Influencing C-Suite and Board Decisions with People Analytics Insights
Two of the key findings from the Insight222 People Analytics Trends Report for 2023 are:
Influence: Developing relationships with C-suite and senior stakeholders is essential to deliver on key business priorities.
Value: Measuring and delivering value, from people analytics efforts, is key for the impact of the function
Given the importance of these two topics for the field of people analytics, Influence and Value were the key themes for the Insight222 Peer Meeting in London. Each session throughout the two days was designed to help people analytics leaders and their teams to elevate their function and its impact by learning practical approaches in these two areas in particular.
Across the two days, interactive sessions were led by Rob Etheridge, Group Head of Workforce Strategy and Insights, Bec Aoude, Head of Regional Consulting and Delivery and Andrew Elston, Global Head of Workforce Strategy Enablement at HSBC, Dawn Klinghoffer, Head of People Analytics at Microsoft and Justine Thompson, Head of People Analytics at Flutter Entertainment. Additionally, there were sessions facilitated by our Insight222 team members: Jonathan Ferrar, Jasdeep Kareer and Jordan Pettman and me.
This article will explore some of the topics on the agenda and the key learnings that emerged.
Implementing a People Analytics Operating Model that Drives Business Outcomes
The Insight222 Operating Model for People Analytics recommends a Demand Engine of consultants who work directly with HR and business executives to understand and prioritise the most important business challenges that people analytics can support.
The importance of having consulting capability in the people analytics team was one of the key messages that Rob Etheridge and Bec Aoude explored when they took the group on a deep dive into the operating model that the Workforce Strategy and Insights function have implemented at HSBC.
Learning from Peers to Drive Greater Value with People Analytics
Last month, over 60 people analytics leaders and practitioners from 41 large, global organisations, many of them household names, met in London for the first Insight222 Peer Meeting of 2024. The meeting was hosted by HSBC in their impressive global headquarters in Canary Wharf.
Insight222 Peer Meetings are different to any other people analytics conference! These events are exclusively for clients of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®. There are no vendors or sponsors present and no parts of the meeting are recorded. Insight222 create a safe and inclusive space for deep discussion on 'the story behind the story' – the trade-offs that were made, the pitfalls to avoid, the details left off the page during typical conference presentations.
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Other critical capabilities in the ecosystem include data science and engineering, to extract the deep insights that will create value. A product focus – ensuring the right products are delivered for what the organisation needs now, and in the future – and leveraging agile approaches to deliver products at scale, are also central to the team’s approach.
Using AI to Democratise Insights
AI tools offer huge benefits to HR by streamlining workflows and supporting improved decision-making. This has been the focus for Andrew Elston and his colleagues at HSBC. Andrew discussed how the team have been experimenting with AI and Generative AI to create tools that deliver insights faster and more efficiently to end users. Whilst there is much excitement about the opportunities that Generative AI presents, there are also important prerequisites to really maximise the positive impacts it can have for HR. These include:
Investing in the data foundations to ensure accurate data quality, processes and flows so data and insights can be digitised at scale
Having consultants in the people analytics team who work directly with HR and business leaders to identify the right questions which AI can help address
Focusing on ethics to ensure a high ethical validity of the models being used, and to ensure fairness and explainability
Moments that Matter in a Flexible and Inclusive Workplace at Microsoft
Employee listening data is one of the richest sources of data for people analytics teams. The impact of translating this data into insights and into action at Microsoft is well documented with the work Dawn Klinghoffer and her team undertook to identify that, in the changing role of the office, its all about ‘Moments that Matter’.
To help leaders bring structure to flexible work and help employees get the in-person connection they crave, the team leveraged their employee listening system to understand the employee experience of flexible work. Their research found that it’s not about the number of days people are in the office, it’s about creating moments that matter. Their internal data points to three specific moments when in-person time is most beneficial:
Strengthening team cohesion
Onboarding to a new role, team, or company
Kicking off a project
Ultimately both remote work and in-person time have their benefits. Dawn and her team were able to influence teams with their findings to consider the type of work they do and determine the key points in time or reasons to gather in-person.
Influencing the Board of Directors and Senior Stakeholders
The Insight222 People Analytics Trends Report for 2023 found that of the people analytics leaders in the companies surveyed, 58% have presented to the executive committee (C-suite or ExCo) in the last 12 months. This means that in these companies, the people analytics leader and their team can influence the senior executive team. Furthermore, 21% of people analytics leaders are invited to present to the board of directors at least once a year. This shows that – for at least these leaders – there is the opportunity to influence on significant people topics and have the attention of the most important governance body in their organisation.
One such leader is Justine Thompson, who has led the people analytics team at Flutter Entertainment since January 2023. Justine shared insights into her first 12 months in the role: how she leveraged her relationship with the Chief People Officer to influence across the C-suite, ensured she showed value quickly, and used an opportunity to present to the board of directors to advance the strategy of the people analytics team. Justine’s advice to other people analytics leaders looking to have impact in a new role, is:
Build trust with sponsors
Be in the room for the conversation (or have a ‘friend’ who is)
Be bold, brave and lean into the culture of the organisation
Target a few wins which maintain belief, value and visibility
Unlock the Potential of your People Analytics Function with Insight222
At Insight222, our mission is to make organisations better by putting people analytics at the centre of business and upskilling the HR profession The Insight222 People Analytics Program® is your gateway to a world of knowledge, networking, and growth. Developed exclusively for people analytics leaders and their teams, the program equips you with the frameworks, guidance, learnings, and connections you need to create greater impact.
As the landscape of people analytics becomes increasingly complex, with data, technology, and ethical considerations at the forefront, our program brings together over one hundred organisations to collectively address these shared challenges.
Insight222 Peer Meetings, like the event in London, are a core component of the Insight222 People Analytics Program®. They allow participants to learn, network and co-create solutions together with the purpose of ultimately growing the business value that people analytics can deliver to their organisations. If you would like to learn more, contact us today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Naomi is an experienced business professional with over 15 years’ experience, mainly in the financial services industry. She has undertaken roles as a HR business partner, HR chief of staff and as a commercial banker during her time at Barclays Bank. In the last six years Naomi has dedicated her career to people analytics, with particular expertise in consulting with business executives, HR leaders and other stakeholders. Naomi took a career break in the mid 2010s to travel around South America to learn Spanish and immerse herself in the Latin American culture. In her spare time, she loves to watch professional athletics, having once been a junior national athlete herself. She currently lives in the UK.