André Degreef
What they don’t teach
you in statistics 101...
Lessons from two decades in HR analytics
Lesson 10:
It is indeed a long and winding road…
The Beatles
were right
You have to learn to
walk before you
can run
Establish and develop the team 
Build key relationships and links 
Educate and build maturity in the organisation
Establish and
develop the team
Your Boss

Your Boss’s Boss

Your Customers

Build the key
relationships and
links
Educate and build
maturity across the
organisation
What happens to our separation rates
when we invest in mentoring and
wellbeing programs ?

How do rates vary across our workforce ?
Why are our rates higher than industry ?

How is the separation rate calculated?

What is our separation rate?
Why is HR FTE different to Finance FTE?
Lesson 9:
You report it,
You own it…
Don’t just provide numbers !
Engage others and build a coalition !
Build maturity across the organisation!
All Managers are HR Managers !
Lesson 8:
No HR
presentation is
complete without
the obligatory
quote from Sun Tzu
“Strategy	without	tactics	is	
the	 slowest	 route	 to	
victory,	 tactics	 without	
strategy	is	the	noise	before	
defeat.”		
“There	is	nothing	so	useless	
as	 doing	 efficiently	 that	
which	should	not	be	done	at	
all.”
Peter Drucker
Lesson 7:
The Linguine
Principle
Expectations 
Reality
Politics
Relationships
Priorities
Influence
Strategy
Culture
Budgets
Goals
Timeframes
The Linguine
Principle
Lesson 6:
The Irish All Blacks
aren’t just 15
blokes that are
really, really good
at rugby
Back to back world champions
3 time world champions
92% win rate over the last decade
No 1 world ranked team for the last eight years
Bledisloe Cup Holders for the last 16 years
Only ever been beaten by six test nations
Only international rugby team to have a winning record against
every nation they have played
World team of the year 7 of the last 9 years
World team of the year more times than all other teams combined
Synergy of data
Training Data 

Recruitment Statistics 

Performance Analysis 

Exit Interviews 

Engagement Surveys 


Manager Interviews

Economic Data

Census Data

Education Data 

Labour Market Statistics
Synergy of
relationships
Lesson 5:
Cleave is its own
opposite



24 other words are also their own
opposite, including trim and resign 



“Run” has 645 definitions in the
Oxford English Dictionary
Numbers are
meaningless
without context
Lesson 5b:
In analytics, as in
life - don’t just
Google it…
Lesson 4:
The Trump
Principle
A good 
A good story without data
will trump good data
without a story
The Trump
Principle
A good
The Trump
Principle
A good 
Build Trusting Relationships

Know your audience

Play to your audience

Counter the folklore and hearsay with
your own narrative and data
Lesson 3:
You can’t eat Miso
with chopsticks
Invest in capability
and systems
Even Bigger Excel Spreadsheets With Pivot Tables and
Formulae to project future values, using visual basic coding
to combine information from multiple systems, output custom
figures and export reports to PDF documents…

Bigger Excel Spreadsheets
With Pivot Tables

Excel Spreadsheets

Post it notes and a calculator
Lesson 2:
White men can’t
jump


Women comprise 50.3% of population


Asia accounts for 60% of the world’s population


China and India alone, constitute about 36% of
the world's population 


Asia and Africa together account for 75% of the
global population


It’s about demographics not diversity
Lesson 1:
Focus on what
matters most
AI, big data, chatbots and virtual
assistants will replace us all …
And they actually 
look like this …
HR Analytics lessons and mistakes

HR Analytics lessons and mistakes

  • 1.
    André Degreef What theydon’t teach you in statistics 101... Lessons from two decades in HR analytics
  • 2.
    Lesson 10: It isindeed a long and winding road… The Beatles were right
  • 3.
    You have tolearn to walk before you can run Establish and develop the team Build key relationships and links Educate and build maturity in the organisation
  • 4.
  • 5.
    Your Boss Your Boss’sBoss Your Customers Build the key relationships and links
  • 6.
    Educate and build maturityacross the organisation What happens to our separation rates when we invest in mentoring and wellbeing programs ? How do rates vary across our workforce ? Why are our rates higher than industry ? How is the separation rate calculated? What is our separation rate? Why is HR FTE different to Finance FTE?
  • 7.
    Lesson 9: You reportit, You own it… Don’t just provide numbers ! Engage others and build a coalition ! Build maturity across the organisation! All Managers are HR Managers !
  • 8.
    Lesson 8: No HR presentationis complete without the obligatory quote from Sun Tzu “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory, tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Peter Drucker
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
    Lesson 6: The IrishAll Blacks aren’t just 15 blokes that are really, really good at rugby Back to back world champions 3 time world champions 92% win rate over the last decade No 1 world ranked team for the last eight years Bledisloe Cup Holders for the last 16 years Only ever been beaten by six test nations Only international rugby team to have a winning record against every nation they have played World team of the year 7 of the last 9 years World team of the year more times than all other teams combined
  • 12.
    Synergy of data TrainingData Recruitment Statistics Performance Analysis Exit Interviews Engagement Surveys Manager Interviews Economic Data Census Data Education Data Labour Market Statistics
  • 13.
  • 14.
    Lesson 5: Cleave isits own opposite 24 other words are also their own opposite, including trim and resign “Run” has 645 definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary
  • 15.
  • 16.
    Lesson 5b: In analytics,as in life - don’t just Google it…
  • 17.
    Lesson 4: The Trump Principle Agood A good story without data will trump good data without a story
  • 18.
  • 19.
    The Trump Principle A good Build Trusting Relationships Know your audience Play to your audience Counter the folklore and hearsay with your own narrative and data
  • 20.
    Lesson 3: You can’teat Miso with chopsticks
  • 21.
    Invest in capability andsystems Even Bigger Excel Spreadsheets With Pivot Tables and Formulae to project future values, using visual basic coding to combine information from multiple systems, output custom figures and export reports to PDF documents… Bigger Excel Spreadsheets With Pivot Tables Excel Spreadsheets Post it notes and a calculator
  • 22.
    Lesson 2: White mencan’t jump Women comprise 50.3% of population Asia accounts for 60% of the world’s population China and India alone, constitute about 36% of the world's population Asia and Africa together account for 75% of the global population It’s about demographics not diversity
  • 23.
    Lesson 1: Focus onwhat matters most AI, big data, chatbots and virtual assistants will replace us all …
  • 24.
    And they actually look like this …