How Big Data Can Transform the Way HR Functions?
Organizations have been actively dealing with big data and in the recent years we have also seen HR department becoming an important part of an organization. This shift in the corporate world has led to numerous changes that have been good for the business and even HR professionals.
But how can Big Data help HR change the way it functions? Are you also thinking about that? If yes, then let’s start with the basics about Big Data and then HR — functions, roles, responsibilities and HR software. Let’s start with understanding what is Big Data and why is creating so much hype in the corporate world. And how can it be useful in HR department.
Big Data has entered almost every industry organization and no sector is untouched by the power of Big Data. Organizations have realized it’s importance and are trying to use it for their advantage. One of the sectors where Big Data can be of major use is the HR department.
Big Data is nothing but the large amount of structured, semi-structured and unstructured data that is constantly streaming in through various mediums. Now it is not like your regular data and so analyzing this data requires special software. Analyzing the big data is crucial for the growth of your organization and business as a result. For the reason that data analysis will reveal patterns and trends. Quite helpful for HR managers if they are trying to study attrition rate and other employee related patterns in an organization and find a solution.
Interestingly, HR department is not untouched by big data that keeps streaming-in constantly and can help HR managers in imparting their duties with more efficiency. Here is how Big Data can help HR professionals and managers in fulfilling their duties on a daily basis.
1. Employee retention: With the help of big data, HR professionals with predictive analytic s have a better understanding of employees and what will help them stay back in an organization. Big Data can help in revealing patterns that will throw light on what works in employee retention and what schemes/plans are not in accord with employee retention goals. Thus giving an HR department an exact picture of how to ensure greater employee retention, which includes constant feedback, personal/professional growth opportunities, bonus and appraisals for top-performing employees.
2. Talent Recruitment: Big data can help in recruiting top talents as well. Here’s how — with the help of big data analytics, HR managers are able to visualize the pattern that leads in selecting the top talent floating in the market. The big data helps in mapping the skills set in align with an organization’s strategy, thus ensuring that the candidates coming for the interview are best-suited to the roles advertised for the positions in a company. With the help of big data and Human Resource Software, the HR department gets help in sorting through the applications and find the best-suited candidates.
3. Employee productivity: HR professionals with the help of big data can measure the performance of employees in an organization and thus improvise on the work conditions for their employees. Performance Metrics is the one of the most commonly uses of big data for HR department and one that has helped HR professionals in augmenting the productivity of employees. With the help of performance metrics, HR professionals can not only measure high performing employees but can also find out about the employees who have not been performing to their abilities. Thus helping those employees to increase their productivity.
4. Knowledge management: Another use of big data in HR department is to improve the way training and development programs are designed and implemented in an organization. Since it is a given fact that training is an important part of any workplace and with HR software the entire process can be made simpler and smoother for both employees and employers. The big data plays an important role here in deciding which training programs are best suited for the employees.
5. Future casting: With the help of big data, the HR department can find out the pattern through which it can attract, recruit and retain top hires in the organization. Here’s how — Big data can help in finding a source that will become useful in modeling numerous changes that will further impact on talent hiring, retention and engagement. Predictive analysis is the tool and offers greater ability to study the past hiring decisions and ensure that future hiring is done with sound and insightful decisions.
These are some of the common use cases of big data in the human resources industry. While Big Data is helping HR professionals in increasing overall employee experience and ensuring that organization is growing by leaps and bounds, there is still some elements that can only be best handled by human beings like being empathetic and passionate yet stay professional in their dealings with employees.