A data-driven culture is essential for the people analytics function to deliver value at scale for their organisation. Only through a partnership with data-literate HR colleagues can the people analytics team ensure it is working on the most important business challenges and scale solutions across the enterprise.

There is no question that people analytics has an important role to play in building data literacy at scale across HR. Insight222’s latest research – Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale – found that 78% of the companies surveyed state that the people analytics function owns the mission to upskill HR to be more data-driven as one of its primary responsibilities.

The People Analytics Leader is the Best Person to Be Responsible for Scaling Data Literacy

Exactly “who” is responsible for the delivery of a programme of building data literacy in HR is a factor in its success. Our research found that when the people analytics leader takes (or is given) responsibility, success is more likely, compared with when the people analytics leader does not take responsibility. If the people analytics leader has upskilling HR to be data-driven as one of their primary responsibilities, it is almost twice as likely that HR practitioners are actively developing their data literacy skills (60% versus 31%).

Additionally, if the people analytics leader is responsible for building data literacy in HR, they are more than twice as likely to secure increased investment (63% versus 25%).

So, making sure the right person – the people analytics leader – is responsible will deliver the best outcomes for HR practitioners. It will also secure the right amount of investment, which in turn will ensure the upskilling programme achieves long-term success for the HR function overall.

Specific Skills That the People Analytics Leader Needs for Upskilling HR in Data Literacy

To deliver on this responsibility, the people analytics leader will need specific skills, in order to make such a programme successful. Our survey asked which skills people analytics leaders need, to have the desired credibility in leading the upskilling of HR. The evidence is clear. The expectation on a people analytics leader is to have executive impact and deliver change through a sustained cultural programme of upskilling in data literacy.

To be successful in in leading the upskilling of HR, the most important skills that the people analytics leader requires are:

Storytelling: the ability to explain data and insights in a compelling narrative across a multitude of different audiences and stakeholders. Alongside well-honed communication and presentation skills, the people analytics leader must have personal credibility in the art of storytelling.
Consulting: the ability to dissect problems, frame key business challenges, elicit hypotheses and build meaningful relationships. These are essential components of the consulting skillset for a people analytics leader to deliver an upskilling programme effectively.
Executive-level influence: the ability to operate as a high-level executive, to make decisions and recommend future actions in an evidence-based way. These skills are important for the people analytics leader to convince and lead a complex programme of upskilling (possibly hundreds of) practitioners.
Organisational political acumen: the ability to understand organisational relationships, influence others and resist influence as required. This is needed to identify and nurture influential allies within the HR leadership team and across the HR function to deliver the upskilling programme.
Change management: the ability to help people understand and drive change with strong communication and project skills. This is needed to transform the HR function from the current state to a more data-literate state through a multi-year programme.

Skills Needed Across a Team Delivering a Programme of Upskilling for HR

To be successful, the people analytics leader will also need to be supported by a team possessing consulting, storytelling, change management and programme management skills.

(Source: Insight222 Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale)

Change management – the process of planning, implementing, and managing changes across an organisation in a systematic and structured way to achieve a goal – is essential for an upskilling programme to create systemic behavioural change. Building data literacy at scale will not be a “one-off” effort and will need to be approached and managed as a multi-year change journey. Finding effective change management skills will be important for the people analytics leader.

Learning design, training delivery and training administration capabilities will need to be sourced through an insourcing arrangement with the in-house learning team or outsourced to an expert data literacy training provider – or a combination of both.

Who Champions Data Literacy Upskilling in Global HR Organisations?

In global organisations committed to building data literacy at scale across HR, the people analytics leader is responsible for implementing the data literacy programme over a multi-year period. In some organisations, the people analytics leader is supported by a partnership with the Head of Learning. The people analytics leader will want to be successful – as Madhura Chakrabarti explains in an episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, “The success of the people insights and analytics team lies or depends on data literacy of the entire function”. As long as the people analytics leader has the required skills and the right team to scale their upskilling efforts, they will be far more successful in their endeavours than others.

To find out more about Insight222’s recommendations for building data literacy in HR – including the importance of role modelling, investment and the core skills HR need to learn. – download the Insight222 Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale report.

Naomi Verghese

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.

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Enable Your People Analytics Leader and Drive Business Success With Our Insight222 Consulting Service

The right partner can help you on this journey. That's why at Insight222, we have created our 'Enable' consulting services to support you in developing a successful people analytics program and empower your new People Analytics Leader. Through this process, we will help clear the path for the new leader by understanding the current state of your people analytics, identifying key stakeholders, and supporting them during their first 100 days.

Our experienced team of people analytics consultants can help you maximise your HR analytics initiatives and unlock greater business value. So, if you're ready to take your people analytics to the next level, contact us today.

Who Holds the Responsibility for Scaling Data Literacy Across HR?