At our recent Insight222 Global Executive Retreat in Amsterdam, Janine Vos, Member of the Managing Board and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Rabobank, captivated us with a keynote session on the strategic influence of the CHRO.  

Her remarkably transparent session emphasized the evolving role of the CHRO, and showcased how data and technology are critical drivers of success at the C-Suite level. Janine provided valuable insights into the strategic influence of HR through People Analytics, as well as some useful suggestions for action.

Her story wasn’t just about HR; it was about leveraging data and technology to drive real change at the C-Suite and the Board level—proving that HR can be the heartbeat of an organization.

Some key take-aways from Janine’s session include:  

• Strategic Role of HR: CHROs can wield significant influence at the C-Suite level, if they leverage data to drive strategic decisions.

• People Analytics: Building a strong connection between the CHRO and the People Analytics leader enhances the HR function's credibility and strategic impact.

• Data-Driven Culture: Establishing a data-driven culture requires a thoughtful approach and effective storytelling to convey insights.

• Learning from the Business: HR can improve its strategic influence by adopting data presentation and storytelling techniques from the business world.

•  Balancing Feelings and Facts: While subjective feelings will always arise, they can be mitigated with clear data, compelling narratives, and strong influence skills

Leveraging People Analytics and CHRO Collaboration for Strategic HR Impact

From our Insight222 research Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale know that most CHROs (88%) feel that people data and analytics are an essential component of their HR strategy. But it was absolutely clear that Janine took this to the next level. For example, Janine shared that during a significant restructuring, she leveraged a data-driven approach to change the narrative. Instead of cutting jobs, she identified employees who could be re-skilled. By presenting clear data and a compelling story, she demonstrated how these employees could be retrained for new roles, showcasing the strategic impact of data in HR.

What was also clear is that there was a very strong connection between Janine and her people analytics leader Mark! Our Insight222 People Analytics Trends 2023 report has shown that more and more people analytics leaders (85%) are reporting directly to the CHRO (or one level down from the CHRO) - and it was clear that this close relationship has been instrumental at Rabobank. Janine shared countless examples of how she relied on Mark to help answer pressing questions “What are the employees feeling about…” This close connection allowed Janine to weave data and insights into conversations on key topics and to be far more strategic with her influence. She highlighted that working closely with her people analytics leader makes her more credible.

Janine Vos’ Journey of Building a Data-Driven Culture at Rabobank

Janine also shared her journey with her team and her efforts to build a data-driven culture.

From the beginning when presentations weren’t professional enough or “board ready” to an evolution where the data was better, the presentations were better, the messages were clearer on the goal and business case. She highlighted that HR can learn from the business – both in terms of how to present data more effectively, but also how to talk about the outcomes and insights in an effective way (storytelling).

But she also cautioned that building a data driven culture is a process – a journey that you go on if you really believe in data. And she also warned that some people are not ready for a data-driven people centric approach (so we have to be thoughtful in our change management process).

Janine’s story is a testament to the strategic influence of the CHRO and the transformative power of People Analytics. Her journey at Rabobank underscores the importance of combining data, analytical skills, and storytelling to create real business value and build a future-ready workforce.

Gain Exclusive Access to our Insight222 Global Executive Retreat 2025

As we wrap up the highlights from Janine Vos' impactful session at our Insight222 2024 Global Executive Retreat in Amsterdam, it’s worth noting that this was just one of many insightful presentations we experienced. The Retreat offered a range of sessions led by top experts like Prasad Setty from Stanford, who shared on future-proofing people analytics, and Erin Meyer from INSEAD, who explored cross-cultural collaboration strategies for leaders. Each speaker brought unique perspectives, reinforcing the event’s theme of empowering HR leaders to drive strategic impact through data and technology.

If you’re interested in joining our next Global Executive Retreat in 2025, we welcome you to join the 120+ exclusive members of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®. Our program provides HR leaders with cutting-edge resources, insights, and a community of like-minded professionals to advance their people analytics journey. To learn more about how to be part of this exclusive event and unlock the full benefits of the program, visit Insight222 People Analytics Program®.

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