A study to determine the perception of people analytics tools to improve people management practices in selected departments within the public sector in the Western Cape

Abstract

People analytics refer to people-related, data-driven, processes (e.g. trend analyses and data management) aimed at describing and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of people management practices and processes in support of business outcomes in order to inform and improve people management initiatives and performance as well as business decision making. The role of human resource management (HRM) has changed over time from an administrative role that concentrated on overseeing basic employee practices to a more supportive strategic one, with creating a value creation culture for improving business outcomes (Ulrich & Dulebohn, 2015). The issue of effective human resource (HR) data utilisation has been an old concern. Organisations have been struggling to address people management issues such as how to find the right person for the right job and organisational fit at the correct time and at the correct cost. This required to be done as proficiently and effectively as possible because employees were seen primarily as expenses. Increasingly the emphasis from expenses to the potential competitive advantage has changed over time that employees can bring about to organisations. As a result, the key role of people management (PM) evolved from basic administrative duties towards being a more strategic partner to more data-driven decision making as rendered by people analytics with rapid information technology integration sources (Buller & McEnvoy, 2012).