Does the question “Can you run a quick report?” give you hives?

HR departments tend to amass large quantities of data about employees, yet, for many, implementing well-oiled data-driven processes remains frustratingly out of reach. The 2021 State of HR Analytics report, from the HR Research Institute and Oracle, found that only 44% of organizations are “good or very good at gathering people analytics” data and even fewer (29%) are “good or very good at making positive changes” based on that data.

HR Brew asked several experts about common barriers to effective data analysis—and how to solve them.

In a field that’s increasingly data-obsessed, why does HR struggle to analyze data?

• Missed connections. Andi Britt, senior partner of talent and transformation at IBM Consulting, said data is often collected “sporadically, in varying formats into different HR technology systems,” which can create siloes. “Once a silo is created, it grows from there, and it’s increasingly difficult to break those siloes down.”
• DTV (Define the variable). According to Jamaal Justice, managing director at Deloitte, and Alison DiFlorio, managing partner of the human capital division at consulting firm Exude, it’s near impossible to collect useful information if you’re not crystal clear about what you’re measuring. “At the most basic level, many organizations never set up data standards that defined common assumptions regarding primary measures, such as full-time employee (FTE),” Justice told HR Brew.

DiFlorio said setting up these systems “takes time” and warned against rushing: “Once a system is implemented, it is extremely difficult and time-consuming to go back and correct work rules. Dedicated time and resources on the front end of implementation is key to a successful system launch.”

What should HR departments’ 2022 New Year’s resolutions be to collect, organize, and deploy data effectively?

• Time to train. Justice recommended training all HR team members in the hard skills in order to build a “well-rounded team with the foundational skills to operate an effective analytics.” Training should include fundamentals in “data literacy, database and data visualization skills,” as well as “knowledge of statistical models.”
• Jump on spring cleaning. DiFlorio said step one is to “create a data quality plan to clean up existing data.” She admitted that “this can seem like a daunting task.” Her recommendation is to break it up into pieces to make it more manageable. Once you identify issues, “establish a solid process for entering data moving forward” and “regularly review reports for accuracy” to keep the data squeaky clean.

Bottom line: Just start, says Maria Colacurcio, CEO of Syndio, a pay-equity technology firm. Colacurcio thinks that the worst mistake an HR team can make is to suffer from “analysis paralysis” where they wait for the data to be perfect before taking any steps forward.

Read the whole story here.—SV

Do you work in HR or have information about your HR department we should know? Contact Susanna Vogel via the encrypted messaging apps Signal and Telegram (@SusannaVogel) or simply email [email protected].

Though nearly half of US employers believe Covid-19 vaccine mandates could help recruit and retain employees, almost one-third of employers say they will only require employees to get vaccinated if courts uphold OSHA’s shot-or-test mandate.

That’s according to survey data from Willis Towers Watson, a worldwide advisory, broking, and solutions company. Over 543 employers that collectively employ 5.2 million people participated in the survey.

The only thing certain is uncertainty. The survey results suggest two possible reasons for continuing resistance to vaccine mandates in the private sector: fear of losing talent and fatigue over seemingly endless updates to Covid policies.

Thirty-one percent of employers who are considering implementing a vaccine mandate are very concerned that mandates could contribute to employees leaving their organizations, according to the survey. In reality, this may not be a cause for concern: The same survey found that only 3% of employers who have instituted mandates said the policy was a factor that contributed to “many” employees leaving. Nearly half of employers surveyed, however, said their vaccine requirement was a factor for “a few” employees leaving.

A second cause for concern: the dread of having to issue, then revise yet another workplace Covid policy. HR and employees alike are fatigued by the constant changes to workplace policies in response to a virus that keeps mutating. Some employers may only want to implement a mandate that will last.

The federal mandate, which would require employers with 100 or more employees to verify workers are vaccinated against Covid-19 or submit to at-least-weekly testing, faces numerous legal challenges, including questioning if the order meets the “grave danger” standard to fall within OSHA’s legal jurisdiction and if it’s consistent with past departmental guidance. On Monday a federal judge partially blocked the White House’s efforts to roll out a vaccine mandate for certain health care workers in 10 states. On Tuesday, another federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the mandate for government contractors and subcontractors in three additional states.

Bottom line: This survey was conducted before the new Covid-19 variant Omicron entered the chat. Scientists are rushing to see how the strain compares to past variants like Delta. Employers can expect to receive their first insights into Omicron, possibly including how transmissible the strain is and if current vaccinations are effective at combating infections, in about two weeks. —SV

Do you work in HR or have information about your HR department we should know? Contact Susanna Vogel via the encrypted messaging apps Signal and Telegram (@SusannaVogel) or simply email [email protected].

As part of HR Brew’s ongoing interview series with HR chief executives, we recently sat down for a Zoom chat with Kali Beyah, the global chief talent officer at Huge, a digital marketing agency with over 1,200 employees across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, covered DE&I, return to work, retention, and how Beyah cultivates a unified workplace culture among employees spread out all over the word.

How do you maintain unified policies across a company that is operating in so many different continents?

So just from an HR policy standpoint, we’ve really evolved our structure. We have leads for talent partners, who are the folks who support every office, and we’ve really been explicit about a goal, to say it’s actually in everybody’s interest to get a little more aligned.

I’ve used the analogy that everybody has a tire, and it might be that in Singapore, you put this kind of rim on it, and California has really cool wheels...but at the end of the day, we all have wheels on the same car. And the way we’re doing [it] structurally, we shifted to have a lead talent partner with an express goal. They just said, “This is where we’re going.” And it gives everyone more space to not be re-creating the wheel in every market.

What are your company’s current policies on how, where, and when people work, and do you expect those to change in the year ahead? And if so, how?

I’m going to back up before I get to the how and the when, to talk about the baseline that we started with when we thought about how to approach return to office and the future of work at Huge…And my own words would be that martyrdom is overrated, that great work requires great rest, [and] that people who are well and whole can deliver better culture, partnerships, and work for our clients and for each other.

We’re not just changing how we work and we’re not going to just tell you what our policies are. We want to talk about a mindset, if you will. And that was a really important foundation for us, to say, “We want you to know we’re thinking of [you] as a person.” Not just, “Will the doors open?” “What days will you be here?” Not just those logistics.

As part of this holistic approach we wanted to have what we call “Huge holidays,” so we will close globally three weeks out of the year, spread throughout the year. The thought being that when you close globally, the quality of the downtime is better. It really lets you sort of not be, “Oh, my email.”

Read the whole interview here.—JDS

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: A survey of HR professionals found that 42% of those grappling with retention challenges have implemented or expanded remote-work or flexibility options in an attempt to reduce turnover. (SHRM)

Quote: “Rather than begin searching for a new position when they’re unhappy or burned out—typically years into a role—some workers are opting to seek a better opportunity from day one. This mindset is a kind of ‘Great Flirtation’ with new jobs: a constantly wandering eye to other openings, regardless of how long a worker has been in a role, and how content they are in their current job.”—Alex Christian, BBC Worklife

Read: Year-end bonuses are great, but if you’re really worried about retention, Suzanne Lucas says your best bet is to show your employees the money by giving them raises with long-term incentives.

Four of these company holiday party-planning tips from SHRM are real, and one is not. Can you spot the fake?

• Give employees the option of attending the party virtually.
• Tell employees not to dance provocatively.
• Opt for high-top tables with no chairs.
• Limit the number of guests employees can bring to one or none.
• Make sure someone from HR monitors employee behavior for the duration of the party.

Scroll down for the answer.

Catch up on the top HR Brew stories from the recent past:

• The advantages (and hidden pitfalls) of flex work schedules
• Two lawsuits from white male executives could impact DE&I initiatives
• The way we work isn’t working. Author Charlie Warzel blames middle management

Actually, HR should not monitor the party directly, says HR consultant Sharlyn Lauby. “I’ve always felt employees were waiting for HR to leave the party so they could let loose a little,” Lauby told SHRM. “So, once the entrees were served and speeches over, I left. Another senior manager would make sure that things didn’t get out of hand. The employees would tell me how much they respected the fact that I didn’t hang around to watch over them.”

For more, here’s SHRM’s “checklist” for planning an in-person company holiday party in 2021.