41 What the World Needs & What You Can Get Paid For: People Analytics Jobs and Careers

In today’s data-driven world, the need for people analytics is clearer than ever, not just because it’s trendy, but because it works. Studies by Deloitte, Human Capital Institute, McKinsey & Company, and others show a clear connection between strong people analytics and organizational success. In functions like HR which historically utilized limited data, the demand for analytics skills has never been higher  – LinkedIn studies found a 3X increase in HR profiles mentioning analytics keywords and identified “HR Analytics Manager” as the second fastest growing job in the United States over a 5 year period compared to all other job titles in all fields (it even ranked above truck drivers!). Organizations are now fully aware that analytics provides a key to unlocking the power of data to understand the workforce, optimize talent management, and ultimately, drive business success. People Analytics is not just a nice-to-have any more, it’s essential. As a result, new people analytics jobs are popping up every day. Even jobs that aren’t specific to people analytics are starting to list people analytics skills as a key job requirement. The below sections are intended to show you some of the applications and techniques needed today, some areas where people analytics jobs are found, and where you’ll see others being paid for these people analytics skills today.

Remember, this guide is not intended to be a textbook, a description of what to do in people analytics, nor is the goal to provide examples of everything that is being done in people analytics today or every possible job title and role that may pop up. However, it is hard to talk about careers in people analytics without referencing the many different types of ways you might apply your people analytics skills in your career.

People Analytics in Practice: Applications and Techniques

People Analytics is not always thought of as a job or function, but as an approach or a set of techniques carried out on a certain type of data. The following provides a subset of some of the many types of analyses undertaken by those who are putting their People Analytics skills into practice and is provided to give you some key terms that you may choose to research and learn about more deeply. Some People Analytics applications and techniques:

• Organizational Network Analysis
• Predictive Attrition Modeling
• Survival Analysis
• Workforce Planning (inclusive of Strategic Workforce Planning, Operational Workforce Planning, Staffing, Workforce Optimization)
• Learning Analytics
• Human Capital Valuation
• Return on Investment calculations (for people related initiatives)
• Compensation Analyses (inclusive of pay equity analyses, comp and ben analyses, predictive modeling, executive compensation, benefits allocation, cost modeling, plan allocation, etc.)
• Talent Acquisition (recruiting efficiency, sourcing, candidate selection, hiring, onboarding, process optimization, etc.)
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Employee Development
• Employee Listening
• Performance Management
• Facilities and real estate planning
• Data Science
• Data Engineering
• Machine Learning & Deep Learning
• Business Intelligence
• Information System Management (especially but not limited to HR information systems)
• Software and Technology Design and Development
• and so much more…

People Analytics in Practice: Areas of Practice

People analytics isn’t done in only one way, or in only certain types of organizations, or only by individuals with specific types of job titles. There are a number of different career paths, job titles, and different areas of organizations where you will find individuals applying People Analytics skills. This is wonderful because it provides many possible career opportunities. It can also be confusing and complicate things if you are just starting out in your people analytics career or are in the job search process. In an attempt to help provide some clarity, here’s a generalized, non-exhaustive, and not mutually exclusive list of some career areas where people analytics applications and techniques are being applied:

• Human Resources (HR)/People Operations: This is one of the more common areas within an organization you might find career paths focused on using data to understand people, work, and the workforce. It covers all areas of what might be traditionally called HR but also goes by other names like People Operations, Talent Management, and more. With respect to people analytics, it includes anything that touches workforce data (e.g., employees or potential employees) and might include tasks like reporting, analysis, data management, and dashboarding. The depth of required technical expertise for these roles ranges widely from basic data skills to advanced programming and data science.
• Business Partnership/Consulting: Applying people analytics findings to solve business problems and support strategic decision-making is the cornerstone of this area. Professionals in these roles act as consultants, collaborating with various types of individuals and companies helping them leverage data to inform action.
• People Science or People Analytics Research: This area delves deeper into the methodologies used when seeking to understand the “why” behind workforce data. It involves research, analysis, advanced research methodologies and more scientific rigor in its approaches than a typical analytics role.
• Other People Analytics Specialties: There are many roles in people analytics that are specific to a certain specialty area where people analytics skills are needed to address specific workforce and/or business challenges. Common specialty areas in people analytics include workforce planning, talent management, designing and analyzing surveys or tests, and the data-driven aspects of various talent development initiatives (e.g., the analytics aspects of performance management, recruiting, learning, inclusion, equity, diversity, compensation, and others).
• Technology Roles: Business intelligence, data science, data management, user experience, product design, product management, information architecture, system implementation, and the management and operations of HR information systems is a huge industry. There has been exponential growth in the financial investment made in people analytics technology platforms recently. New people analytics startups and the increase of mergers and acquisitions in the people analytics technology space make people analytics a hot place to be for technology professionals today. Every technology job type that exists today exists in the people analytics technology space, making it a great space for those who want to combine a love of technology design, development, or delivery aspects with a love of people analytics.
• Management: Leadership, team management, operations, mergers, acquisitions, venture capital, facilities, and office management all find themselves facing questions about people at work that require data-informed decision-making. Even roles without direct people management responsibilities like finance operations, security, real estate, and those responsible for managing the work of others indirectly (e.g., product owners and project managers) find themselves requiring people analytics skills to be successful. Any role where that includes the management of work, usually also includes an opportunity for people analytics to help inform those decisions. Those who can combine work management with data-informed insights about the people who do that work will find greater success in their role.
• Research/Academia: The field of people analytics research and academic careers is still young, but rapidly growing. While there is new research using the popularized and colloquial “people analytics” or “HR analytics” terms, I recommend you dig into the longer, richer history of research and traditions in the academic fields of management science or industrial organizational psychology that apply to people analytics. Regardless of what it is called, it is an exciting area for both research and teaching because it is interdisciplinary and allows for many different approaches. You can find people working in this space across fields like statistics, data analysis, psychology, information management, and business.

People Analytics in Practice: Job Roles

With all these techniques, applications, and areas of practice, there is an almost limitless combination of possible job titles and roles. It would be impossible to provide an all-inclusive list of every people analytics related job. But, I’ll try my best to point you toward some roles you may see. This can serve as a starting point for considering options available to you. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some titles you may find people analytics professionals working in:

• People Analyst
• HR Analyst
• Talent Analyst
• Workforce Analyst
• Business Intelligence Analyst (HR)
• Data Scientist (or People Data Scientist)
• People Insights Specialist
• Workforce Insights Analyst
• Strategic Workforce Planning Analyst
• HR Information Systems (HRIS) Analyst
• HR Data Architect (or HR Information Architect)
• Data Governance Analyst
• Data Quality Specialist
• Master Data Management Analyst
• Data Privacy Analyst
• People Data Security Analyst
• Talent Acquisition Analyst (or Recruiting Analytics)
• Learning & Development Analyst
• Compensation & Benefits Analyst
• Employee Relations Analyst
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Analyst
• People Experience Analyst
• Workforce Retention Analyst
• Employee Engagement Analyst
• Employee Experience Manager
• HR Technology Implementation Specialist
• People Analytics Manager
• Director of People Analytics
• Head of People Analytics
• People Insights Manager
• Vice President of People Analytics
• Chief People Officer (CPO)
• Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
• People/HR/Talent/Workforce Analytics Consultant
• People Success Analyst
• Organizational Development Analyst
• Researcher
• People Analytics Research Scientist
• Human Capital Strategist
• Talent Optimization Specialist
• People Operations Specialist
• Reporting Analyst
• Director of Workforce Science
• Chief Human Capital Officer
• Workforce Transformation Specialist
• HR Business Partner
• People Analytics Project Manager
• People Analytics Product Manager
• People Analytics Platform Manager
• Strategic People Partner
• and so much more…

Remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to jobs that explicitly say, “people analytics” in the job title. People analytics is a skillset, an area of work, and also just an approach that can be applied, not just a job title. Many people do some form of people analytics work without it being explicitly listed as a job responsibility. Anytime we use people data to make informed decisions about the work, worker, or workplace we are doing people analytics work. There also isn’t any restriction on the type of industry or organization in which people analytics careers flourish. People analytics provide us with data-driven insights whether we are working for non-profits, public companies, government entities, volunteer organizations, or even just to support a group of individuals working together to bring about a shared goal. There is no requirement that you be in a particular type of career path or at a certain type of company – or even in a formal company! – to be a people analytics professional. Only that you seek to use people data to find insights that drive action.

Unlike a rigid career path, a career in people analytics is more like a ‘choose your own adventure’ game. It has plenty of opportunities for unexpected twists and turns and countless options to customize your journey in directions that excite you. Many people analytics professionals find themselves jumping into very different types of jobs throughout their career. It is their people analytics skills that serve as a common thread connecting what might seem to be different roles together into a more holistic career. I, for example, have held job titles of consultant, researcher, analyst, data scientist, strategic workforce planner, talent management leader, HR technology and operations leader, VP people strategy, consultant again, and am now a professor. Each of these roles required me to grow and stretch different skills but because I was able to leverage my existing people analytics strengths those transitions were possible. As you consider what path you might want to follow, remember that it can change over time and that it’s extremely unlikely you will stay in one job type or role for your entire career.