Korn Ferry Hay Group's Director, Paul Lambert, says "HR needs to become more data savvy"

By improving its confidence with data, the HR function can be a strategic partner to the business, according to Korn Ferry Hay Group's Director.

Speaking to HR Grapevine, Paul Lambert says: "Many HR departments know they need to, and want to, be a strategic partner to the business. One critical way is by attending business meetings with meaningful people and organisational statistics and data which support and enable the business plan.” He suggests this could include identification of critical business roles and a percentage coverage of these roles with capable successors.

He continues: “People decisions need to be informed by good people data. You should be able to show the business the return on investment in people.”

Lambert, who will be speaking at HR Grapevine's annual HR & Talent Management Conference this year, believes this is part of understanding the business better: “An HR Director needs to be a change partner who understands the business strategy, and how the organisation and people need to be developed to support this strategy.”