There is still a lot of discussion about data-driven HR and also what capabilities you need as an HR analyst to do your job well. For the record, I see HR analytics as a way of working for an (HR) organization: a data-driven approach to make better decisions on the human side of an organization. It includes a range of tools and techniques, ranging from relatively simple reports of HR indicators and KPIs to complex, predictive analytics. As an HR analyst you must have quite some capacities (both your own qualities and sources and tools) to sufficiently support your organization so that they can actually make data-driven decisions and start actions.
Interview technique
Every project, whether it is an analysis or a report, starts with a good definition of the question. What is the key question? Interviewing techniques should be part of the standard package of a good analyst to be able to start at all. As interviewer, limit yourself to asking questions and let the interviewee talk as much as possible. Listen closely to what he or she says and summarize this every so often, so everyone knows that the message has been received. Don’t interpret what interviewees say; ask them to clarify what they mean. Continue asking questions until you have the ultimate answer or until further questioning reveals no new information. Use your pre-prepared questions as a checklist, but feel free to deviate from the topic if the discussion demands it. Keep the goal—finding the key question or business question—in view at all times.
HR system data.
Apart from the fact that an HR analyst must of course have access to this data, it is also important that he or she is familiar with the internal processes and the structure of the databases, in order to be able to understand and use the data, but also to assess the quality of the data. I myself have always preferred to do the entire cleansing and processing myself, but you can of course also use IT or external parties. It is, however, important that you understand what needs to be done to make data usable for analysis or reporting.
Surveys
Data often helps answering questions such as what and how, but for the "why" you sometimes need additional research. Although I don't come across it in practice often yet, I believe that the HR analyst is the one within an organization who should be responsible for employee surveys and other surveys related to HR (eg culture). If you combine research with data from your HR systems you enrich the information on both sides. A good analyst therefore knows how to set up a survey, how to get the response as high as possible, what good questions are, and how to process research data (statistics!). For the execution of the research itself you obviously have the choice: do it yourself or outsource. Please note: the Works Council often does not accept it if you yourself link research data to HR data, for the very simple reason that you then have to have access to individual respondents, and therefore answers. And that is sometimes sensitive.
Analysis of expertise and tools
Of course the party only starts when you have the question and the dates. A variety of tools are available. I always find it important that you use 'tools' for the 'cleansing' and 'enrichment' of data that enable "repetition" or even "automation", so that you don't have to do this work manually every time. You also have tools specially for "visual analysis" and reporting, and tools for "real" analysis and / or predictive models. Of course I assume that an HR analyst knows how an analysis works, what it does, and what the pitfalls are.
Context
Data never stands on its own, so in the analysis it is always important to also understand the context. What are the general trends in this area, what is going on within this department, etc. Good cooperation with HR colleagues and with the internal customer is therefore important, as well as general knowledge of the HR world.
Reporting and presentation technique
Have you done a super analysis, but nobody understands it or wants to do something with it? Then there is probably one thing missing from your package of skills: how to present and visualize the collected data in a correct but especially effective way, and how to influence and convince people. Often this last piece remains underexposed, which greatly reduces the power of the information.
That was my list. I personally hope that many people choose the profession of HR analyst. I would love to meet them!