From big data to human data

How technology helps HR departments resolve their main challenges

“I don’t know anything about leadership and change, but I do know that if you want to see change in your organizations, you need to know and love your people, because if you don’t know your people they won’t trust you. Without trust people do not assume risks, and if they don’t assume risks, there will be no change. And you need to love your people, because, without love there will be no passion, and without passion they will not feel powerful. If they don’t feel powerful, there will be no change. So if you want to see change in your people, you must first know and love them”.

In 1991, when Mother Teresa spoke these words at a leadership conference in San Francisco, we did not know that technology would be our best ally in achieving these ideals. Given the current scenario, we now have no doubt. It is technology that allows us to know our professionals more deeply, and therefore it should be the driver of change in organizations. When well utilized, and understood as information for action, it is the perfect ally for Human Resources departments.  Now more than ever, Human Resources find themselves at the heart of all important company decisions. If the 2008 crisis was primarily a financial crisis, the current crisis is a crisis of people. Aware of this, 71% of companies are gradually implementing People Analytics as a high priority element for their businesses, according to Deloitte. However, most of them have not taken the step to assess how technology can assist them in resolving the challenges that this data brings to light. Our aim is for this analysis to shed some light on this challenging context.