Data can be your friend... Even if you're in HR...

I attended a networking function where an organization was sharing out their recruiting practices. They discussed their organizational structure and the work their recruiters do. It's at this function I learned more about the power of data. This group utilized data to justify resources and support for initiatives. Case in point, they revamped their employer website and spent about $500K doing so. They were able to get the monies for this revamp because most of their hires come from their own career site(this organization drives about 5M visitors to their website annually). The data they'd gathered provided decision makers with the insight they needed to support this initiative. In short, I learned data not only provides decision makers the insight they need to make decisions but it also helps teams get resources they need to do their jobs successfully which in turn helps meet the broader goals of the organiztaion. As a result, our role as HR professionals is to provide data that helps drive decision making. This may sound like common sense but it's still a practice we must work at refining. So if you're reading this, remember, data is your friend, even if you're in HR, so continue to use it to gather the resources you need to achieve the goals of the organization.