How HR Analytics led me to a job as a Business Intelligence Consultant

HR Analytics?

Data is playing an increasingly important role within every field. I used to be on the 'talk side' of HR, but the 'data side' integrated me even more. What about your KPIs, productivity, recruitment targets and the state of absenteeism? Questions that can just 'pop up'. Do you get everything out of your data with Excel? Chances are not! Or that it works, but is not sufficiently interpretable. That's why I prefer to work with PowerBI. With dashboarding you can see at a glance what needs attention. 'HR often lacks the static knowledge to interpret results properly and that's what makes my job as a Business Intelligence Consultant so much fun. I can help them because I understand HR, but also IT'. Part of my conclusion was that HR people lack static knowledge to interpret results properly

People and data always need each other. Wherever developments take them!

Leap into the deep

'Sometimes you just have to take a leap and I'm glad I did!' A traditional job interview needs structure and there was some of that at TeamValue... haha. In the beginning, you're both gauging expectations. The difference at TeamValue was that Anton kept asking questions about everything. The recruitment side of HR is therefore the most fun. During a traditional interview, it is much more about what you have already done and what you can bring to a company, rather than where you want to go as a person and where the world is going when you talk about the latest developments. I had that here! I met Stijn, also working at TeamValue, at an event and we got talking. At first, I could not imagine an organization with this name. What exactly would they do and would I fit in with their (data) culture?

My view on a job interview has changed after having set foot across the threshold at TeamValue. After studying HRM, I had never experienced such an interview before'.

On the career site you would expect a fill-in-the-blank field and the uploading of your CV. No, nothing was further from the truth. 'I was given ten questions about myself to answer'. One of them was whether I like football. Answers could only be yes, yes or yes. But my answer was no! A reason not to respond? Certainly not! Did you already read the interview with Anton of PEC Zwolle? I am not the only one who failed in the world of football, haha. But I just liked to play a game of amateur football to relax'.

What I heard: 'Boy, you don't know much about Business Intelligence yet, but we're going to teach you! We see the drive and your 'data heart' comes naturally to you. Welcome to the club. For me that was the confirmation of what was promised on the website, character for skill!

A day of practical training, a Friday afternoon drink and an invitation to the Christmas dinner before my start was inevitable.

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Human (HR) side of IT

What I like about an organisation is the combination between people and IT. So when I heard that TeamValue cannot see Business Critical Applications, Business Intelligence and coaching in isolation from each other, I only got happier!

Looking at my personal development and how I am able to help other organizations with this, I can't stop talking about it. After getting acquainted with BI on 'the front-end' I can now do the same on 'the back-end'. I now understand the whole process' and I always have my colleague Xander behind me. Besides the fact that Business Intelligence makes me think of Sherlock Holmes, I think the book 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' gives good insight into the fact that you must first be able to understand something, before you want to be understood by others.

The combination of technology and coaching is particularly valuable. I can honestly lie awake at night worrying if we have built something beautiful and it is then hardly used. Yes, sometimes you have to give extra explanation and remove resistance.

Junior Business Intelligence Consultant

If you already know everything in your life, it becomes so boring... That's why I keep a close eye on the new developments. In the morning when I get off the train and arrive at our office in Zwolle, I enjoy (as you normally do with your family) unloading the dishwasher and then start the tasks on the scrum board with a 'clear head'. You'll soon find out what else our daily work entails. My dream when I have some time left (even though I don't like soccer) is to use PowerBI to analyze data from the premier league and to use data to analyze and achieve my sports goals!

For Pjotter, data is the means and helping people with that data is the higher goal. When do you get on board?