Working in specialist HR recruitment for the last eight years or so I have noticed a number of very clear trends in the market.  The face of HR, and therefore the demands of our clients, develop and change all the time but no more so than in the area of “big data”.

It has always been difficult sourcing junior reward analysts but now other parts of HR want analytical data types too. Demand is outstripping supply. Candidates are few and salary inflation, based on our experience, for Analysts is running way ahead of any other area of HR. We are also seeing new types of analyst roles – not just the traditional reward jobs – for example insight and engagement analysts.

So what’s causing the skills shortage? Why are Junior HR Analysts so hard to find?

Partly, I suspect, the problem is that analytical types are not really encouraged – and probably aren’t naturally drawn – to consider HR as a career. Our colleagues in Chiumento Consulting have been running a marketing experiment for almost a year now using the MBTI sales model. It’s not an academically rigorous study but, their data suggests that ST’s – those who like facts and non-personal analysis – are significantly under-represented in the HR function. Wider research suggests it is often ISTJ’s and ESTJ’s that are naturally drawn to data based careers such as accountancy…

I think that there is also a problem that Analysts often see no career path in HR. There are often only a very small number of analytical jobs in even the largest HR functions. So early career analysts don’t want to move into such a specialist – even niche – area so early in their career for fear of getting “stuck”.

Thinking about historical practice there could be some basis for this mindset. Big HR data has often been outsourced to top tier consulting organisations such as Hay, Towers Watson etc.  So how come these companies can find the staff and in-house HR teams can’t? Well, they hire graduates and “grow their own”. Their scale means they can offer a distinct career path in large analytical teams. It’s easy to see how that could be so much more appealing to the logical mindset of a typical analyst.

Once you’ve got a job in a consulting firm with a long-term career path why would you consider going in-house? It’s a common objection we face and one that often has no simple answer. The fact that often consultancies pay better – especially at junior level – makes the task even harder

Candidates we’ve spoken to from outside HR often fear being typecast as the “data person” in a “touchy feely” function. How does an Insight Analyst progress to a Head of HR or even HRD role?  Until HR can answer that question then attracting great talent will continue to be an issue. A few role models that have made that journey – rather than coming up through the classic ER/Business Partner route – would be a big step forward. If you know any I’d love to make contact with them and learn more about their journey.

HR has long struggled to shake off the perception of being a “fluffy, tea and tissues” function. Powerful data and analytics play a big part in changing that perception. To get the talent to realise that ambition HR needs to embrace the number crunchers as much as it does the empathetic, coaching types. A bit more S and T and a little less F.

 

Lesley Colella

Recruitment Manager

Chiumento Recruitment Solutions