Once upon a time, in a bustling corporate office, there was a dedicated HR leader who was determined to improve the company's understanding of the workforce. Despite the challenges faced by the HR team, the leader was committed to improving how HR used data for decision-making and decided that getting their workforce data in order so they could make sense of it and analyze it would help the company. Upon researching the space, they decided that investing in a people data platform would best optimize HR processes and bring about positive change.
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The HR leader knew that they needed the support of the other business functions to make this vision a reality. They approached the Data Engineering team, Information Technology team, and Enterprise Analytics team, seeking their assistance in crafting a compelling pitch for the people data platform.
"Who will help me gather data and build a strong business case for the people data platform?" the HR leader asked.
"Not I," replied the Data Engineering team, busy maintaining complex data pipelines for Finance.
"Not I," said the Information Technology team, focused on streamlining the company's vendor landscape.
"Not I," responded the Enterprise Analytics team, preoccupied with analyzing key metrics for marketing.
Feeling disheartened but undeterred, the HR leader took it upon themselves to build the pitch. They researched the benefits of having a centralized, clean, and well-organized data model, highlighting how a people data platform would enable the HR team to visualize, report on, and analyze HR data effectively. The HR leader emphasized that this investment would not only help HR but would empower the leaders and managers in the company to make data-informed decisions about their workforce.
After weeks of hard work, the HR leader completed the pitch but knew that securing the budget wouldn't be easy. They decided to run a pilot project to demonstrate the value of the people data platform to the senior management.
"Who will help me with the pilot project to showcase the potential of a people data platform?" the HR leader asked the other business function leaders.
"Not I," replied the Data Engineering team, focused on optimizing their data infrastructure.
"Not I," said the Information Technology team, busy managing software updates and hardware maintenance.
"Not I," responded the Enterprise Analytics team, occupied with supporting the Product team with their dashboards.
Undaunted, the HR leader initiated the pilot project on their own, using limited resources and sheer determination. They collected data, created reports, and provided insights that highlighted the platform's potential to revolutionize HR processes. They learned about what was needed to secure HR data and how to best share progress with employees to communicate transparently about the systems.
When the pilot project was completed, the HR leader presented the results of the pilot along with their pitch to the senior management. Impressed by the evidence and the potential impact on the company, the senior management team approved a substantial budget for the investment in HR’s very own people data platform.
The news spread quickly throughout the company, and soon, the other business functions took notice. Seeing the approved budget, the Data Engineering team, Information Technology team, and Enterprise Analytics team approached the HR leader with newfound enthusiasm.
"Can we use your approved budget to build an in-house solution by adding headcount to our teams and activating more licenses on our in-house systems?" they asked, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The HR leader shook their head and replied, "No, when I asked for your help in building the pitch and running the pilot project, none of you were willing to support the project. I gathered the data, built the business case, executed the pilot, and secured the budget all by myself. This investment is dedicated to the HR team and we will determine how it will be spent on a people data platform."
The other business functions couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for not having supported the HR leader earlier. They realized the importance of collaboration and the value of supporting each other's projects.
From that day forward, the Data Engineering team, Information Technology team, and Enterprise Analytics team made it a priority to work closely with the HR team, ensuring that the platform launch went off without a hitch and that all departments benefited from the people data platform. The company thrived, as data-driven storytelling spread throughout the company and workforce data was securely and safely distributed to decision-makers, fostering a culture of shared success and mutual support.
The moral of the story: Success comes from collaboration and supporting one another, and a company thrives when all its functions work together to support each other’s needs.
A bit of a fairy tale ending? Absolutely, but it’s fun to dream.
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Reach out to our team for a demo and to learn more about how One Model makes People Analytics easy for HR leaders. You deserve good data and to work with a partner who knows how to help HR get there. We’re here to help.