New-age technology like advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms are gaining momentum in the organizational framework. Here’s how Predictive Analytics applications can benefit HR…
Even though predictive analytics has been around for decades, the technology has only recently gained a foothold in mainstream HR functions. An increasing number of organizations across different industries, are relying on predictive data analytics to improve their bottom line and gain competitive advantage. This interactive and easy to use software is no longer reserved only for statisticians and mathematicians alone, nowadays even business analytics and business experts are turning to it for the large number of benefits it offers. So why should HR remain behind the bandwagon?
Predictive analytics is the use of existing information and big data, combined with machine learning algorithms to analyze facts which would help predict future outcome. The use of newer technologies has led companies to produce an enormous amount of data on a daily basis. The objective of data analytics or HR analytics is to make sense of the large amount of data by using it to predict future trends.
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The role of recruiting professionals has greatly evolved over the years, where once they were responsible for filling up job vacancies for either a new role or an ex employee’s position, now they have a more significant role to play in the scheme of things. HR has now realized that a company’s employees and their talents are the biggest assets for the company. So, now it is not just about acquiring employees for a vacancy, but attracting the best among the talent pool.
This competitive talent hunt is based off increasing awareness about candidates abilities and their potential to support future growth of the organization. This is where big data predictive analytics or HR analytics comes in the picture. It seems pretty promising that a user-friendly technology like big data prediction analysis will benefit the following 5 key areas of human resources management:
- Recruitment: Attracting and hiring the right people is essential for the success of any organizational fabric. Advanced analytics work wonderfully to sift through extensive big data to determine which candidate would be a perfect match for the company culture. Not only that, performing background checks, gaining critical insights into the candidate’s professional history, and even forming strategies has become easier with HR analytics.
- Performance & Productivity: One key aspect of HR that benefits highly from predictive analytics is boosting productivity. The role of HR doesn’t end with finding the right talent and getting them onboard, once the client is hired HR must take adequate measures to increase their productivity and finetune their performance. Big data predictions can help HR to understand each employee’s strengths & weaknesses and come up with solutions to upskill the valued employees and keep their focus razor-sharp.
- Upskilling and Monitoring: Once the HR has critical insights into each employee’s performance at work, advanced analytics can help train and improve the average performance by using what is called predictive modelling processes.
- Employee Engagement: For any company, employee satisfaction is a tricky variable. It’s hard to understand what they want and what will help in reaching out to them. HR analytics has created tools that have proven to be breakthrough when it came to measuring the satisfaction and general happiness quotient of the company culture. Using technology that collects, organizes and studies the morale of the employees, trends in productivity, and other non-numeric variables, it helps HR reshuffle its strategies to improve employee engagement.
- Top-talent Retention: Good retention programs are critical for the growth of an organization. After spending a lot of time, money and many valuable resources to acquire and train talented employees, a poorly managed employee turnover and attrition rate can cause a huge dent in the company’s pocket. Predictive analytics applications can successfully break the cycle before things get out of hand. It can analyze historic and relevant data to pinpoint the factors that influence employee attrition and help HR to nip the flight risk bud thus protecting the employer’s brand.
There is a myriad of advanced analytics tools and applications of big data HR analytics that HR uses to build value for an organization by way of effectively organizing and managing its people.
References:
- “5 Ways Predictive Analytics will Transform HR,” Jan 26, 2018 (hrtechnologist.com)
- “Predictive Analytics: What it is and why it matters,” (sas.com)
- “The Importance of HR Analytics in an Organization,” Saurabh Tyagi, March 12, 2018
