Quantifying Human Resources

4What Effects are the Effects of Quantification on the Human Resources Function?

The increased use of quantification has consequences for the positioning of the HR function within the company. Indeed, quantification can be a tool for evaluating HR policies, and thus enable the HR function to ensure their implementation, their effects and finally define appropriate HR policies (section 4.1). Being able to evaluate HR policies is also a first step toward legitimizing the HR function within the company, with regard to other functions such as finance or executive management (section 4.2). This legitimization operation through quantification can involve measuring the performance of the HR function, and especially the link between the performance of the HR function and that of the organization’s performance. However, the more recent use of algorithms may also pose a threat to some parts of the HR function, making it possible to automate them (section 4.3). This raises the question of how to support the employees concerned. However, it should be noted that these various points are not specific to the HR function: most of the company’s support functions (marketing, information systems, etc.) seem to be concerned. The specificity of the HR function may lie in its greater distance from the figures and in a greater difficulty in measuring its action.

4.1. Quantification for HR policy evaluation?

Public policy evaluation is an important part of economic, statistical and econometric research. ...