PhD Student The University of Southern Mississippi
Abstract: In the early 2000s, discussions began to crop up regarding how Human Resource (HR) and Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners could add business value to their organizations and gain figurative seats at the table (Grossman, 2000; Kraiger et al., 2004). A concern sparking such discussions was that HR and HRD organizational functions were viewed primarily as obligatory and administrative, rather than strategic, in the eyes of business leaders (Beer, 1997). Developments in technology have since provided organizations the means to collect, maintain, and evaluate information more efficiently (Edwards & Edwards, 2019). By the 2010s, big data was an exciting new territory in the business world (Roberts, 2011). Organizations began to leverage innovative methods of data analysis to answer with objectivity targeted business questions relating to, for example, hiring, culture, and performance (Tonidandel et al., 2018). In the past few years, recruiting for and hiring job candidates with data skills has helped organizations compete and succeed and may be particularly important in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environments (as experienced during the COVID-19 epidemic) that require immediately implementable solutions (Edwards & Edwards, 2019; Peterson, 2021; Worley & Jules, 2020). One method of connecting HR/people functions to business outcomes has been the creation of HR/people analyst roles within organizations. Therefore, developing skills in the management and analysis of data has become increasingly important for practitioners. Recent research has indicated that, in filling HR analyst roles, employers are searching for candidates with business acumen, data fluency, and data analysis skills (McCartney et al., 2021).
Through a systematic analysis of job postings found on popular job ad websites, the proposed study aims to explore how HR/people analysts support organizational performance. First, the proposed study plans to build upon McCartney et al.’s (2021) work by exploring various conceptualizations of HR/people analyst roles. Analyst focus areas will be identified and may include, for example, talent development, employee engagement, talent acquisition and selection, and performance management. Additionally, the proposed study aims to identify the data skills present-day employers are looking for when filling their HR/people analyst roles and to discuss them in relation to the “Evaluating Impact” capability from the ATD Talent Development Capability Model and the “Critical Evaluation” competency from the SHRM Competency Model (ATD, 2021; SHRM, 2016). Job ad identification, screening, and inclusion methods will be adapted from the flow diagram published by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) in 2020.
This research will inform job seekers of the technology skills that employers expect them to have at entry to various HR/People analyst roles. The results of this study may help job seekers determine which technology training opportunities they should pursue to remain competitive in the labor market. Additionally, helpful job search key terms, such as the most advertised job titles and technology products, could be revealed. The results may also serve HR and HRD training providers, including institutions of higher learning, professional associations, and private companies, through helping them to identify skills training gaps in the services they offer. Of particular interest in this study will be the exploration of a potential “skills gap” among HR and HRD practitioners that may be filled instead by data scientists and information systems specialists (SHRM, n.d.).
