HR Analytics Questions

In thinking about using analytics to power HR decision making, HR executives should ask:

  • Are we using analytics effectively to monitor HR performance and drive improvements?
  • Can we use employee segmentation to deliver increasingly tailored HR services to groups and individuals in the workforce?
  • Are we able to “look ahead” to identify employees who are at risk of leaving, or to predict team and individual performance?
  • Are we using

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HR Integrated Talent Management Questions

In thinking about integrated talent management, HR executives should ask:

  • Does our technology work across functions, or does it enforce traditional silos?
  • Can we easily inventory skills across the global organization and match that against future business needs?
  • How does development, compensation and performance management work together to engage and retain our high performers?
  • Do our systems support an individualized, “workforce of one” approach?
  • Are we able to clearly align

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Strengths-Based Questions

If you’re involved in activities that you’re already naturally inclined to do well, your attitude toward work is different and you contribute more to your workplace compared with someone who may have similar skills but less natural ability. Doing what you do best is essential to being a star performer at work. As an employee, you should ask yourself these questions:

  • Do I know what I

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4 HR Analytics Questions

We have identified four critical areas where organizations can focus their time, energy, and resources to more effectively use analytics to improve workforce productivity and capability.  Answering these questions is critical to demonstrating how the human resource function can add substantially to the strategy and operations of the company.

  1. Based on the organization´s strategy, what is the work that needs to be done, and are the

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Collaboration Assessment Questions

As organizations consider candidates for collaborative leadership roles, they should ask the following six questions:

  1. Can this leader achieve results by influencing rather than directing?
  2. Can this leader share ownership, even if it means sharing credit and rewards?
  3. Can this leader delegate and let others deliver results?
  4. Has this leader demonstrated the ability to motivate groups of diverse individuals who may not share her viewpoints or perspectives?
  5. Has this leader

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Turning around Problem Performance in Five Questions or Less

The following series of five yes-or-no questions can help you manage future performance in a new way. Your answers will steer you toward a turnaround conversation appropriate to the situation and the underperformer.

Once you become familiar with the questions you´ll be able to assess which conversation is needed in a matter of minutes. You´ll be on your way to managing underperformance instead of living … [ Read more ]

Defining the Future Talent Agenda

  • What leadership competencies/attributes are required to drive our business strategy and lead the evolution of the culture? How robust is our existing leadership pipeline, and where are there risks?
  • What are the pivotal job families/roles most critical to executing our business strategy? How will we differentiate talent strategies/investments accordingly?
  • What are the implications for skill development, given our business strategy?
  • What are our existing/emerging talent requirements in

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Training Questions

There are different levels of questions, based on Kirkpatrick levels and clearly in increasing importance, that must be asked:

  • Did they (trainees) like it?
  • Did they learn?
  • Did they use it?
  • Did it impact the bottom line?
  • What is the Return on Investment (ROI)?

Position Evaluation Questions

  • Do you have a simple, clear and consistent method of ranking positions throughout your organization, on a global basis?
  • Do you have an accurate, easy-to-use means of ensuring internal equity across job families
  • How do you currently ensure that your organization has a reliable base for determining pay for positions?
  • Do you have an effective means of measuring your organization’s position against the market?
  • Is your organizational

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Performance Appraisal Questions

  • The reason the company created this job is to …
  • The most important ways a person doing the job should spend time are …
  • The two or three most important duties of someone in this position are …
  • If someone asked me what it takes to be successful in this job, I would say …
  • The easiest way to determine whether this job is being done well

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Morale Questions

Conditions affecting morale are varied and complex. If you are wrestling with this issue you should find guidance by answering these questions:

  • Look at your performance appraisal system. Does it hold people accountable for results that depend on a bigger process than they control?
  • Is everyone in your organization well-trained, informed, and involved?
  • Do reward systems encourage and reinforce high performance?
  • Do you aggressively measure and manage

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Job Performer Performance Questions

  • Are job outputs and standards linked to customer and process requirements?
  • Are process requirements reflected specifically in the appropriate jobs?
  • Are job steps in a logical sequence?
  • Have supportive policies and procedures been developed?
  • Is the job environment ergonomically sound?
  • Do performers understand the outputs they are expected to produce and the standards they are expected to meet?
  • Do performers have sufficient resources, clear feedback, signals, and priorities, and

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HR Governance Questions

  • How efficiently and effectively does the HR function deliver services?
  • How effectively is the function focusing on priorities and completing milestone tasks?
  • Is HR managing its finances prudently, complying with legal, regulatory, and internal requirements?
  • How do HR customers rate their service experience?
  • And, most important, how is the HR function contributing to the value of the organization?

How Should We Manage the Intangible Assets Vested in Our People?

  • Can we measure the trade-off between an investment in our culture and an investment in new products or services?
  • How should we balance cultural continuity against the need to adopt fresh ideas and practices?
  • How can we build a “talent brand” to attract the best people?

How Much Value Do Our Processes for Developing People Add to the Company?

  • Can we make a business case for all of our development programs?
  • What balance should we attempt to strike between developing our own talent internally and bringing in talent from the outside?
  • How does the shape of our promotion pyramid affect our growth prospects?
  • Do we have too many people at the top?
  • Should we train anyone at all?

How Do Our People Affect the Value of the Business?

  • What effect would losing one high performer have on our share price?
  • What if we lost ten?
  • How much value do we forgo by hanging on to poor performers?

Hiring Questions

  • What are the sources for your new hires — newspaper ads, recruiters, referrals from current employees?
  • What source produces the most productive and long-term employees?
  • Just how good is your hiring process?
  • Are you getting high-caliber people?
  • Are they staying long enough to offset your investment in them?

Empowerment Questions

  • Do we agree that empowerment is a key ingredient in our continued success? If so, why? If not, why not?
  • Does our performance review process support or hinder participation and commitment of all staff?
  • Do we compensate and promote those who embody the values we espouse?
  • Do our communication channels promote or inhibit free exchange of information and ideas between individuals and departments?
  • What informal messages do

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Employee Recognition / Motivation

Not sure how to individualize recognition? Just ask your employees questions like these:

  • By what name do you like to be called?
  • What are your “hot buttons” — hobbies or interests you like to talk about a lot?
  • What increases your positive emotion or “fills your bucket” the most?
  • From whom do you most like to receive recognition or praise?
  • What type of recognition or praise do you

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Employee Performance

Executives need to take a fresh look at their businesses and realize that in the parts that are people intensive, capital-based measures may not provide the insights they need. The risks of not understanding employee performance and failing to set up differentiated rewards based on value creation are substantial. Executives can avoid such problems by asking some basic questions:

  • What kinds of business environments

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