Evidence-based HR 

Stop jumping straight to solutions. It always starts with the problem.  

In this episode of The HR Uprising Podcast, Lucinda talks to Prof. Rob Briner, an expert on evidence-based management practice in HR. According to him, the evidence-based approach can help make more informed decisions about organisational problems and opportunities. But before you apply it, you must know that the main thing you should do first is to understand what the problem is.  

Also, they discuss different topics involving how HR could be more scientific in their approach, how to measure the engagement in HR, and how to measure HR engagement. Discover more when you tune in. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• There are different ways that we use evidence to make it work. You can have multiple sources, you can use a structured approach, and you can take a different attitude (i.e. conscientious). 
• The evidence-based approach’s first step is to identify what’s the problem. It’s also essential to make a proper assessment of people’s skills.  
• Recommendation for HR & OD to be more scientific in their approach: 

• Start with the problem itself. 

• If you’re looking for resources for scientific evidence, some institutions make databases available to their members for free. It can be challenging to judge the quality. Look for systematic reviews. 

• Metroanalysis – quantitative; pulls the result from similar studies 

• Institutions should be the one initiating that studies that are made in academia be related to the actual problems that happen in businesses. 
• Using surveys to measure engagement has existed for how many years, but its effectivity depends on what purpose it serves. 
• Worst HR Fad: Work experience 

BEST MOMENTS 

• “Everybody uses evidence.” 
• “Just because someone thinks people don’t have the right skill, it doesn’t they do, or they don’t.” 
• “Let’s find out what the problem is first.” 
• “In the end, you have to show those things you’re measuring are actually important.” 

• “If you don’t feel stuck, you’re not doing it.” 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

•  CIPD 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Prof. Dr Rob Briner is Professor of Organizational Psychology in the School of Business and Management. His interests involve reciprocal relationships between work conditions, psychological wellbeing and behaviours. He was also a founding member, Vice-Chair and now Scientific Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa). And recently, he was awarded the ‘Most Influential HR Thinker’ by the British HR Magazine. 

ABOUT THE HOST 

Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together. 

“If you look up, you rise up” 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Join the LinkedIn community - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/  

• Email: Lucinda@advancechange.co.uk  
• Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/  
• Twitter: @lucindacarney