Yesterday we talked about how data geeks are getting into the Human Resources business. One of the companies pioneering this effort is IBM.
I’ve often wondered… how does one manage a workforce of more than 400,000 full-time employees? Well, one way is through basic mathematics.
In a recent Business Week article, researchers report:
“…as the role of computers in the workplace expands, employees leave digital trails detailing their behavior, their schedules, their interests, and expertise. For executives to calculate the return on investment of each worker their human resources departments are starting to open their doors to the quants.”
You might be wondering how this plays out. Is there some big control center where the real time value of an employee is calculated and registered in a database? Do guys with thick glasses pour through the information and make graphs on how people contribute to an organization? Almost…
“The chart looks like colorful pop-art doughnuts flying through space. The message, though, is anything but playful…. Each circle represents an employee. Those who generate or pass along valuable information within the company are portrayed as large and dark-colored circles…. Certain employees produce chunks of data—whether words or software code—that later pop up in other messages. The people copied most often are thought leaders. They get big dark blue circles. Other people spot the valuable content and pass it on. Those are networked curators. Their circles are bright red.”
Don’t get me wrong. I do not think that these techniques are going to replace the need for real people to do meaningful work within organizations. We still need leaders to inspire us, managers to execute business systems, and front-line employees to be engaged in doing the tasks that amount to the company’s contribution. The article explains:
"What about the worker who dispenses priceless wisdom the old-fashioned way, through spoken words at the coffee machine? Much of that goes unrecorded by the analytic team. So there are limits to number crunching. Machines may advance in HR, but humans will retain a strong supporting role."
I do, however, believe that a new level of mathematical rigor will be applied to the areas typically classified as “soft sciences” or the “art of management.” As your competitors adopt these techniques, you too, will need to compete on this level. You may find there are people in your organization with different capacities and skills who may excel at this work. Maybe the talented person being laid off in a technology group can fill a spot in HR!
On a personal level, you may want to start looking at your work from a data perspective. Can the contribution you make to your organization be measured? If you work independently, can your clients quantify your contribution? Are the individuals you're managing and coaching making contributions that can be captured in a spreadsheet? If you can't answer these questions, then chances are those paying the bills for your services can't either.
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