SuccessFactors, the leading provider of cloud-based Business Execution software, recently held an Executive Round Table event on Thursday 22nd September 2011, focused on workforce analytics issues. At the heart of the debate, it was clear that the one of the main challenges for businesses is how they manage one of their biggest strategic assets – their people – in order to deliver against their strategic objectives.
The round table, hosted by workforce analytics pioneer and industry expert Peter Howes, Vice President of SuccessFactors, presented attendees with examples of how to turn data into knowledge, improve decision making in context to the overall strategy, and also how to develop expertise in the leadership teams to drive employee performance to improve the business performance.
“With a protracted economic recovery, an ageing workforce and major changes in globalisation trends, organisations are facing some of their most important, yet most difficult decisions. Where in your talent mix do you have the greatest risk? What’s the impact of a merger or major reorganisation? Where are the gaps in our skillsets to support our service levels and growth targets? I’ve seen many executive management teams try to answer these complex questions based on very little meaningful data,” said Peter Howes, Vice President of SuccessFactors. “This is madness in my opinion. You wouldn’t try to build a mine without first doing any seismic analysis of what’s actually in the ground. The same principle applies to companies. Workforce analytics gives you the insight into your talent pool, which you can specifically link to your business drivers around HR and workforce planning to make clear, informed decisions. It’s the difference between knowing and guessing.”
Most businesses are good at knowing where they want to be, but aligning their resources to get there is not so easy. At the event, attendees were able to develop an understanding of how workforce planning and analytics is transforming businesses across the world and making this journey easier. With the help of real world case studies, the senior executives in attendance from some of the biggest global organisations were able to assess the common challenges facing their workforce such as:
- How they can identify the leaders of the future and nurture their development?
- How can they retain the high performers?
- Making sure they have the right people in the right place
- How to use workforce planning to execute organisational change
Following the success of the event, SuccessFactors will be holding another Executive Round Table round table on Thursday 24th November 2011. To join the workforce planning debate, call 0845 074 2990 to secure your place.
Additionally, for further information about SuccessFactors and its workforce analytics software, visit www.successfactors.com.
