The success of any business heavily relies on human resources. One of the most challenging roles for HR personnel is talent sourcing, onboarding, retention, and management. It is why more business managers are looking for ways to improve the process for success.

In the search for tools and techniques to improve recruitment and retention, employers will come across data analytics. More data-driven organizations are turning to data analytics to create recruitment and retention strategies and make well-informed decisions. It is a strategy worth exploring for modern businesses looking to improve their recruitment process.

So, how do employers use data analytics? And what are the benefits of data analytics in retention and recruitment? This blog explores this and more.

Data Analytics

Data analytics is the science of scrutinizing raw data to make meaningful and actionable conclusions about said information. In business, data analytics helps to inform and drive smart business decisions.

Data analytics helps enterprises optimize overall performance, maximize profits, and make strategically-guided decisions.

Organizations must focus on HR analytics regarding talent recruitment and retention. HR data analytics, also known as workforce analytics, people analytics, or talent analytics, is the gathering, analyzing, and reporting of HR data to make strategically-guided decisions.

So how does data analytics help with employee recruitment? Does HR analytics help with employee retention?

Using Data Analytics to Improve Employee Recruitment and Retention

Recruiting, onboarding, and training new hires can be challenging. In addition, it could be expensive without the right strategy. The process can also lower productivity and morale among employees as they take on extra duties. 

Relying on data analytics for recruiting and retaining top talent can help create a well-skilled workforce to handle the work. More than that, they will be more resilient during uncertainty.

How is Data Analytics Used in Recruitment?

● Improve candidate sourcing

HR leaders can identify and prioritize platforms or strategies that best work for them by analyzing the quality and quantity of applicants. Better candidate sourcing means no time or money is wasted on platforms that do not result in good quality hires.

● Benchmark candidates

Analyzing top performers' skills helps determine expectations and, thus, appropriate qualifications for potential employees. Hiring managers can use top hires' metrics to get the best talent.

● Reduce hiring bias

Hiring from a data point of view presents potential hires from an objective viewpoint. It helps reduce bias since HR sees the employee's skills and qualifications. It often leads to a diverse workforce.

● Setting KPIs‍

Setting goals against key performance metrics help determine where to direct hiring efforts. KPIs help measure hiring success.

● Develop cost and time-effective strategies

‍Recruitment data helps HR professionals see challenges with company recruitment strategies. Data analytics provides an opportunity to improve strategies, thus enhancing hiring processes while moving new hire quality.

How Does HR Analytics Help in Retention?

● Assist in determining retention challenges

‍Understanding employee retention challenges help to develop strategies that overcome these issues. HR analytics provide insight into said issues.

● Provide insight into attrition

HR analytics helps determine what is causing resignations. Thus, managers can solve the issue at the root of the problem.

● It helps to determine in which departments and job roles in investing

Evaluating retention challenges across elements like gender, age groups, and contract type can help determine which departments need more attention. For example, higher resignations from remote workers tell HR to invest more in them.

● Determines who can be saved

Predictive analytics tells what will happen if things don't change or what will happen if some factors change. Through predictive analytics, managers determine which employees are worth saving for the company's benefit.

● Helps to design a tailored employee retention program

HR analytics show HR how to create employee retention programs that work on specifics of employees or worker groups. For example, if resignation is higher among millennials, HR can develop an employee retention program that works for this specific group.

Ways Data Analytics Can be Used to Improve Retention

● Understand employee turnover

Data analytics helps to understand employee turnover. HR has insight into areas that need improvement for better retention.

● Improve employee experiences

HR can use data analytics to improve employees' work experiences, thus, satisfaction. Satisfied employees are more likely to stay with the company.

● Identify areas of high turnover

By identifying high turnover areas, HR can develop effective strategies to improve retention.

How Analytics Can be Used to Improve Talent Acquisition

● Predict top performers

Data analytics shows the characteristics of top performers, thus showing who has the potential to perform well in various roles. Data assessments will show similarities in skill sets, education, and years of experience, making it easier to point out top talent.

● Narrow down the best candidates

Predictive analytics can narrow down where ideal candidates live or spend time. Thus HR can help choose the correct language and types of ads to get suitable candidates to apply.

● Make the right offers

Understanding the ideal candidate through valuable insights can help the HR department make the right offers. For example, offering a gym membership to a fitness enthusiast instead of a higher salary can help close the offer.

● Reduce unconscious bias

Data has no preference; thus, hiring based on data helps to improve talent acquisition. Managers get the right hire, and it enhances diversity.

● Save time

And finally, analytics determine how much time is spent on hiring. This information helps HR managers develop time-saving recruiting strategies.

Benefits of Data Analytics in Recruitment and Retention

● Fool-proof hiring strategies

Relying on data analytics for recruitment helps to develop solid hiring strategies. For example, if the candidates applying for the job are lower than the ideal quality of hire, HR can create more detailed and precise job descriptions.

● Minimize downtime

Data analytics save time in the hiring process. This means current employees won't have to take over extra tasks, so there is less downtime in productivity.

● Save time and money on recruitment

Data analytics helps HR to create recruitment strategies that save time and money.

● Find and solve skill gaps

Analyzing employee data greatly helps to identify skill gaps that can lead to retention issues. HR can therefore develop programs that fill in these gaps. 

● Minimize hiring biases

Working with data removes the unconscious bias from seeing candidates. It often results in a more diverse workforce.

● Data-driven strategies‍

And finally, management can create plans backed by data, which is a great way to improve company processes, such as talent acquisition and retention.

The Challenges Faced in Recruitment and Retention

● Attract suitable candidates

HR needs help finding the right candidates in a pool of endless choices. Managers can develop strategies to attract the right people by analyzing top-hire data.

● Ensure a good quality candidate experience

The candidate's experience is essential. They take treatment pre-hire as an indication of what it would be like to work for the organization. Offering targeted experience driven by data analytics can encourage candidates to accept job offers.

● Compensation dissatisfaction

Dissatisfaction with compensation can affect retention. Data analytics will show that money is not everything. For example, offering daycare services to single parents as a benefit can improve satisfaction, thus maintaining retention rates.

● Job stagnation

Being stuck in the same job can make employees leave their position since there is no growth. People analytics show which employees are best suited for specific roles per education, experience level, and skill sets.

How Else Can Employee Recruitment and Retention be Improved?

Outsourcing data analytics and recruitment processes to qualified service providers can help streamline recruitment and retention. It can be challenging to get into data analytics, let alone determine how to use the information to develop functional strategies. Outsourcing the work makes the transition easier and more efficient.

Workpay has multiple products that can help with employee management. From EOR services, HR and Payroll, and performance management. Reach out to start the transformation.