How You Can Have More Impact as a People Analyst

Objective distance is overrated. Try getting a little more personal.

Editor’s note: This article is part of a new MIT SMR series about people analytics.

I was told recently about a people analytics group that prided itself on its independence. They did not mingle with operations, they never made site visits, and they did not explain their models. They aspired to be the alternative view, uncorrupted by “the way things have always been done.” They reasoned that it’s easier to see things clearly when not down in the muck.

If you spend any time studying decision-making, you know this kind of independence is highly prized. Sources get more weight if they are uncorrelated ...

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