Most business leaders now recognize that more data doesn’t automatically lead to better decisions. The sheer volume of metrics flowing through modern organizations can overwhelm teams, especially in HR. While systems track everything from employee engagement to recruitment performance, few organizations know how to extract the necessary insights for meaningful, strategic changes.
Business unit leaders—from CTOs to CMOs—face a critical challenge: data abundance vs. insight scarcity. It’s not just about collecting data but knowing what to do with it. Companies that thrive in the future of work will not be those with the most data, but those where business leaders have the capability to leverage data-driven insights for strategic decision-making.
Having spent over 20 years in workforce development, I’ve witnessed firsthand the struggles of business unit leaders attempting to navigate data overload. However, I’ve also seen the transformative impact when these leaders gain access to meaningful people analytics. When leaders harness people analytics effectively, they move beyond raw data, aligning insights with strategic goals and empowering their teams. This alignment not only improves performance but also positions HR as a key enabler of business outcomes—ultimately driving higher efficiency, increased employee performance, and reduced turnover across the organization. Research supports this: McKinsey reports that organizations where leaders effectively use people analytics can increase recruitment efficiency by up to 80%, cut employee attrition by 50%, and boost business productivity by 25%
Case Studies: HR Analytics in Action
Let’s explore some real-world examples, starting with Remitly, a global digital financial services company that specializes in cross-border payments. With 2,700 employees spread across multiple functions, business unit leaders faced a common challenge: they needed quick access to workforce insights to drive real-time decisions. Building an in-house solution could have taken years, but the company implemented an AI platform that transformed how data was accessed and used. In the words of Robert Kaskel, Remitly’s Chief People Officer, “Quick access to data that builds awareness and helps inform business decisions was key.”
Importantly, it wasn’t just HR using the insights—more than 100 leaders across departments adopted the platform to align their strategies with real-time workforce data.
Another example of a company successfully leveraging people analytics is IBM, which used AI and people analytics to predict with 95% accuracy which employees were likely to quit. This allowed business unit leaders to address concerns proactively.
Similarly, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) leveraged people analytics to identify traits of great managers and improve branch performance. The bank's People Analytics group collected and analyzed large volumes of data about employees, customers, and business unit performance to support the company's strategic goals. This initiative helped RBC diagnose performance issues in specific branches, regions, or product innovations.
This represents the transformation that all business leaders need: HR data shouldn’t remain siloed; it must be democratized and accessible to all decision-makers.
Key Strategies for Effective People Analytics
As HR technologies mature, the ability to capture and store data has expanded exponentially. From recruitment metrics and performance evaluations to employee engagement surveys and exit interview notes, modern HR teams are sitting on a goldmine of information. But raw data, no matter how plentiful, is only as good as the insights it generates.
Most business leaders struggle to bridge the gap between data collection and insight creation. According to a SHRM research report, only 30% of companies have successfully integrated advanced analytics into their HR functions, leaving the rest bogged down by fragmented datasets that fail to offer a clear narrative.
This disconnect often results in missed opportunities:
Business leaders overwhelmed by reports that don't address their strategic needs
Incomplete or delayed analytics slowing down strategic workforce decisions
Limited visibility into people data, leading to uninformed decision-making
In such circumstances, the companies that win are those that make informed, data-driven decisions. For business leaders, this means moving beyond operational metrics—such as time-to-hire or employee satisfaction scores—and providing insights that answer deeper questions:
Which skills will their teams need in the next five years to stay competitive?
What factors are driving high employee turnover in their departments?
How can they align talent development initiatives with their business objectives?
These are not questions that raw data alone can answer. They require contextualized insights, predictive analytics, and a strategic mindset that connects people metrics to business outcomes.
The Future of HR Analytics: From Data Collectors to Strategic Advisors
The HR function of the future will not be defined by how much data it collects but by how effectively it transforms that data into insights that drive business outcomes. Leaders in this space are already proving that democratizing insights leads to more agile, self-sufficient teams.
The time for HR transformation is now. Business leaders can no longer afford to make decisions without robust insights. With the right tools, mindset, and leadership, they can evolve from data-confused to data-empowered decision-makers. This evolution is not just necessary—it’s inevitable. As leaders embrace this transformation, HR analytics will become not just a tool for efficiency but a catalyst for sustained innovation and growth.
In this rapidly evolving landscape, AI-native technology paired with GenAI stands out as the answer to unlocking actionable insights in HR. By delivering bottom-line-up-front visuals, hot-spot detection, and guided insights, these advanced tools allow leaders to instantly access, interpret, and act on critical data points. This combination of AI-native capabilities and GenAI enables a seamless and delightful experience, transforming how leaders interact with people data.
Leaders equipped with this powerful tech stack no longer grapple with mountains of reports; instead, they receive instant, accurate insights designed to empower swift and strategic decision-making. The result? A truly modern HR function where data supports real-time, proactive action. Leaders enabled by AI-native and GenAI technology are not just informed—they are empowered to drive results that matter, creating a workplace where people data directly fuels performance, retention, and growth. The transformation of HR analytics from complexity to clarity has arrived, making meaningful impact not only possible but inevitable.
Laura Close is the Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer at Included, an AI-native platform, trusted by hundreds of business leaders, that transforms people analytics with actionable insights for informed, strategic decisions. With over 20 years of experience in leadership and innovation, Laura is a recognized voice in HR tech and has over 5,000 followers on LinkedIn. Laura's team has led the development of GenAI-powered Data Stories, enabling leaders to access insights that save time and drive performance. Her award-winning leadership, highlighted by the SXSW Innovation Award and Startup of the Year awards, underscores her expertise in tech innovation.
