HR Information Management: Best Practices for Data Collection and Usage

Importance of Accurate HR Data

As an HR Professional it is important that you understand the contribution that accurate data can make to the human resources function within your organisation.

In order to gain a greater understanding of this contribution, you are required to write a review of how your organisation collects, stores and uses HR information.

To do this you should identify two reasons why information is collected.  You must describe the type of data collected, how it is analysed and stored.  How can you assure that the data is as accurate as possible? Finally, you should suggest how this information is used by the organisation and in what format.

OMG Ltd. is a large, national manufacturing organisation with a range of factories, warehouses and distribution hubs around the U.K. The organisation has decided to carry out a Great Place to Work® survey. They feel that this will give them a better idea of what they can do to improve the relationship with the current employees whilst raising their profile with potential customers and future employees.

The survey has already been designed but the organisation wants HR to distribute it and analyse the data. The employees job roles mean that some people are often ‘on the road’ with little access to email which sometimes makes contact difficult. They want the survey to be anonymous but need to know which division the survey has come from in order to identify any specific issues.

This assignment is based around a retail organisation. This organisation is in the fashion sector, primarily selling ladies fashion (although it does have some lines for men and children). The organisation has 34 stores, primarily based in the Midlands and South of the UK. It tends to employ a significant number of students during the holiday period (to help cover for staff holidays) and it always employs a number of temporary workers in the busy weeks leading up to Christmas.

Answer the following questions (total of 1000 words):

Q1.What data does HR already hold that will assist in this activity?

Q2.How will you distribute and recover the survey?

Q3.How will you know that you have got the maximum return?

Q4.Are there any legal implications you need to consider?

Q5.The sample below shows responses to 3 questions on the survey. Use a spreadsheet to plot and analyse the data and produce graphs to represent the findings.

Q6 Why does this organisation need to keep employee records (identify at least two reasons)?

Q7 What data relating to employees might this organisation want to collect and how will this support HR or L&D practices? (Give 2 examples of types of data)

Q8 What would you recommend as effective methods for this organisation to store the data, and why? (Give two different options)

Q9 Why is it important for the organisation to effectively input and retrieve information? Answer this with particular reference to payroll and personnel records.

Q10 Identify three aspects of the storage of data that need to be addressed as a result of the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The following information has been obtained from the 8 stores in the West Midlands: