Scaling the Wall: From HR Metrics to Evidence-Based Analytics

Organizational leaders are increasingly looking for reliable facts and trends to support workforce-related decisions. If human resources (HR) is to be a strategic business partner, it must have the evidence to demonstrate which of its activities and strategies contribute most to business outcomes. This report looks at where Canadian organizations stand with respect to adopting human resources (HR) analytics for better decision-making and how HR can lead the way in making evidence-based decision-making the norm. The report presents primary data gathered from participants at a series of HR metrics and measurement workshops offered by The Conference Board of Canada in 2016 and 2017, supplemented by information from a follow-up survey and other secondary sources. It examines the increasing organizational demand for analytics, barriers encountered by participants, and how the 6 A’s model of evidence-based management promoted by the Centre for Evidence-Based Management could be a useful tool to guide data collection by HR practitioners.