Transforming HR: from corporate police to strategic coach with people analytics

“You don’t have people problems until you get HR”.

Ouch! Can you believe that I've heard this from some business owners and execs? Let's shine a light on Human Resources (HR). 🔦

🦸‍♀️ HR are the superheroes in the background that action business growth and talent development. They are the custodians of culture – after all, your company culture is made up of people and driven by people. 

HR holds the key to your strategic advantage as they directly influence who you bring into the business.  That is if you enable them, and don’t just consider them the police to enforce rules and procedures. For some companies, HR folks are still seen as a cost centre and the rule enforcers - not considering them vital in proactively driving culture and business success. 

Well, I’m glad to say those times are changing – there is a real shift when it comes to HR.

These days, we're talking about HR as strategic coaches and enablers of people and leaders. This shift isn't just about shaking up old views – it's about reshaping the very role of HR.

How, you ask? What superpower sits behind these superheroes in the shadows that wasn’t readily available before? 

The answer is people analytics! 👀

Powerful tools that help drive not just individual performance, but also take entire organisations to new heights of understanding teams and organisational behaviour. If you can understand individual, team and organisation behaviour, you can predict success.

Becoming the strategic coach and enablers

This isn't just a case of switching up job titles to include the words people or culture. We're talking about a whole new movement and mindset here, one where HR folk are seen as the key players in actioning business strategies and impacting outcomes through the data driven decisions they make. 🚀

Here are 3 things HR can do to become the strategic coach and enablers:

1. Focus on individual qualities to predict performance

We're all unique, right? That's why understanding and playing to individual strengths can make a difference at work. We believe getting to know the real 'you' is key to unlocking individual potential.

Imagine if there was a tool that can help individuals uncover just that... Well, good news, there is! Our work personality assessment can help people pinpoint their dominant work style. 

This isn't just good for the individual, it's great for HR too. They get to see where each person shines, and can match roles and duties accordingly. 

And it's not about pigeonholing people. Instead, we're talking about creating a more personalised approach at work, one that tailors to individual strengths and diversity of thought. 💭

When done right, it's empowering, it fosters recognition, and it can really drive performance and satisfaction too.

2. Analyse team dynamics for enhanced collaboration

When we look at team dynamics, it's not about understanding who's who and what they do. It's about exploring how these individuals morph into an even bigger and better entity - a high-performing team - and how their individual work preferences combine and complement each other, influencing team behaviour and performance. 

🕵️ With people analytics, HR can play detectives, discovering hidden patterns in team composition, communication, and collaboration. Team dynamics are like a treasure map, guiding us toward improved teamwork and productivity. 

HR is not only skilled at building effective teams but can now excel at creating resilient and adaptable groups capable of embracing change with confidence.

It's not only about the individuals; it's also about the magic that unfolds when they come together and unite as a team. 

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts!

With the aid of people analytics, you can enhance that magic even further. 🪄

3. Design the environment to be aligned with organisational goals

The environment where we spend much of our day greatly impacts how we work and how engaged we feel in our jobs. It’s more than just the desk, chair, or even the table tennis table in the corner. 

The behaviours that get recognised and rewarded - or discouraged / punished - send a clear message about what’s valued in the workplace and how tasks should be approached to obtain business goals. These cultural norms shape not only how we feel and think but also how we interact with one another.

HR plays a pivotal role in understanding and influencing the interaction between individual preferences, team dynamics, and organisational culture. Through people analytics, HR can gather data to assess how well individual and team behaviours align with the company’s culture and ultimately the company goals. 🥅

For example, if data reveals that employees feel stifled by a micromanaging or rule-bound culture, HR can implement management training to encourage greater autonomy. 

If a team focused on execution struggles with strategic initiatives, HR can adjust team composition by integrating more visionary thinkers or redefining KPIs to reward strategic behaviour. 

Similarly, where an organisation has a reactive culture that constantly deals with issues on the fly, HR can drive a shift toward a more proactive, strategic approach by embedding long-term planning tools and implementing initiatives that reward forward-thinking behaviours.

🎯 This data-driven approach allows HR to identify cultural misalignments and make adjustments, whether through reshaping team structures, refining practices, or shifting the overall culture to align better with organisational objectives. 

By analysing the relationship between individuals, teams, and culture, HR can anticipate how these dynamics impact business outcomes, crafting strategies that foster high-performing teams, and a work environment that supports long-term success. 

🤝 This ensures that behaviours, team focus, and culture work cohesively to drive optimal results.

What next? How can I get started?

👉 To get you started, we've put together a free online assessment to discover your work preferences based on your personality type. 

This will also highlight your potential blind spots at work and give you insight into your main contributions to a team.

Designed by a corporate psychologist, our short assessment can get you started using people analytics to make the transition to strategic coaching easier.