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Get Started With HR Analytics

Evolve your data-driven HR function with purposeful HR analytics.

  • Building a successful HR analytics capability in-house requires significant time and resources, and organizations are often challenged with knowing where to start.
  • HR analytics has not historically been an area of HR expertise, with few HR professionals being trained to perform analytics.

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Speak With An Analyst.


  • Get on-demand project support
  • Get advice, coaching, and insight at key project milestones
  • Go through a Guided Implementation to help you get through your project

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • Tapping into the potential of HR analytics isn’t about the most complex or innovative solution.
  • It starts with defining the purpose of HR analytics, asking the right questions to solve business challenges, and investing in the infrastructure, skillsets, and technology required to identify appropriate solutions.

Impact and Result

  • The best use of HR analytics depends on each organization’s business challenges and context and requires significant investment into four foundational building blocks: ethical guidelines, data governance, technology, and analytics team skillsets.
  • With a cross-functional stakeholder team, identify the gaps in the organization’s ethical guidelines, data governance processes, technology, and analytics team skillsets that are required to deliver on the analytics agenda.
  • Plan to address gaps in the foundational building blocks required to deliver on the analytics agenda. Leverage the successes of early projects and stakeholder feedback to scale the use of analytics to optimize business decisions across the organization.

Get Started With HR Analytics Research & Tools

1. Define the purpose of HR analytics

Identify key stakeholders, define the purpose, and identify and prioritize HR analytics needs to draft an initial analytics agenda.

2. Identify gaps in HR analytics building blocks

Identify and prioritize gaps to address within each HR analytics building block: ethical guidelines, data governance, technology, and analytics skillset.

3. Plan to address gaps in HR analytics building blocks

Plan to close gaps in each HR analytics building block.

4. Prepare to launch and scale the use of HR analytics

Create a business case and action and communication plan to address and iterate on HR analytics.


Workshop: Get Started With HR Analytics

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Define the Purpose of HR Analytics

The Purpose

Define the purpose and prioritize the need for HR analytics in the organization.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • A completed purpose statement for HR analytics in the organization
  • A list of prioritized needs for HR analytics
  • Focused goals and metrics for HR analytics

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Define the purpose of HR analytics in the organization.

  • Purpose statement
1.2

Review strategic documents to identify needs for analytics.

1.3

Prioritize needs for HR analytics.

  • Prioritized needs for HR analytics
1.4

Identify goals and metrics.

  • Goals and metrics
1.5

Homework: Brainstorm research questions for the analytics agenda.

Module 2: Draft Analytics Agenda and Identify Required Analytics

The Purpose

Draft analytics agenda and map required analytics to research questions.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Determined research questions and analytics for the analytics agenda
  • An understanding of the gaps in the ethical guidelines

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Draft research questions for the analytics agenda.

  • Research questions and required analytics in analytics agenda
2.2

Map required analytics to research questions in the analytics agenda.

2.3

Identify initial gaps in ethical guidelines to deliver on agenda.

  • List of gaps in ethical guidelines
2.4

Homework: Review analytics skillsets content slides and organizational information (e.g. skills inventories, job descriptions, HR individual talent profiles) on current skillsets.

Module 3: Identify Initial Gaps in HR Analytics Building Blocks

The Purpose

Identify and prioritize initial gaps in HR analytics.

Key Benefits Achieved

Identified and prioritized list of gaps in data governance, technology, and analytics skillset to address

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Identify initial gaps in data governance and technology to deliver on agenda.

3.2

Identify initial gaps in analytics skillset to deliver on analytics agenda.

  • List of gaps in data governance, technology, and analytics skillset to address
3.3

Prioritize identified gaps based on size and importance to deliver on analytics agenda.

  • Prioritized gaps to address
3.4

Homework: Review content and start to initially brainstorm actions to close gaps.

Module 4: Plan to Address Initial Gaps in HR Analytics Building Blocks

The Purpose

Create a plan to address initial gaps in HR analytics building blocks.

Key Benefits Achieved

A detailed list of brainstormed actions to close the initial gaps in HR analytics building blocks

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Brainstorm actions to close gaps in ethical guidelines, data governance, skillsets, and technology.

  • List of actions to close gaps

Module 5: Prepare to Launch and Scale the Use of HR Analytics

The Purpose

Create a plan to launch and scale the use of HR analytics.

Key Benefits Achieved

A completed action and communication plan to launch and scale the use of HR analytics

Activities

Outputs

5.1

Prioritize actions to address gaps and deliver on the analytics agenda.

  • Prioritized actions
5.2

Draft a high-level action and communication plan.

  • Action and communication plan
Get Started With HR Analytics preview picture

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 6 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Define the purpose of HR analytics
  • Call 1: Discuss the purpose of HR analytics and prioritize HR analytics needs.
  • Call 2: Draft initial research questions and required analytics for analytics agenda.

Guided Implementation 2: Identify gaps in HR analytics building blocks
  • Call 1: Identify gaps in HR analytics building blocks (ethical guidelines, data governance, technology, and analytics skillset).
  • Call 2: Prioritize HR analytics gaps.

Guided Implementation 3: Plan to address gaps in HR analytics building blocks
  • Call 1: Identify actions to close prioritized gaps in HR analytics building blocks (ethical guidelines, data governance, technology, and analytics skillset).

Guided Implementation 4: Prepare to launch and scale the use of HR analytics
  • Call 1: Develop an action and communication plan to implement and scale the analytics agenda.

Contributors

  • Arjun Asokakumar, Director of Data Science – People Analytics
  • Benjamin Borchorst, Engagement Manager, Implement Consulting Group
  • Luc Bourgeois, Director, Research Innovation, Morneau Shepell
  • Robert Carlyle, AVP, Strategic People Analytics, Sun Life Financial
  • Xiaoxi Chang, People Analytics Advisor, Payments Canada
  • Dr. Salvatore Falletta, Professor and Program Director for Human Resource Development, Drexel University
  • Marge Hartwick, HR Advisor, People Analytics, Husky Energy
  • Geoff Ho, Director, Research & Analytics, HR
  • Zack Johnson, GM, Strategic Solutions & Partnerships, Visier Inc.
  • Miranda McKie, Inclusion and Diversity Analytics Consultant, McKie & Consultants
  • Ashlyn Patterson, Associate Director, Employee Experience Analytics & Insights, OMERS
  • Mark Peco, Analytics Consultant and Instructor, Camar Solutions and Management Consulting