Max Blumberg talks with Uri Gal, Associate Professor for Information Systems at the University of Sydney. The push to use data and analytics to drive decision-making in HR - as in the wider business - continues apace around the world. To varying degrees of advancement and success, human instinct continues to give ground to algorithms in guiding business strategy. As a sociologist as well as an analyst, Uri talks with Max about what he sees as the potential pitfalls along the seemingly inexorable data-driven journey:  The major assumptions behind People Analytics, and how valid these assumptions really are The dangers involving bias, and whether analytics is a help or a hindrance in overcoming it Ethical issues involved in People Analytics - privacy, employee isolation and the mechanised workforce Practical issues - the impact on managerial skills, innovation and worker motivation.  A provocative conversation that challenges a lot of the mainstream thought in this area. Please leave your comments below - join the conversation.

TPAP018 Cautionary Advice for People Analytics

Weekly interviews with leading practitioners, thought leaders and pioneers in the field of People Analytics, drawing in Workforce Planning, Employee Insight and game-changing technology.

Find out what you can be doing to push ahead with your own work in People Analytics, and how your company can get a real competitive edge by using the latest methods and technologies as they emerge.

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Recorded after Cole Nussbaumer's most recent Data Visualisation Masterclass in London in February, David Green asks her about the philosophy behind Storytelling With Data. They talk about a couple of the lessons that were explored during the full-day session, and we also heard from fellow bestselling author and globally-recognised thought leader Bernard Marr, who was a participant in the workshop. If you're unsure about whether you need to attend this course, the next 8 minutes should make up your mind! Cole returns to London on 20 November for another public Storytelling With Data masterclass with Tucana. Sign up here: www.storytellingwithdata.co.uk

#TPAPodcast Live @ Storytelling With Data, London, Feb 2018

Max Blumberg speaks again with Alec Levenson about the strategic mindset that's needed for an organisation to work as an efficient whole. -  Register for Alec's masterclass on this topic, 10 April, London HR's position in business strategy is the subject of much discussion, as is the ongoing challenges in connecting the traditional people-centric culture of HR with the financial and operational culture of other areas of the organisation. In reality, there should be no disconnect at all. The underlying problem that leads to the siloed mentality - in all departments, not just HR - is a lack of Systems Thinking. The result is a situation where the various parts of the organisation work often in opposing directions, and the organisation as a whole suffers from this inefficiency. Alec's recent work has been around promoting this Systems mindset, and the enormous performance benefits that it can yield. In this week's episode, they discuss:  The concept of Systems Thinking The interconnectedness of disparate functions in an organisation The challenges for leadership in HR as much as wider business in tuning into this connectedness An overview of Alec's masterclass, and what people will learn from it The Hospital Analogy, and some practical advice on how to reassess how your organisation thinks. Moving from an unconscious collection of parts to a conscious, holistic system. 

TPAP022: Systems Thinking for a High-Performance Organisation

David Green speaks with Bernard Marr about the future directions in which People Analytics will take the HR profession. Bernard Marr will be launching his latest book "Data-Driven HR" at the People Analytics World conference on 11-12 April. As part of his research, as well as his consulting work, he has been exploring areas such as Blockchain, Machine Learning and AI, and Organisational Network Analysis in a practical sense of how they are applied in real organisations. The insights that these concepts and tools make possible can transform the operational capacity of HR - along with all other functions that embrace them - to a level that is more reactive, predictive, and intelligent in its actions. He talks with David Green about the way in which HR Analytics is changing the way the rest of business sees HR, and how the massive potential of this new technology is demanding a transformation in the mindset and operational structures of the People function of organisations both large and small.  In this week's episode, they discuss:  How things are not as bad for HR as some would have us believe The new tools that are now available What is holding the function back in the face of these opportunities Bernard's framework of organisational intelligence How HR can take the next step from Intelligent to Super-Intelligent The importance of storytelling for making sense of - and communicating the value of - the new insights that are being generated Issues of privacy, transparency and ownership What people can expect from his keynote at People Analytics World 2018. 

TPAP021: Building a Super-Intelligent HR Function

Mark Lawrence speaks with Cole Nussbaumer, one of the world's leading authorities on high-impact Data Visualisation techniques. It doesn't matter how good your data is; if your message is lost in clutter and noise, you're giving yourself an uphill task in driving the action you want. Cole has spent her career training professionals in how to communicate clearly, concisely and effectively with data, and how to tell a compelling story that drives home the message. She chats with Mark Lawrence about her career spanning Finance, Technology and HR - including being a key member of Google's original People Analytics team, where she taught them her own techniques that are now sought-after by organisations globally. They discuss some key themes in Data Visualisation, some common mistakes, and some extremely insightful and valuable tips on removing clutter and giving your presentations an enormous boost in impact. In this week's episode, they discuss:  The concept of storytelling with data Cole's experiences in various roles throughout her career Common pitfalls and styling choices that will cripple any presentation How to think about your data in the right way Cultural considerations that can have significant unforeseen consequences Practical advice on framing, reducing, highlighting and delivering your insight and message. 

TPAP020 Data Visualisation and Effective Storytelling

David Green speaks with Hani Nabeel, Director of Behavioural Analytics at Alderbrooke Group. Hani has been researching ways to quantify and measure employee behaviour, and demonstrate the causal links that contribute to - or detract from - the stated goals of the organisations. It's an elusive concept but one that is becming increasingly essential, in certain industries in particular that are facing stricter regulation and closer scrutiny of the internal culture. Until now, these have often been largely steered by simple goals such as revenue and productivity, but more complex challenges such as social responsibility, customer engagement, diversity and sustainability. In this week's episode, they discuss:  The history and nature of Behavioural Analytics The research currently taking place into putting behaviours into a practical and useful framework The false assumptions and contradictions that are present in a huge number of organisations The relationship between behaviour and work environment What you can do to identify and cultivate the behaviours that will genuinely contribute to the culture and strategy your organisation needs to flourish. 

TPAP018 Cautionary Advice for People Analytics

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