The 6 lamest reasons for not digging into HR metrics
If compiling and analyzing metrics can help HR become a strategic business partner, why don’t more firms use them?
Simple: Though rewarding, finding and using metrics can be challenging.
Here are six reasons HR pros give for not implementing metrics at their company – and why those reasons are bunk:
- “We don’t have anyone analytical on our HR staff.” Yes, compiling metrics does involve its fair share of mathematics.
If no one in HR is confident enough in their ability to handle the formulas involved, try partnering with someone in your company who is – an analyst, for example, or an accountant. - “We don’t know what to measure.” With so many options available, some HR pros may just throw up their hands rather than attempt to comb through the lengthy list of metrics options to find the ones that will work best.
Solution: Start with your organizational strategy. What are two or three of the biggest problems affecting HR or the company right now?
Concentrate on finding metrics that can measure just those issues. Only after you’ve done that should you consider branching out. - “Upper management doesn’t understand why we should measure HR.” Maybe the execs upstairs don’t see a benefit in measuring HR’s effectiveness. The way around that: Start small.
Before you begin measuring things left and right, choose one small area to analyze and present that information (if it’s valuable) to senior management. That’ll put you in a better position to argue for a more intense campaign in the future. - “The data we’d need is scattered throughout different departments and is hard to access.” The information necessary to get a solid metrics strategy underway won’t all be in the same place.
With metrics that encompass everything from compensation to benefits to training, HR pros have to put their best sleuthing hats on to gather all the data needed. That treasure hunt stands as just one more obstacle in HR’s way, and a reason some HR pros don’t even bother.
Tip: Only look for or compile the information you actually need. If you focus your metrics effort on areas that your organization is trying to address, you’ll narrow the amount of data that needs to be accumulated.
That means you’ll spend less time buried in a pile of file folders and staff member surveys and more time actually looking at potentially valuable information. - “We don’t have time.” Let’s face it: Not many HR pros are sitting around twiddling their thumbs these days. With HR as busy as ever, who can blame them for saying they don’t have a second to spare digging through raw data?
But one of the major benefits of using metrics is determining exactly what HR should be focusing on. Investing time in metrics will ensure that the time that’s so valuable to you now is being used for the right reasons in the future. - “We’ve tried to use metrics before, but no one did anything with the data.” It’s possible you’ve already had a negative experience with metrics. Many firms go through the effort of choosing the right metrics to look at, finding and analyzing the data, and presenting it to managers and senior staff, only to have it fall by the wayside. (A common complaint: “Only a couple of our managers even looked at the data we emailed to everyone.”)
A potential reason that happens: lousy presentation.
One of the keys to a successful metrics strategy is presenting the new information you’ve come across in a memorable and striking way. Rows and columns of data more often than not will make people’s eyes glaze over.
If you go through with a metrics strategy and fail to follow through by presenting the new information in an engaging way, you may as well have not even bothered at all.
If you’re not particularly design-oriented, partner with someone in the company who is. An employee or manager in design could have some good, quick tips on how to present the information in an engaging way.
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