Human Resources Data Analytics – Evidence from an Irish Manufacturing Perspective

Industry is propelled by measurement and the transformative potential of data analysis as a driver of business success. Human Resource (HR) departments have not escaped this impetus, indeed it has gained momentum over the last decade. The promise of analytics is significant: to replace gut and intuition with data-based decision making and evidence-based strategies. HR analytics hails itself as a framework to temper HR intuition with objectivity. It promises rigour and validity to guide and prioritise human capital expenditure. Despite enormous interest, evidence of practical application has been scarce. This research adopts an inductive, interpretivist approach, using multiple case studies of Irish manufacturing firms, underpinned by interviews with HR Managers and industry experts. It contributes to research and practitioner knowledge with insights of industry led practical applications of HR analytics and the levels and application of HR analytics within companies. Furthermore, it reveals the factors impacting application outcomes in firms.