{"id":72182,"date":"2016-06-27T13:53:19","date_gmt":"2016-06-27T11:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/forget-big-data-smart-data-is-what-counts-in-hr\/"},"modified":"2016-06-27T13:53:19","modified_gmt":"2016-06-27T11:53:19","slug":"forget-big-data-smart-data-is-what-counts-in-hr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/forget-big-data-smart-data-is-what-counts-in-hr\/","title":{"rendered":"Forget big data, smart data is what counts in HR"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forget big data, smart data is what counts in HR<\/a>: <\/p>\n

\"SmartHR-Logo-large\"<\/p>\n

Attracting and retaining the best talent is widely recognised to be an important success factor, if not the success factor, when it comes to achieving competitive advantage. \u201cUnfortunately, too many companies continue to rely on poor information when it comes to manage their vital human resources,\u201d says Brendon Gass, Director at SmartHR, a locally developed HR software solution suite.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany HR departments still see their primary function as administrative, using spreadsheets to collect employee data\u2014and this is what executives are expected to use when they try to match the talent at their disposal with the execution of their strategies,\u201d says Gass. \u201cHowever, people are multi-dimensional, and this is information that cannot easily be represented only in rows and columns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spreadsheet data vs relational data
The kind of information that is needed to make important strategic decisions would include drawing from multiple records from leave to performance reports, skills, training and so on. Only then will the executive be able to assess how to marshal his or her resources to advance the business strategy.<\/p>\n

There are other disadvantages to managing HR data on spreadsheets. One is that they have to be manually updated, which not only introduces error but is expensive. It\u2019s also never clear how current the information is\u2014and nor is there any way to record changes or to link to supporting documentation. Typically, too, spreadsheets tend to proliferate within the company\u2019s various silos, so employee information is fragmented\u2014obtaining a holistic view of the employee is virtually impossible.<\/p>\n

Security is also an issue. HR information is typically highly sensitive, and yet spreadsheets have limited security options.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the difference between lots of data and smart data,\u201d Gass says.<\/p>\n

Kill the spreadsheet, invest in smarter solution<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gass explains that the only way to manage this kind of smart data is to invest in a modern HR system that automates much of the data collection and that can be accessed on all digital platforms, including mobile. \u201cThis data is much easier to gather and keep. It reduces costs significantly because it does not require expensive resources to update spreadsheets manually,\u201d he says. \u201cMost important of all, it can be used by powerful analytics software to give executives the quality insights into the workforce they need to make decisions that make sense in both the short and long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA company\u2019s human capital is expensive to acquire and train, and its success is entirely dependent on employees\u2019 skills and attitude,\u201d Gass concludes. \u201cWithout updated, accurate and analysable information about their most critical asset, companies simply cannot make the right strategic decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Brendon Gass, SmartHR Director, says HR is about smart data, not big data. If you\u2019ve got access to the data, you can solve the problem.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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