an employee-centric lens. Jaejin also shares two examples from his consulting work of skills-based network analysis (see FIG 16 for example that clusters the company’s employees' skills based on their similar attributes). Finally, Jaejin shares resources from experts including John Boudreau, Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA, and Tanuj Kapilashrami, and rounds proceedings off by providing a checklist for companies to conduct a self-diagnosis with regards to skills (see FIG 17). A tour de force. FIG 16: Using network analysis to group skills with similar attributes into categories (Source: Jaejin Lee. FIG 17: Skills-based organisational diagnostic self-checklist (Source; Jaejin Lee) EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING ETHAN BURRIS, BENJAMIN THOMAS, KETAKI SODHI, AND DAWN KLINGHOFFER - Turn Employee Feedback into Action Ultimately, success (in employee listening) lies in empowering leaders to translate insights into concrete actions, effectively communicating progress, and fostering a continual feedback loop that values and respects the diverse voices within the organization. "To manage the employee experience, leaders must deeply understand employees’ perceptions, feelings, and desires and respond thoughtfully. This is particularly crucial when immense resources are invested in gathering employee feedback through pulse surveys, town halls, and data scraping from internal communications. But leaders are often overwhelmed by the data and struggle to translate it into actionable insights." In their Harvard Business Review article, Ethan Burris, Benjamin Thomas, Ph. D, SHRM-CP, Ketaki Sodhi, PhD, and Dawn Klinghoffer, share insights from interviews with more than two dozen companies to outline seven challenges and demonstrate how leading places to work have built an integrated process for assembling and understanding employee input and translating it into action. The seven challenges are: (1) Making sense of all that data. (2) Making sure employees feel heard. (3) Identifying the actual underlying problems. (4) Protecting employee privacy. (5) Navigating conflicting views. (6) Not burying bad news. (7) Providing meaningful follow-up. STEPHANIE DENINO - Moving Beyond Work as a Black Box: Uncovering & Addressing the Hidden Friction Work is more than just a black box of outputs—it’s a complex system with hidden friction that we often overlook. In her thoughtful article, Stephanie Denino, Managing Director at TI PEOPLE, examines the consequences of treating work like a black box. She breaks down the core components that make up work: “(1) a worker that is (2) trying to do something (key activities or moments of their work experience), in which (3) they interact with things like technology, people, and processes” (see FIG 18). Stephanie identifies that by capturing data on how work unfolds from the worker’s perspective, leaders can better identify and reduce work friction, ensuring productivity gains and enhancing employee satisfaction. The article presents strategies to move beyond surface-level metrics and focus on the intricate moments of work that truly drive business outcomes. FIG 18: Work can be broken down into three components (Source: Stephanie Denino) LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND LEARNING MCKINSEY - Going all in: Why employee ‘will’ can make or break transformations For a company undergoing transformation, cultivating employee “will” to change the way it operates is critical for success. Writing for McKinsey, Dominic Skerritt, John Parsons, Mary Lass Stewart, Matthew Schrimper, and Nicolette Rainone, Ph.D. highlight the people element of successful transformations. They set out a three step-process (see FIG 19): Elevate, empower, energize to cultivate employees’ will to drive transformation. (1) Elevate a strong core of employees across all levels to lead the transformation. (2) Empower a broad coalition of change leaders to embody new ways of thinking and working. (3) Energize all employees to transform. FIG 19: Organisations can galvanise a workforce’s will to transform with three actions (Source: McKinsey) CONSTANCE NOONAN HADLEY AND SARAH L. WRIGHT – We’re Still Lonely at Work In recent years, the huge impact that work loneliness is having on healthcare costs, absenteeism, and turnover has received widespread attention. Despite growing awareness, the problem remains, with one in five employees worldwide feeling lonely at work. In their article for Harvard Business Review, Connie Noonan Hadley and Sarah Wright debunk myths about work loneliness, such as the belief that in-person work or team assignments can solve the issue. They provide guidance on seven actions companies can take to put loneliness on the agenda: (1) Measure loneliness (see FIG 20); (2) Design slack into the workflow; (3) Create a culture of connections; (4) Build socialising into the rhythm of work; (5) Keep social activities simple; (6) Maximise each work mode for connection; (7) Actively recruit participants. FIG 20: A tool for measuring work loneliness (Source: Constance Noonan Hadley and Sarah L. Wright) DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING McKINSEY AND LEANIN.ORG – Women in the Workplace: The 10th Anniversary Report Organizational change is a marathon, not a sprint, and making meaningful strides for women requires both hope and resilience. When leaders create a compelling vision of what’s possible, workplaces are better equipped to drive and sustain progress. Despite progress over the past decade, parity for all women in the workspace is almost 50 years away according to the 10th Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey and Leanin.Org. At the current trajectory, it will take 22 years for white women to achieve leadership parity—and more than twice as long for women of colour (see FIG 21). As ever, the report is an absorbing read with part 4, A Data-Driven Approach to Solutions, being required reading for people analytics professionals. In terms of implementing consistent processes, the report recommends four key building blocks: (1) making sure employees understand why a new practice is important; (2) teaching employees the skills they need to do their part; (3) putting mechanisms in place to support the practice; and (4) ensuring leaders role model the right behaviours. Finally, the report also provides guidance on tackling three areas that are especially important for advancing women and fostering inclusion: (1) De-biasing hiring and promotion (see FIG 22); (2) Inspiring and equipping employees to curb bias and practice allyship; and (3) Unlocking the power of managers to influence careers and team culture. Kudos to the authors: Alexis Krivkovich, Emily Field, Lareina Yee, and Megan McConnell, with Hannah Smith. FIG 21: It will take nearly 50 years to achieve gender parity for all women (Source: McKinsey) FIG 22: Research based tips for making hiring and performance reviews fairer (Source: McKinsey) HR TECH VOICES Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from October that I recommend readers delve into: LOUJAINA ABDELWAHED, LISA K. SIMON, TOBY CULSHAW, AND REMY GLAISNER - Stuck in Neutral: Why Employees are Staying Put – Loujaina Abdelwahed, PhD, Lisa K. Simon, Toby Culshaw, and Remy Glaisner highlight Revelio Labs data finding that employee attrition rates are at their lowest in a decade. They explore the reasons for this and outline the conditions that would return attrition rates to their long-term average e.g. an increase in demand (15% increase in job postings), combined with 10% higher salaries and a tighter labour market (job postings taking 10% longer to fill). FIG 23: The decline in attrition in 2024 is unexplained by common factors (Source: Revelio Labs) DIDIER ELZINGA AND AMY LAVOIE - Research: The Long-Term Costs of Layoffs – Didier Elzinga and Amy Lavoie share the findings of a study by Culture Amp to understand the impact of company layoffs on employee engagement. These include: (1) After layoffs, companies see a significant drop in employee experience in many key areas. (2) High employee engagement prior to layoffs won’t protect you from the negative impact of doing layoffs. (3) Recovery takes time (see FIG 24). FIG 24: Change in favourability from pre-layoff (Source: Culture Amp) FRANCISCO MARIN - The Power of Collaborative Freedom: Aligning Interests, Collaborators, and Schedules – Francisco Marin of Cognitive Talent Solutions explains how collaborative freedom, which he sees as the underlying principle of a network-first future of work, discusses how the key facets of collaborative freedom – from increased autonomy and cross-functional cooperation to enhanced transparency - contribute to creating a more effective, agile, and rewarding work environment, “where employees are motivated not just by individual success but by the shared goals and achievements of the organization.” VISIER - Visier's Top 50 HR Leaders To Watch in 2025 – It’s a nice move (and a clever marketing one!) by Visier Inc. to highlight a group of their data-driven innovator clients. It’s certainly good to see the likes of Adam McKinnon, PhD., Angela LE MATHON, Jeremy Shapiro, Katherine Ward, Doug Shagam, Poonam Sirigidi, Julien Legret, Annalyn Jacob, Ph.D., Erik Otteson, Shannon Rutledge, Kai Wehmeyer, Jill Larsen, Ian Bailie, Alan Susi, and Scott Judd get some well-deserved recognition. PODCASTS OF THE MONTH In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected six gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below): MARK PRICE AND BRUCE DAISLEY - Can happy workers improve your company results? – Mark Price, former CEO at Waitrose, joins Bruce Daisley on the consistently excellent Eat Sleep Work Repeat to discuss the business benefits of investing in happy employees. The episode features a powerful example of how after acquiring Somerfield, and focusing on motivating the inherited workforce, Mark was able to reduce employee turnover from 75% to 17% within months. ETHAN BERNSTEIN AND MICHAEL HORN - The Real Reasons Employees Quit — and How to Retain Them – Ethan Bernstein and Michael Horn join Alison Beard on HBR IdeaCast to share their research on employee turnover, which points to a host of push and pull forces that cause workers to jump ship, and also outlines better retention strategies. NICK LYNN - “Small Changes Can Add Up To Something Big” – Culture, Change Management and the Employee Experience – Nick Lynn joins Mike Petrusky on the Workplace Innovator podcast to discuss the current world of the workplace and how leaders can build a culture of trust and higher engagement BRYAN HANCOCK AND EMILY FIELD - Will generative AI hurt middle managers—or help them? – In an episode of The McKinsey Podcast, together with host Lucia Rahilly, Emily Field and Bryan Hancock revisit their book, Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work, one year on to share how middle managers can use gen AI to support their teams more effectively—and update their image while they’re at it. KELLY MONAHAN - What trends will have the most impact on the future of work? – Kelly Monahan, Ph.D. joins host JP Elliott, PhD on The Future of Work Podcast to discuss the key trends that are impacting the future of work including why she believes that the skills-based organisation movement is stuck in the theory phase and the challenges it faces in implementation. GREG PRYOR - Why Social Network Perspective Matters – Greg Pryor joins Stacia Sherman Garr and Dani Johnson on Workplace Stories to share how social capital—our connections and relationships—drives business outcomes, sparks innovation, and boosts career growth. Listen to Greg, and then tune in to his sparring partner, Michael Arena, on the Digital HR Leaders podcast: What the Impact of Distributed Work on Organisational Networks Tells Us About the Future of Talent Management. VIDEO OF THE MONTH NICKLE LAMOREAUX - How IBM Uses AI to Transform HR In celebration of IBM's CHRO Nickle LaMoreaux recently being recognised as HR Executive of the Year, this month's Video of the Month features Nickle in discussion with me earlier this year on the Digital HR Leaders podcast where she shares how IBM is pioneering the use of AI in HR, and how this is revolutionising its approach to talent management, employee engagement, and predictive analytics. BOOK OF THE MONTH YUVAL NOAH HARARI - Nexus While I was on my travels at People Analytics World in New York and then Unleash World in Paris, at least ten people I respect told me that I simply had to read Nexus, the new book by Sapiens author Yuval Noah Harari. So, I ordered it in time to take with me to the US the week after Unleash – and they were right. It’s brilliant. It’s basically the story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world. With the opportunity – and threat of AI – this is a book everyone in our field should read. Rory Stewart describes Nexus as: “Bold, original, erudite, provocative and entrancing,” and I couldn’t agree more. RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH ALEXIS FINK AND COLE NAPPER - The World of HR Is Changing Rapidly: I-O Psychology Can Help – In their new paper for Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), Alexis Fink and Cole Napper, people analytics leaders at Meta and FedEx respectively, break down the role of the industrial-organisational (IO) psychologist, and how they are helping organisations to manage the transformation being driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and evolving cultural landscapes. Insight222 ’s research on Leading Companies in People Analytics, identified I/O psychology as one of three key skills these companies are focused on hiring, developing and retaining to drive success (along with data scientists, and consultants), so this paper is an important read for chief people officers looking to advance their people analytics function. FROM MY DESK October saw the final episode of Series 41 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by Visier Inc. (thanks Adedamola Adeleke), and the first three episodes of Series 42, sponsored by Workday (thanks Sophie Barnes and Jennifer Neumann) as well as a number of articles penned by yours truly. Key Learnings from Unleash World 2024 – My key learnings from the main stage at the recent Unleash World show in Paris - together with the slides I used to kick off the event. Key Learnings from Insight222 Global Executive Retreat 2024 Insights: Shaping the Future of People Analytics – My key learnings from the recent 7th Annual Insight222 Global Executive Retreat, which features learnings from speakers including: Janine Vos , Prasad Setty, and Erin Meyer. How can workforce analytics enhance HR decision-making and drive business success? – A round-up of Series 41 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, with insights from episodes featuring: Diane Gherson, Lynda Gratton, Angela LE MATHON, Keith Bigelow, Tanuj Kapilashrami and Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA. Three ways to Upskill HR in Data Literacy – The team at Workday shared a summary of insights from my recent speech at Rising on how to improve the data literacy of HR professionals. SHARON TAYLOR AND JACO VAN VUUREN - Digitising HR for 55,000 Employees: Lessons from Standard Bank – Sharon Taylor, Chief People and Culture Officer, and Jaco Van Vuuren, Chief Operating Officer for Human Capital, join me to share the HR transformation journey at Standard Bank. MICHAEL FRACCARO - How Mastercard is Using AI to Drive Employee Success and Leadership Growth – Michael Fraccaro , Chief People Officer at Mastercard, shares how the company is using AI across HR, building a skills-based organisation, and how their Culture Health Index helps shape discussion and decisions with the Board. MICHAEL ARENA - What the Impact of Distributed Work on Organisational Networks Tells Us About the Future of Talent Management – Michael Arena joins me to discuss what the latest research on network analysis teaches us about hybrid working, team sizes, and the importance of social capital. JASON SCHECKNER - How Talent Orchestration Connects AI Investments to Real Business Results – Jason Scheckner of HiredScore by Workday joins me to discuss how talent orchestration is the key to unlocking AI’s full potential and transforming HR operations into a strategic powerhouse. LOOKING FOR A NEW ROLE IN PEOPLE ANALYTICS OR HR TECH? I’d like to highlight once again the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which now numbers close to 500 roles – and has now been developed into a LinkedIn newsletter too. THANK YOU Nick Broughton for including me in his list of remote work leaders to follow. Thomas Kohler for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast episode with Michael Fraccaro in his HR Resources of the Week. Thinkers360 for including me in their Top Voices EMEA 2024. Elaine Parr for sharing the Digital HR Leaders podcast episode with Nickle LaMoreaux on how IBM is pioneering the use of AI in HR. Olimpiusz Papiez for his thoughtful learnings about the Digital HR Leaders podcast episode with Jason Scheckner. Sven Hultin for publishing his analysis of Insight222's recent research on the People Analytics Operating Model: Democratizing workforce insight in a relevant context fuels adaption towards future relevance. Stela Lupushor for inviting me to moderate a panel at the recent New York Strategic HR Analytics MeetUp on Workestration and Neeru Monga (here), Tony Ashton (here), Ekta Lall Mittal (here), Anna A. Tavis, PhD (here) and Olivia Li (here) for their LinkedIn posts sharing some of the key learnings and pictures from the event. Finally, a huge thank you to the following people who either shared the September edition of Data Driven HR Monthly and/or posted about my sessions at Unleash, People Analytics World, and Workday Rising. It's much appreciated: Craig Forman, Zornitza Iankova, SPHR, Brandon Merritt Johnson, Hrvoje Bulat, Rebecca Hone, Emma Mercer (Assoc CIPD, MLPI), Dr. Max Muge Bakkaloglu, Kerron Ramganesh, Kristina Schoemmel, Perri Ma, Justin Shemeley, Kelly Satterfield, Luis Maria Cravino, Zina Al Taie, MBA, Joachim Rotzinger, Tobias W. Goers ツ, Anna Gullstrand, Ian Bailie, John Guy, Ouarda Guergour, Markus Graf, Sydney Dolanch, Noam Mordechay, Dorothy Dalton, Victoria Holdsworth, Nima Sherpa Green, ✅ Sarah E. Danzl Nirit Cohen ?, Andrew Pitts, Pierre Dejonghe, Jane Bech, MA-OP, CODP, Shannon Peterson, Nicole Davis, Davina Erasmus, Blaine Ames, David Balls (FCIPD), Dan George, Amardeep Singh, MBA, Yotam Ainom, Roshaunda Green, MBA, CDSP, Phenom Certified Recruiter, Henrik Håkansson, Kouros Behzad, Marijana Brasiello, MHRM, Catriona Lindsay, Adam Tombor (Wojciechowski), María Esther Sánchez, Silvia Schleiffer-Gouveia, Rajarshee Mukherjee, Volker Jacobs, Laszlo Bock, Daniel Farrell, Kevin Legel, Aravind Warrier, Lewis Garrad, Francisca Solano Beneitez, Jose Luis Chavez Vasquez, Dr. Jeeta Sarkar, Jorge Arevalo, Andreea Lungulescu, Maria Alice Jovinski, Philip Arkcoll, Corine Boon, Pietro Mazzoleni, Dave Millner, Bob Pulver, Wayne Tarken, David McLean, Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP-SP, SHRM-SCP, CIPD), Aurélie Crégut, David van Lochem, Vivek Ojha, Hanadi El Sayyed, Phil Kirschner, David Hodges, Jean-Francois Riand, Malgorzata Langlois, Shujaat Ahmad, Graham Tollit, Sebastian Kolberg, Phil Inskip, Sebastian Knepper, Caitie Jacobson, Asaf Jackoby, Melissa Hopper Fritz, Stephanie Murphy, Ph.D. Paul Daley, Stephen Hickey, Sarajit Poddar, Søren Kold, Jacob Nielsen, Dolapo (Dolly) Oyenuga, Manisha Singh, Monalisa Routray, Courtney McMahon, Irada Sadykhova, Geetanjali Gamel, Dave Fineman, Megan Buttita, MLIS, Mariana Hebborn PhD, Rob Kok, Keran Dhillon, Alex Browne, Chris Long, Pedro Pereira, Gal Mozes, PhD, Aritra Majumdar, Mia Norgren, Matthew Fleisher, PhD, Matt Elk, Christina Bui, Agnes Garaba, Laurent Reich, Jeff Wellstead, Danielle Bushen, Nick Hudgell, Jordan Hartley, John Gunawan, Casey G. Brower, PMP, Serena H. Huang, Ph.D., Bo Vialle-Derksen, Trish Uhl, PMP ??, Ken Clar, Isabel Naidoo, Mariami Lolashvili, Sophia Huang, Ed.D., Philippa Penfold, Sonia Mooney, Ian Grant FCIPD, Dr. Peter Schulz-Rittich, Irene Wong, Tim Peffers, Marcela Mury, Andrés García Ayala, Giovanna Constant, John Golden, Ph.D. Tanguy Dulac ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Green ?? is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021. MEET ME AT THESE EVENTS I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in 2024 and early 2025: November 19-20 - Insight222 European Peer Meeting (hosted by Merck in Darmstadt, Germany) - exclusively for member organisations of the Insight222 People Analytics Program December 5 - Visier Outsmart Local - Building Your People Data Strategy, London December 10-12 - Workday Rising EMEA, Amsterdam February 26-27 - People Analytics World, Zürich April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London More events will be added as they are confirmed.   主要作者和贡献者： David Green - Insight222的管理合伙人，专注于HR数据分析和未来工作趋势。 Eric Anicich 和 Dart Lindsley - 探讨“将工作视为产品”的方法。 Nicholas Bloom, James Liang, Ruobing Han - 基于Trip.com的混合办公A/B测试研究。 Michael Arena 和 Philip Arkcoll - 关于协作的重要性，倡导“协作要求”而非“办公要求”。 Hean-Ho Loh, Vinciane Beauchene, Vladimir Lukic, Rajiv Shenoy - 来自波士顿咨询公司（BCG），探讨AI技能提升的关键因素。 Kai Hahn - 智能企业领袖联盟的报告撰写者，探讨AI在HR中的应用。 Jaap Veldkamp - ABN AMRO的全球HR数据分析负责人。 Richard Rosenow - Insight222的一份研究报告撰写者，讨论HR系统的演变。 Scott Rogers, Aldar Nikolaev, Ralf Buechsenschuss, Peter Meyler, Patrick Coolen, Yuyan Sun - 各自讨论了HR数据分析在不同领域的应用。 Marc Effron - The Talent Strategy Group创始人，专注于HR运营模式。 Shari Chernack 和 Jonathan Gordin - Mercer的CHRO报告作者，探讨HR的战略角色。 Mark Whittle, Liana Passantino, Maggie Schroeder-O’Neal - 来自Gartner，讨论2025年HR的五大优先事项。 Rob Briner - Corporate Research Forum的作者，提供了HR推动组织绩效的框架。 Jaejin Lee - 探讨技能导向的组织转型。 Ethan Burris, Benjamin Thomas, Ketaki Sodhi, Dawn Klinghoffer - 在Harvard Business Review中讨论如何将员工反馈转化为行动。 Stephanie Denino - TI People的总监，讨论工作中隐藏摩擦的影响。 Dominic Skerritt, John Parsons, Mary Lass Stewart, Matthew Schrimper, Nicolette Rainone - McKinsey作者，探讨组织变革中的员工意愿。 Constance Noonan Hadley 和 Sarah L. Wright - 研究工作中的孤独感。 Alexis Krivkovich, Emily Field, Lareina Yee, Megan McConnell, Hannah Smith - 来自McKinsey和LeanIn.Org的性别平等报告的作者。 Loujaina Abdelwahed, Lisa K. Simon, Toby Culshaw, Remy Glaisner - Revelio Labs的数据分析师，研究员工流动率。 Didier Elzinga 和 Amy Lavoie - Culture Amp的研究人员，探讨裁员的长期影响。 Francisco Marin - Cognitive Talent Solutions的代表，关于协作自由的重要性。 Adam McKinnon, Angela LE MATHON, Jeremy Shapiro, Katherine Ward, Doug Shagam, Poonam Sirigidi, Julien Legret, Annalyn Jacob, Erik Otteson, Shannon Rutledge, Kai Wehmeyer, Jill Larsen, Ian Bailie, Alan Susi, Scott Judd - Visier公司列出的2025年HR领导者。 Mark Price 和 Bruce Daisley - 在Eat Sleep Work Repeat上探讨员工幸福感的影响。 Ethan Bernstein 和 Michael Horn - HBR IdeaCast上的嘉宾，讨论员工流失的原因。 Nick Lynn - Workplace Innovator的嘉宾，讨论文化和员工体验。 Bryan Hancock 和 Emily Field - 在McKinsey Podcast上讨论生成式AI对中层管理的影响。 Kelly Monahan - The Future of Work Podcast的嘉宾，讨论未来工作的关键趋势。 Greg Pryor - Workplace Stories的嘉宾，讨论社交资本的影响。 Nickle LaMoreaux - IBM的CHRO，讨论AI在HR中的应用（视频）。 Yuval Noah Harari - 其新书《Nexus》被推荐阅读，探讨信息网络对世界的影响。 Alexis Fink 和 Cole Napper - I-O心理学家，探讨心理学在HR转型中的作用。
    Hybrid Work
    2024年11月03日
  • Hybrid Work
    美国2025年HR发展趋势：数字员工与未来工作场景，大选带来的可能影响 2025年，HR领域将面临前所未有的变革，技术、社会、政治因素共同推动着工作场所的迅速转型。随着AI、数字孪生体、智能代理等技术的加速发展，HR从业者必须应对不断变化的工作环境。与此同时，政治变革，如特朗普有可能在大选中回归执政，将带来政策的不确定性，影响劳动力市场和企业的运营。在这一背景下，HR需要更加灵活、创新和前瞻性。以下是2025年HR发展的八大趋势： 1. 数字员工的全面普及 数字员工、数字孪生体和智能代理将在企业中迅速普及，成为HR团队的重要组成部分。通过AI驱动的自动化，HR能够更高效地处理招聘、员工管理、数据分析等任务。比如，数字员工将帮助筛选简历、安排面试、甚至进行员工培训。这不仅能提高HR的工作效率，还将使HR从繁琐的日常事务中解放出来，专注于更具战略意义的任务，如人才保留和文化建设。 2. 远程工作与混合办公的进一步常态化 远程工作在全球大流行后逐渐成为常态，2025年这种模式将进一步成熟和优化。HR将需要设计更好的政策来管理远程和混合工作的员工，包括技术支持、绩效评估和团队协作。尤其是在政治环境可能受到影响的情况下，如特朗普重回白宫可能带来的政策变化，公司需要更灵活的劳动力管理方式，以应对政策的不确定性和跨州的不同规定。 3. 多元化与包容性在政治压力下的挑战 随着可能的政治环境变化，多元化与包容性可能面临更大的挑战。特朗普回归可能带来对劳动力市场的管制和移民政策的收紧，这将直接影响到HR对全球化人才的招聘。HR需要更加积极地维护职场的多样性与包容性，创造一个公平、包容的工作环境。这也意味着企业需要加强文化敏感度培训，确保在更具分裂性的社会氛围中维护公司内部的和谐。 4. 数据隐私与合规性管理的复杂性增加 随着数字员工和智能代理的使用，企业对员工数据的收集和使用将大幅增加，这对HR的隐私和合规管理提出了新的挑战。特别是在美国，如果特朗普再次执政，劳工和数据保护政策可能会有显著变化。HR需要更加密切关注新的法律法规，确保数据的收集和处理符合各州和联邦法律的要求，并保持透明的沟通以赢得员工的信任。 5. 技能提升与终身学习成为HR焦点 2025年，技能差距问题将进一步凸显，尤其是在技术快速发展的背景下。HR需要与培训和学习部门合作，设计持续的技能提升计划，确保员工能够掌握最新的技术和工作方法。随着AI和自动化工具的普及，员工需要具备更高层次的技术技能和问题解决能力，HR也将更多地参与人才的技能重塑，确保企业在竞争中保持优势。 6. 心理健康与员工幸福感得到更多关注 心理健康已经成为HR的重要议题，2025年这一趋势将继续深化。随着技术和远程工作的普及，工作与生活的界限日益模糊，HR需要关注员工的心理健康，提供相关支持。这不仅涉及到心理健康资源的提供，还需要通过文化建设和员工关怀政策来提高员工的幸福感。随着美国社会可能面临的政治分裂和不确定性，HR需要积极缓解由此带来的员工焦虑。 7. 劳动力市场的多代际管理 2025年，劳动力市场将由多代人组成，包括婴儿潮一代、X世代、千禧一代以及Z世代。不同代际的员工有着不同的工作方式、价值观和技术适应度。HR必须设计灵活的工作政策，平衡各代员工的需求，特别是在招聘、工作模式和员工发展上。同时，AI和数字员工的崛起将进一步重塑这些代际的工作方式，HR需要帮助员工适应这种新常态。 8. 政治环境对劳工政策的影响 如果特朗普在2024年大选中获胜，其政府可能会实施更严厉的劳工政策，影响薪酬、福利、移民和就业法律等方面。 HR需要随时了解政府的政策变化，确保公司运营合规，并积极调整劳动力管理策略。未来几年，美国的政治环境将对企业运营和HR的日常工作产生深远影响，因此HR必须具备应对快速政策变化的灵活性和适应性。 结语 2025年，HR将在技术变革和政治环境变化的双重推动下，面临前所未有的机遇和挑战。数字员工的普及将为企业提供更高效的工作方式，但HR也必须重新思考如何在人与技术之间找到平衡，维护企业文化和员工福祉。在不确定的政治环境中，HR需要具备敏捷性和创新精神，帮助企业在复杂多变的环境中实现可持续发展。
    Hybrid Work
    2024年10月20日
  • Hybrid Work
    Josh Bersin:Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere 2025 年，数字员工和人工智能助理的崛起将彻底改变人力资源运营，改变招聘、数据分析和员工管理等任务。 这些技术包括数字双胞胎和智能代理，它们将与人类专业人员一起工作，以提高生产力和优化工作流程。 随着人工智能工具成为日常业务不可或缺的一部分，人力资源领导者必须拥抱这些创新，同时继续关注技能培训、心理健康和包容性工作环境。 向人工智能的转变还将重塑团队动态，这对人力资源部门重新设计角色和流程以保持竞争力提出了挑战。 I recently heard Elon Musk predict that every citizen would have multiple Optimus robots in their homes within five years. And while I often ignore his predictions because they’re exaggerated, I think he’s on to something. We are about to witness an explosion of Digital Employees in our companies, and these may be the “robots” we’ve heard about for years. Let me explain. This week I talked with dozens of vendors and clients at Unleash and then visited our development partner Sana Labs in Stockholm. It’s now clear that we’re going to be working with multitudes of “digital employees” in the year ahead. (And as Dario Amodei, the founder of Anthropic explains, AI can do many more positive things in business, science, and health than we ever imagined.) By “digital employee” I mean a software powered agent that can talk with us, answer detailed questions, solve complex analytic problems, and navigate a multitude of systems. ChatGPT and its peers, which introduced the idea of an agent, has now spawned dozens of “agentic” use cases, which I’d be willing to refer to as personalities. Let me start with a “Digital Twin.” Imagine you have a superb customer service agent with years of experience helping your most demanding clients. If you load the last five years of their emails, coupled with all their internal documentation, and a log history of their last two years of service calls, you can essentially “create him or her” digitally with all the knowledge, style, and internal contacts this person has developed. This twin, which may look initially like an AI assistant, could then carry on this employee’s work when the real life worker is on vacation. One of our clients, a large insurance company, has already built “digital twins” for claims processing. If you think about the complexity and workflow of processing a claim, much of it could be learned by an agent, making the “claims robot” an expert on this important process. And as you change claims rules and limits, the agent will learn new guidelines in only seconds. Our AI assistant Galileo, a trained expert on HR (Galileo is trained on 25 years of research and thousands of conversations with clients and vendors), is essentially a “digital twin” of me and the other analysts in our firm. I’m not saying Galileo is as fun to talk with as we are, but I can assure you that he (or she) is as knowledgeable and supportive. And Galileo is even smarter than I am: he has instant knowledge of skills models, compensation benchmarks, turnover statistics, and other data bases which I can only access by looking them up on demand. And using the Sana platform we can configure Galileo to have multiple personalities. Galileo the “Recruitment Agent” might have in-depth knowledge of screening, interviewing, and candidate skills assessment and he may have direct linkage to SeekOut, Eightfold, or any other sourcing applications. In his candidate facing personality he may be able to answer candidate questions, explain shift schedules, and “sell” the company to top job candidates. (This is what Paradox has done for years and vendors like Eightfold and LinkedIn are launching now.) But there’s more. Imagine that this “digital twin” or “digital employee” has intimate knowledge of Workday, SuccessFactors, or a variety of other systems. Now the assistant can not only answer questions and help solve problems, he can also process transactions, look things up, and run reports against multiple system. The digital employee has turned into a “digital analyst,” who can find things and do work for you, saving you hours of effort in your daily life. (Vee from Visier is designed for this.) Suppose you ask your digital friend to attend meetings for you, participate in conversations on certain topics, and alert you in real time when urgent issues come up for discussion. He could help you scale your time, keep you informed about decisions you need to know about, and help you manage your action items. And the list goes on and on and on. Best of all, what if your digital twin can talk to you. Suppose he “checks in” with you about the project you asked for help with last week, so you inform him how things are going and he gets “smarter” about what you may need next. Galileo does this today, prompting you to dig into a problem and explore areas you may not have considered. And if you ask him about management or people issues, he could give you advice and coaching, based on the leadership models or even CEO interviews in your own company. (BetterUp, Valence and others are working on this.) This is not science fiction, my friends. All this is becoming reality and will certainly be common next year. Every vendor has a slightly different focus. The Microsoft Copilot specializes in MS Office-related activities, ServiceNow’s focuses on internal service and support, Galileo is focused on the needs of HR, and Joule is an expert on all the functions of SAP. Each of these “digital employees” needs training, feedback, and connections to stay current and relevant. So it’s doubtful that one digital employee will do everything. (Training a digital employee means managing his or her corpus of information, which will be a major new role in HR.) One thing is very clear: we are going to be living and working with these guys. And as we use them and see what they’re capable of, we’re going to redesign work. Little by little we’ll offload tasks, projects, and workflows. And as we do, we’ll get smarter and smarter about redesigning our teams. I liken the process to that of a carpenter who gets a new multi-function power drill. Before the drill he may have manually drilled holes, carefully selecting the drill bit and the level of pressure based on wood density. Now he drills holes faster, more accurately, and with more precision. Soon he just speeds through the process, spending more time on cabinet fit, finish, or design. The same thing will happen to our HR tasks, projects, and designs. And these new digital employees are programmable! So once we figure out what they’re capable of we can adjust them, customize them, and connect them together. Eventually we’ll have intelligent assistants that operate as entire applications. And that’s the threat to incumbent software companies – the agents hollow out many of our existing applications. How Do Our Digital Employees Impact Our Own Work? One more observation. Many a few of the clients I talked with kept asking “what about our softskills?”  What work is truly human? I think that’s the wrong question. Rather we should ask the opposite: how much can I delegate to my new friends as fast as possible! Have you been upset that your vacuum cleaner took away the rewarding human work of sweeping a floor? How much joy do you get from washing dishes? Did your dishwasher make you feel deflated when you stopped splashing around in the soapy water? Of course not – these tools eliminated tasks we considered to be “drudgery.” Well today, thanks to digital assistants, creating a pivot table to do cross-tab analysis has become drudgery. You can stop getting your hands wet with that task – ask Galileo or Copilot to analyze the data, and then ask him to chart it, add more data, and try new assumptions. The more we learn to use these new digital employees the more “drudgery” we can stop doing. And consider complex “human-centered” activities like “change management.” A client asked me “how could Galileo help me with change management for our new HCM system?” I answered her with dozens of ideas: ask Galileo for case studies of other companies and have it build a checklist to consider based on what other companies did. Then ask Galileo to build a training plan; ask it to read the user documentation and create a table of what features are new; then ask Galileo to rewrite that change plan by role. And finally ask Galileo to write a press release about success, craft some compelling communications to employees, and ask it to compute the ROI of all the steps eliminated. These are all “manual” human tasks we do today and they take time and ingenuity to figure out. If you went through this process in Galileo you could ask your digital employee to save these steps and prompts in a “template,” and you have just taught your digital employee how to do change management. The next time you need him he can step you through the process. As I started to explain this to my client I stopped and said: wait a minute. I can’t possibly show you everything Galileo can do. You have to try it for yourself. And that’s my big message. Don’t wait for a vendor to drop a finished solution in your lap. These are intelligent, trainable, digital experts. You have to get to know them so you can figure out where they fit in your job, your projects, and your company. Just like you do with any new hire. I say it’s time to get started. No more sweeping floors or washing dishes by hand. Let’s meet our digital employees, tell them about our projects, and ask for their help. Step by step, day by day, we can redesign our jobs to be more more productive, liberating us to do greater things.
    Hybrid Work
    2024年10月19日
    • 123
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