When HR professionals develop organizational programs, what leads them to different design considerations, and how does the organization know if they are providing value?
Our Columbia University HCM students had the privilege of hearing from Shikha Agrawal, Director of Business Intelligence and Strategy at Securitas Security Services USA, Inc., a leader in Protective Services across multiple industries, with more than 95,000 employees and more than 500 branch managers in the United States.
Shikha spoke to graduating Capstone students about the value of data and digital transformation to create a culture of analytics, while focusing on measurement and continuous improvement. Students heard that “culture starts at the top” but it doesn’t end there, In fact, attention to data-driven decision making can and should happen at every level of the organization and function.
Moreover, as Shikha described, a commitment to this way of doing business is a "journey," often beginning with the challenges presented by information silos and incomplete, disorganized data. If managed properly—with intentionality—analytics becomes a way of thinking and operating that combines fact with judgment to improve operational efficiency. The end goal is for the analytics culture to enable the organization to become more predictive and prescriptive, and realize the full potential of this change in business approach.
For HCM professionals like many of our students, this analytics orientation can impact efforts such as tracking the experiences and engagement of new hires, making decisions about career moves and pay, and providing fact-based learning and development opportunities.
Overall, Shikha’s lecture gave our Capstone students a view of the power of HCM Analytics from an expert outside of their field… from an experienced, deeply knowledgeable partner who gave of her time and wisdom to help the students broaden their perspectives.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any other person or entity.
