The Challenge of Answering Your 'Who?' Questions

Answer your critical 'who' questions to ensure your organisation is more resilient, adaptable, and productive. How HR can provide fast, accurate answers to business leaders.

TL;DR: Strategic HR provides fast, accurate answers to critical 'who' questions, ensuring business resilience and adaptability. Many mid-sized companies struggle with this due to a lack of data, systems, and resources. Overcoming these challenges allows HR to move from opinion-based decisions to data-driven insights, enhancing credibility and business impact.

Simon Sinek's popular TED Talk and book 'Start With Why' is all about how the most successful organisations in the world start with their purpose at the centre of their strategy. Purpose is a powerful driver and compass that can keep people aligned and connected.

But if you start with why, you have to end with the question of 'who' - because no matter how great your why is, it is the 'who' that will make it happen.

If you had to break down the function of strategic HR into a single phrase, it would be to provide fast, accurate answers to the 'who' questions that business leaders ask.

| Metric | Value | Source | | Of HR time in mid-sized companies is spent on strategic initiatives | 10% | Industry benchmark | | Of talent decisions in mid-sized companies are based on opinion rather than data | 90% | Peopletree Group analysis | | Faster decision-making when HR has structured data systems in place | 3x | AIHR State of Digital HR |

Why is 'who' the most important question?

Business leaders ask 'who' questions constantly. Who should we hire? Who has these skills? Who are our high potentials? Who should we promote? Who is at risk of leaving? Who is ready for the next level?

HR is expected to deliver these answers as the custodians of people data. But in most mid-sized companies, the systems, processes, and data quality required to answer these questions quickly and accurately simply do not exist.

What are the two core challenges: accuracy and speed?

HR faces two main challenges when answering critical 'who' questions.

• Accuracy: HR handles people-related queries, and everyone tends to have an opinion about people. Other departments like sales, operations, and finance rely on data-backed decisions because they have systems that allow them to measure their work. HR often lacks these tools, which means a culture of evidence-based decision-making is frequently missing.
• Speed: A lack of evidence leads to delays in answering 'who' questions, because decisions default to opinions. Unlike other departments that can answer questions relatively accurately and quickly because they have good data, efficient systems, and technology, mid-sized companies face resource limitations that make it challenging to address complex people-related issues at pace.

The opinion problem When HR answers 'who' questions with opinions rather than data, it undermines credibility and slows decisions. The goal is to become the function that provides fast, evidence-based answers - not the function that needs to 'check and come back'.

What is the mid-sized company problem?

Small companies can mostly get by with Excel and PowerPoint-based data collation and analysis. Large companies have enterprise HR information systems with teams of people supporting them.

But the real struggle is mid-sized companies - those with between 50 and 500 leaders - who are under-resourced and over-stressed. They are big enough to have complex people challenges, but too small in that the majority of resources are dedicated to sales and delivery. Their people processes usually have to make the best with what they have.

This is the gap where talent management most often fails. The complexity is enterprise-level, but the resources are startup-level.

The four enablers: data, process, culture, technology

To provide fast, accurate answers to the critical 'who' questions, HR needs to build capability across four enablers.

1. Data quality: Start with knowing what data is relevant. If you have 100 people and 100 data inputs, that is 10,000 data points to manage. Cutting the list to 15-20 makes it manageable and sustainable.
2. Efficient processes: Design processes so the benefit clearly outweighs the cost of participation. The eye-roll is the most common reaction HR gets when asking employees to complete 'people stuff'. Make it easy to do the right thing.
3. Cultural adoption: Build a culture where evidence-based decisions are the norm. Train line managers to ask the right questions and respect data-backed answers. Make it harder to go with opinion over evidence.
4. Scaleable technology: Use technology to scale the right processes, collect the right data, and facilitate the right conversations. Technology that increases burden and under-delivers on results is worse than no technology at all.

Building a healthy People Ecosystem

The concept of a People Ecosystem is a useful reference for how businesses should operate. In an ecosystem, each living and non-living thing contributes to the overall health of the ecosystem. Ecosystems are naturally more resilient, productive, adaptable, and valuable because of the contribution to a shared purpose.

When you get the answers to your 'who' questions right, the result is a healthy, thriving People Ecosystem - one where the right people are in the right roles, development is targeted and effective, and business leaders trust HR to provide the answers they need.

DataHub - Your Single Source of People Truth DataHub centralises and structures your workforce data so you can answer the critical 'who' questions quickly and accurately. Stop managing people data in spreadsheets and start making evidence-based decisions. Explore DataHub

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are 'who' questions so important for growing companies?

'Who' questions are critical because people drive business success. Answering who to hire, promote, or develop ensures your company has the right talent in the right roles, making it more resilient and productive. This directly impacts strategic goals and growth.

How can HR improve accuracy when answering 'who' questions?

HR can improve accuracy by implementing structured data systems and analytical tools. Moving away from opinion-based decisions to evidence-based insights, similar to finance or operations, builds credibility and ensures more reliable talent choices. This requires investing in people analytics capabilities.

What challenges do mid-sized companies face in answering 'who' questions quickly?

Mid-sized companies often lack the resources and sophisticated HR information systems of larger enterprises, making it hard to answer 'who' questions quickly. They are too large for simple manual processes but too small to have dedicated teams for complex data analysis, leading to delays and reliance on opinions.

How does data-driven HR benefit business leaders?

Data-driven HR provides business leaders with timely, reliable insights into their workforce. This enables faster, more informed decisions about talent, reduces risks, and aligns people strategy with overall business objectives. It transforms HR into a strategic partner rather than just an administrative function.