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Everyone is talking about being “data driven” in HR. But few teams are actually doing it. Successful businesses understand their data. They get insights to make decisions. And they do it quickly. It’s no different for HR. It is more important than ever for HR to think strategically and get the data they need to support the business.

Yet, most organizations are still operating with fragmented HR systems, outdated spreadsheets, and guesswork. But don’t worry, there is SO much tech out there to help us.

At Stakkd we see a lot of tech, and one of our partners, peopleIX, kindly let us behind the scenes to see just how easy it is for HR to become data driven.

We know that most HR teams are running blind. They’re drowning in HR data but also struggling to make sense of it. They rely on intuition instead of insights. And they wait until it’s too late. Then top talent walks out the door, absenteeism spikes, or diversity efforts fall flat.

This isn’t just inefficient; it’s costing companies millions.

That’s why HR needs to get fast at data processing and so you can see insights and make decisions quickly. peopleIX does this. Having a system like this takes away the guesswork and enables data driven decisions. Not convinced that you need a People Analytics system like peopleIX? 

Here’s the type of things you can do when you have the data and insights available in real-time.

(No team alone will be able to process the data at the speed a system can.)

1. Tackle Attrition Before It Happens

Attrition costs businesses billions every year, and yet, much of it is avoidable.

Losing employees isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a financial black hole. Replacing an employee will cost you, not to mention the hit to team morale and productivity.

Tools like peopleIX can predict who’s at risk of leaving and why, using data points like tenure, salary trends, engagement levels, and performance indicators. Without this insight, you’re left reacting too late, spending time and money replacing employees when you could have kept them in the first place.

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2. Absenteeism: The Silent Productivity Killer

Absenteeism is more than just a number, it’s an indicator of underlying organizational issues. Whether due to sickness, disengagement, or personal reasons, every unplanned absence affects your team performance. The challenge is to identify and understand the patterns before they lead to significant losses.

Without insight into absenteeism trends, businesses can’t optimize productivity or address root causes. Unchecked absenteeism can snowball, affecting entire teams and departments, ultimately lowering performance and engagement.

But most companies don’t have a clear picture of why absenteeism happens or how to fix it.

You can see below how peopleIX identifies absenteeism trends before they turn into larger issues. 

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3. Drive Real Change with DEI Insights

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) isn’t just a buzzword, it is critical for businesses to understand and take action on it.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• Companies with diverse teams see 35% better financial performance.
• Inclusive cultures see 5.4x higher employee retention.
• Employee satisfaction is up to 30% higher when equality is actively promoted.

Yet, most organizations struggle to track and improve DEI efforts effectively.

peopleIX can track DEI metrics easily. The platform provides actionable insights into diversity gaps, pay gaps, inclusivity levels, hidden biases and how they relate to employee satisfaction and retention.

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Conclusion: Why would you not invest in a People Analytics system?

The workforce challenges facing today’s organizations are complex and require real-time data to tackle them effectively and reduce the negative cost impact of being too slow to identify issues.

HR has long been seen as an operational function and reactionary. Getting a system like peopleIX helps turn HR into a data-driven business driver - what we are all aiming for!

Let’s start making smarter business decisions, enhance productivity, and drive long-term success. Gone are the days where you need a large people analytics team working for months to get insights. There really are just so many benefits and opportunities for business when data is quickly accessible.

Want to know more about peopleIX? You can find out more on Stakkd or reach out to them directly!

In light of Mark Zuckerberg's recent  "masculine energy" in business, we had a look at a report by Buddies HR that analyzed Y Combinator's most successful startups to understand what truly drives high performance. The data offers an interesting perspective that makes us question whether business really needs more masculine energy. This report highlights the often overlooked importance of feminine qualities in fostering sustainable success.

Let’s dive into the data: 

Based on analysis of 305 top Y Combinator companies valued at $150M+

Top 10 Values in Elite Startups:

1. Customer-centric - 41%
2. Ownership - 32%
3. Bias for action - 25%
4. Growth mindset - 19%
5. Team cohesion - 15%
6. Excellence - 15%
7. Integrity - 13%
8. Humility - 12%
9. Empathy - 12%
10. Innovation - 10%

What These Numbers Really Mean:

Interestingly, the most prevalent value - customer-centricity at 41% - requires traditionally feminine traits like relationship building, emotional intelligence, and deep listening. This suggests that the highest-performing startups already recognize the crucial role of feminine energy in driving business success.

While masculine traits appear prominently as 3 of the top 4:

• Ownership (32%)
• Bias for action (25%)
• Excellence (15%)

The data shows successful companies actively embracing feminine traits:

• Customer-centricity (41%) - the highest-ranked value
• Team cohesion (15%)
• Empathy (12%)
• Humility (12%)

The Hidden Story

The data presents a clear case for increasing feminine energy in business, not masculine.

1. Customer Success Foundation

• The highest-valued trait (customer-centricity) relies heavily on feminine energy
• Relationship-building capabilities directly impact bottom line

2. Sustainable Growth

• Companies valuing both empathy (12%) and excellence (15%) demonstrate that performance and people-focus aren't mutually exclusive
• Team cohesion (15%) suggests sustainable growth requires collaborative environments

3. Innovation Through Integration

• The presence of humility (12%) alongside bias for action (25%) indicates that innovative companies need both decisive action and the ability to listen and adapt

The unfair advantage:

As the startup ecosystem matures, the data suggests that success isn't about amplifying masculine energy - it's about achieving the right balance. Companies that effectively integrate feminine traits like empathy, collaboration, and relationship-building alongside masculine traits like decisiveness and action-orientation appear better positioned for sustainable success.

The question isn't whether we need more masculine energy in business - it's whether we're fully leveraging the power of feminine energy to create more balanced, sustainable, and ultimately successful organizations.

See the full Startup Culture Insights Report 2024 for deeper insights.

Ready to build an engaging culture for your business? Discover how Buddies HR can help you.

In the fast-paced world of recruitment, finding the right talent quickly can make all the difference. Enter FRATCH—an innovative tool designed for businesses that need interim and freelance talent at lightning speed.

Video walk-through you youtube here.

We recently explored FRATCH's functionality where we got to see the simplicity it brings to what is often an arduous and time consuming process. If you're hunting for talent with specific qualifications, FRATCH could be what you're looking for. Let’s dive in!

A Snapshot of FRATCH

FRATCH is all about making the recruitment of freelance and interim talent as seamless as possible. Picture this: you're searching for a product owner with experience in mobile e-commerce, based in Berlin, who’s open to remote work. This tool has you covered.

How it works: You start by heading to FRATCH’s homepage and navigating to their “Freelancers” section. The magic begins when you enter a prompt tailored to your needs. Whether you’re looking for specific skills, location preferences, or budget constraints, FRATCH’s intelligent interface generates candidate matches in seconds.

Putting FRATCH to the Test

To see FRATCH in action, we input a prompt:

• Role: Product owner
• Experience: Mobile apps in the e-commerce industry
• Location: Berlin
• Work mode: Up to 90% remote
• Budget: Within a reasonable daily rate

Once the criteria are set, hit 'Go,' and three top candidate profiles appear. Each profile offers a comprehensive overview, from work history and skills to languages spoken. If needed, you can tweak the prompt and refine your search.

Dive Into Candidate Details

FRATCH makes it easy to assess each candidate’s qualifications, skills, and experience quickly. When you think you've found the perfect match, click “Meet,” enter your email, and FRATCH facilitates the connection - simple as that. Plus, scheduling tools are on the way to make arranging meetings even smoother.

Why FRATCH Stands Out

• Simplicity: The user friendly interface means you can start searching with just a few clicks.
• Speed: Immediate access to relevant talent saves time.
• Customisability: Easily refine your search criteria to find the best fit for your requirements.

Sound interesting? Check out FRATCH in the Stakkd HR tech database.

Stay tuned for more demos and recruitment tech insights.

Until next time, happy hiring!

Candidate assessment tools are key to hiring decisions given how they analyse candidates' skills, competencies and cultural fit. With a wide range of options available on Stakkd, selecting the best candidate assessment tool can be challenging.

Here's the steps to take to find out which of the options available is the best one for YOUR business.

Step 1: Identify Your Organisation’s Hiring Needs

Define your specific hiring challenges. Core parts to consider:

1. Role-Specific Requirements: What skills, competencies, or behaviours are essential for the roles you’re hiring for?
2. Assessment Objectives: Are you focusing on technical skills, cognitive ability, personality fit, or soft skills?
3. Hiring Volume: Do you need a scalable tool for high-volume hiring, or a more in-depth assessment for specialised roles?
4. Budget Constraints: Determine your maximum budget, also consider that some vendors charge a per-assessment fee.

Step 2: Define Must-Have Features

Must haves in the Candidate Assessment space, often include:

1. Customisable Assessments: Ability to create or tailor assessments for different roles or levels.
2. Pre-Built Assessment Libraries: Access to a library of ready-to-use assessments for various skills and competencies.
3. AI-Driven Insights: Use of AI to provide predictive analytics on candidate performance, potential, and fit.
4. Candidate Experience: Ensure the tool offers an intuitive, engaging, and mobile-friendly experience for candidates.
5. Integration Capabilities: Seamless integration with your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and HRIS.
6. Reporting and Analytics: Detailed reports on candidate performance with actionable insights for hiring managers.

Step 3: Evaluate Usability and User Experience (UX)

The tool’s ease of use for both recruiters and candidates is key to its success. Look for:

1. Recruiter Interface: A user-friendly dashboard for managing assessments, tracking candidates, and generating reports.
2. Candidate Experience: A seamless assessment process with clear instructions, timely feedback, and accessibility on mobile.
3. Customisation and Branding: Ability to customise assessments with your company’s branding to create a cohesive candidate experience.

Step 4: Assess Validation and Compliance

Candidate assessment tools must be scientifically validated to ensure they are accurate, reliable, and legally compliant. Evaluate:

1. Validation Studies: Look for evidence that the tool can accurately predict job performance.
2. Compliance with Employment Laws: Ensure the tool complies with local regulations. Common ones are: EEOC, ADA, and GDPR.
3. Bias Mitigation: Assess whether the tool has mechanisms to minimise bias in assessments and ensure fairness.

Step 5: Vendor Reputation and Support

Check the vendor’s expertise, reputation, and support offerings.

1. Vendor Expertise: Choose vendors with a strong track record in the candidate assessment space and proven industry experience.
2. Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Read reviews and case studies to understand how the tool has delivered value to other organisations.
3. Support and Training: Ensure the vendor offers robust support, including training sessions, onboarding assistance, and ongoing customer service.

Step 6: Request Demos and Conduct Pilot Testing

Before making a final decision, request live demos or trial periods to evaluate the tool in a real-world setting.

1. Simulate Key Hiring Scenarios: Test the tool with different roles and candidate profiles to evaluate its effectiveness. Use some of your own team and their jobs to see how the tool handles these real life examples.
2. Gather Stakeholder Feedback: Involve recruiters, hiring managers, and even candidates in the pilot to gather diverse perspectives.
3. Evaluate Performance: Assess the tool’s accuracy, ease of use, and the quality of insights provided during the trial period.

Step 7: Compare Pricing and ROI

Evaluate the pricing models (subscription, pay-per-use, etc.) and compare them to the expected return on investment (ROI). You can use the Stakkd ROI calculator here.

1. Hidden Costs: Look out for additional charges for training, support, or integrations.
2. Value Assessment: Balance cost against potential savings in time, improved hiring quality, and reduced administrative burden.

Step 8: Plan for Implementation and Adoption

Once you’ve selected the best tool, develop a clear implementation plan to ensure smooth adoption.

1. Data Integration: Ensure seamless integration with existing HR systems and tools.
2. Training and Onboarding: Provide comprehensive training for recruiters, hiring managers, and other stakeholders.
3. Continuous Improvement: Establish a feedback loop to refine the use of the tool and address any issues that arise.

In Summary

Selecting the right Candidate Assessment tool will enable your organisation to pinpoint the best candidates and level up how objectively it selects successful candidates. With the right tool in place, your organisation will be better equipped to achieve this.