Here at PayScale, we conduct ongoing research to understand the complicated relationship between compensation, how people feel about their salary and the many other factors that impact employee satisfaction. Over and over again, we’ve learned that nearly no one is…
Research Archives
The ‘Walk Down the Hall’ Method of Handling Analytics Demands
The first challenge of an analytics department is that they are off on their own and no one else in the company knows what they do. The second challenge is that they get discovered and everyone starts thinking of studies…
A Brief Guide to Data-Driven Scenario Planning
Preparing to increase headcount at a large organization is like comparing the cost of bread at different supermarkets: At your regular neighborhood store, a loaf might cost $2.28, but at a high-end store, a loaf might cost $3.98. In a…
6 Steps for Making Smart Decisions With Wearables Data
Several years ago, data gathered from sociometric badges (wearable devices equipped with sensors) revealed something interesting about the Bank of America’s call center employees: Those with the fastest “average call handling time” were also the most social. The company then…
What’s Best for Chains: Centralized or Local Hiring? It Depends
There’s a trend in the marketplace these days to go local. Restaurants and grocery stores are touting locally sourced ingredients while Small Business Saturday (tomorrow, Nov. 25) offers a local antidote to the mad Christmas shopping rush at the mall….
What Do You Do When Your Preliminary Data Comes Back to Haunt You?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where someone (usually your boss or a higher-up) makes an announcement or a decision using draft or preliminary figures that you had given them some time ago? Only today the correct figures are different…
This Bank’s HR Is Now Spending Time Analyzing Instead of Compiling
As HR analysts, we face the challenge of harnessing data to produce reports on everything from short-term incentive plans, benefits, hiring and compensation, to external auditing and compliance requests. Compiling this data is not always simple, since it’s often trapped…
Don’t Hire a Data Scientist to Lead Your People Analytics
The head of people analytics is a new role in HR and from what I’ve seen most organizations are not quite sure what kind of person they need. The tendency is to lean towards someone who has some expertise with…
We’re Spending More Time Online, But Doing What?
As I’ve written in the past, Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends report is a treasure trove of data that most HR professionals miss. That’s because the report isn’t about HR trends, it’s about internet trends. But almost any way you…
Read This Before You Buy a Recruitment Marketing Platform
“Over 70% of companies are planning to invest in solutions with recruitment marketing capabilities over the next 12 months.” This is one of the opening observations in Aptitude Research’s Recruitment Marketing Index 2017, a comprehensive review of the world of…
Why Data Needs a Story to Make a Difference
Trying to sell a new idea or program to senior leadership? Or showcase your organization’s features to win a corporate award or land a grant? We’ve all been told that “making the business case” comes down to having good data. But while…
6 Steps Every Company Can Take to Develop Women Leaders
This is second of two parts on gender diversity in leadership positions. Today’s article offers some steps organizations can take to develop future women leaders. Part one is here. ———— Between 2015 and 2016, the percentage of women in the…
Deloitte Report: Technology Is Changing All the Rules
Deloitte’s annual human capital report was just published. I look forward to this one every year because it’s backed by a massive amount of data collection and analysis, it’s easy to read, it always throws at least one curve ball,…
On the Four Stages of Workforce Analytics, Where Are You?
When it comes to your HR projects list this year, put workforce analytics first. The talent management industry has been discussing workforce analytics for years, but 2016 witnessed some of the biggest leaps toward true big data capabilities. Organizations are…
Want to Avoid the Latest HR Fad? Then Dig Into Your Workforce Intelligence
Today, at a time when hiring, new job creation and voluntary turnover are at 5-year highs, there is no shortage of CEOs making bold talent policy moves. Indeed, these kinds of programs can increase engagement and productivity. However, they can…
LinkedIn’s Recruiting Survey: The Big Question – Why So Little Data From the U.S?
There’s no denying that Linkedin is a 600 pound gorilla in the talent acquisition space. But as I write that, I wonder in what space exactly Linkedin is. Wikipedia says Linkedin is a business-oriented social networking service. Linkedin says it’s…
How to Measure Culture and Prevent “Leadership Malpractice”
In medicine, prescription before diagnosis is considered malpractice. This seems obvious, as any rational person would be horrified if a doctor prescribed treatment without first taking vitals, asking questions or running tests to determine the problem. This ready-fire-aim approach is…
Tech Insights: Measuring What Matters, or How HR Should We Evaluate EAPs?
Employee assistance programs (EAPs) make sense because they improve productivity by helping employees with personal problems. Of course, that presumes they work. If they don’t work then they are a waste of time and money. Do we know if EAPs…