From Edward Houghton Senior Research Advisor: Human Capital and Governance at CIPD
We recently published a new report investigating people data in the HR profession. People analytics: driving business performance with people data explored if & how HR professionals are using people data to understand people risk. Whilst it might not be a term we often use, “people risk” is actually something many HR professionals are all too aware of. It’s apparent most when people management practices go awry, whether through poor leadership, lack of investment in skills, or even misconduct and toxic culture, the signals of looming people risks are there for all to see. Some of these signals have a measurable component to them, and its here at the risk measurement level where people analytics could hold a lot of value.
Take a toxic culture for example. The signals for this might be increased incidents of bullying and harassment, poor levels of mental health and well-being, presenteeism – but what about before? Are there measures that might point to a culture going sour? This is where the measurement of people risk comes in; not in predicting behavior, but establishing the right measures as hygiene factors that, if tracked could be an early warning system which may prompt further investigation.
