The Practical Guide to HR Analytics: Using Data to Inform, Transform, & Empower HR Decisions by Shonna Waters, Valerie Streets, Lindsay McFarlane, and Rachael Johnson-Murray

Description

This engaging guide is tailored for HR professionals who want to harness the power of data—but aren’t statisticians. Through the journey of “Jen,” an HR director facing a real-world challenge (turnover of key talent), the book demystifies analytics, walking readers step-by-step from framing business problems and crafting hypotheses to running straightforward analyses, visualizing results, and storytelling with data. It covers essential topics like establishing an analytics function, avoiding common pitfalls, choosing the right metrics, and presenting insights effectively to stakeholders.

Rather than diving into heavy technical details, it offers a clear, approachable framework for understanding what requests to make of analysts, how to interpret findings, and how to translate them into HR strategies that impact business outcomes. The inclusion of reflection questions, self-assessment tools, curated “deeper-dive” resources, and real-world case studies makes it both practical and interactive. Throughout, the tone is encouraging and user-friendly, ideal for HR generalists and leaders who are “analytics-curious” and want to build fluency without getting overwhelmed.