HR Grapevine Advent Calendar: My HR Nightmare Before Christmas…

Paul Cowan, Head of Talent Management, UK & Europe at Standard Life, speaks to HR Grapevine about his HR Nightmare Before Christmas.

"My HR Nightmare Before Christmas is that in 2016 the business perception still exists that HR is not comfortable with data. 

"Having worked for some very data-driven organisations I was always taught the skill to make evidence-backed decisions using clear and reliable metrics.
The days of intuitive-backed judgement are fast receding as our clients expect us to be equally as comfortable with handling spreadsheets as PowerPoint slides.

"The good news is that our profession seems to be getting more comfortable with reactive operational reporting, although my sense is that we have a way to go before we reach advanced and predictive analytics - think about Amazon knowing what you want to buy before you even do!