A growing number of industries and companies of every size are starting to shape their decisions and investments around information gathered from massive datasets related to when, how, and why their target customers and clients typically use their products. By reviewing data provided by countless customers and potential customers for years at a time, company decision makers can sharpen their accuracy and even anticipate buying and usage patterns that the consumers themselves don’t even recognize.
So if metadata can be used to shape product design, marketing, distribution strategies, and other aspects of business growth, why can’t it be used to shape staffing, hiring and management decisions? If you’re already building your staffing plan around the needs of your teams, that’s great. But if you haven’t started gathering data points and crunching the numbers, keep these thoughts in mind.
Your teams won’t tell you everything you need to know.
They’ll tell you what they want and need if you know how to ask in the right way. For example, they’ll tell you they need transportation assistance or onsite childcare IF you keep the lines of communication open and encourage them to speak up. But even if you do this, there are some things that only broad surveys and large datasets can reveal.
You’ll get the most honest answers from those who have nothing to lose.
Never let employees walk out the door without completing an exit interview. And when you collect these interviews, keep the data on file in a way that can be easily accessed for years to come. Constantly shape and upgrade your exit interviews to keep them valuable.
Annual performance reviews work in two directions.
Each year, don’t just evaluate and grade your employees; encourage them to do the same for you. For every goal you require them to set, and every “area in need of improvement” that you require them to address, solicit the same feedback from them. And when you have this information, use it.
Don’t let data vanish with time.
Too often, systems upgrades mean lost survey data collected in years past. And the same thing happens with staff turnover; if one of your crucial HR pros decides to leave the company, don’t let your datasets, your goals, and the pillars of your workplace culture disappear with her.
Find out how to gather and use the kinds of information that can help you keep your staffing plan fresh, effective, and efficient. Contact the staffing team at Techneeds for a consultation today.