ISG Digital Dish

Data is big and getting bigger, yet in some business areas it’s less well understood and used than in others. This seems to be the case for HR, where data is often viewed simply as a by-product of business activity rather than a valuable resource in its own right. Data can help us make sense of the world and drive business decisions, especially in times like now when our ability to understand the changing landscape of a pandemic is critical to survival.

Getting a handle on data and what it’s telling us is often harder than people imagine, not least in the HR space where the data can be exceptionally complex. Human capital data holds a great deal of untapped potential, but it is rarely mined for its full value. The vision is to use data to change the way we work rather than just thinking about it as a tool to help us sell more products and services. 

In this episode of the ISG Digital Dish podcast, host Jeanne Cuff talks to Caitlin Bigsby, Product Marketing Director at workforce analytics firm Visier Inc., about the need for a cultural shift when it comes to HR data analytics. According to Bigsby, HR leaders need to reframe the questions they are asking. Instead of asking “What are we collecting?” they should ask “What would it be valuable to know?”. Bigsby believes the gains will be great if HR organizations can focus on business outcomes rather than data inputs. Listen in to this much-needed conversation about all things “data”, from culture to skills to data’s role in helping drive strategic business decisions.