The data-driven approach can be used to enhance selection in companies. Not all employees are fit for the positions they apply for, whether because of their competencies, their personality, or other qualities they have. Building a perfect profile of an employee would help a company find the people who would most likely stay and perform good work over individuals whose parameters do not fit the expected mold (Mitchell & Gamlem, 2017). Surveying employees by having them fill out a questionnaire would offer data for companies to analyze and make informed decisions about hiring personnel.
There are other methods of collecting important selection data about employees besides surveying. One of those methods includes having individuals perform the expected tasks in a kind of test. Their performance can be graded by utilizing quality parameters of the company (Mitchell & Gamlem, 2017). That data can be collected and compared against the performance of other employees to estimate whether the individual is fit or not to fulfil a particular position.
In a data-driven approach, HR professionals would have to develop various skills to be able to utilize new information available to them. These include computer science skills, statistics and analytical abilities, as well as emotional intellect. The latter is necessary to be able to evaluate the person based on their personality parameters, which can be observed during interviews as well as when filling out a questionnaire. Finally, HRs would have to have an in-depth knowledge of whatever it is that the company is doing, including hands-on working experience (Mitchell & Gamlem, 2017). It would make outsourcing HR services difficult, as no outside HR understands the intricacies of a company than a dedicated professional. Overall, it would push the growth of the profession beyond what it currently is, and towards specialization in specific environments.
Reference
Mitchell, B., & Gamlem, C. (2017). The big book of HR. Red Wheel/Weiser.