People are so wrong when they think that human resources professionals are bad at numbers and figures; we are pretty kickass. Don’t agree? Well, then you better start playing around with more facts, figures and number. And soon!
Ever made presentations that are based on ‘the feel on the floor’, ‘conversations with employees’, ‘hunches’, ‘what the market is saying’ and so on? Where are your numbers? What are they saying? I know that we do not have a lot to go on, but it’s more than enough.
Do you think your appraisal systems suck? Take a look at what your attrition numbers are saying and add that graph next to your point. Add what other companies graphs look like and then add some more tables, numbers and figures. Why am I saying this? Because very recently numbers and graphs opposed much of what I gathered from feel on the floor and other mediums. On a closer look, the deeper problem was somewhere totally else.
We thought our appraisal system was terrible. On gathering retention data, our appraisal numbers reflect maximum attrition at the bottom scorers and it kept reducing as you moved to the top performers. Isn’t this the kind of appraisal system you would hire consultants for?
What is your opinion on promotions? Do they help retain employees? Whatever your hunch, write it down on a piece of paper. Think about it and then see if the numbers reflect what you believe in. At our company, it does. The year on year attrition of those promoted was 8% lower than those who were not. It’s not a small number. Now, I’m not saying promote everyone, but hey, there’s a point.
Believe it or not, analysis of numbers says a lot. Besides, everyone at the table who matters – be it your CEO, CFO or business heads are all people who love numbers. Throw some at them and watch them sit up and take notice. It often helps us streamline our point and support with hard data. Remember all the blogs saying that analytics is the next big thing? Well, it is!
Start loving math & now!
The HR Business Partner Story 