Why Power BI is Not Enough for People Analytics (And What to Use Instead)

Have you ever wondered how Netflix knows what shows you might like? Or how Spotify creates personalised playlists for you? Or how Amazon recommends products that match your preferences? 

These are all examples of data analytics in action. 

Data analytics is collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to gain insights and make decisions. 

Data analytics can help businesses improve their products, services, customer experience, and profitability. And sometimes, it can also help you find your soulmate (looking at you, Hinge).

But data analytics is not only useful for businesses and love-seekers. It can also help organisations optimise their most valuable asset: their people. 

People analytics is the application of data analytics to human resources and workforce management. 

People analytics can help organisations better understand their employees, improve their performance, engagement, retention, diversity, and well-being, and align their workforce strategy with business goals.

People analytics is not a new concept. 

It has been around for decades, but it has gained more popularity and importance in recent years due to several factors, such as:

  • The availability and accessibility of more and more data sources, such as HR systems, payroll systems, applicant tracking systems, learning management systems, employee surveys, social media, etc. (Seriously, there’s so much data out there that you could drown in it.)
  • The advancement and affordability of data technologies, such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, etc. (These are not just buzzwords but pretty cool and powerful.)
  • The emergence and evolution of new work models and trends, such as remote work, gig work, hybrid work, etc. (The pandemic has changed how we work forever. And we’re not returning to the old normal anytime soon.)
  • The increased competition and disruption in the labour market and the economy require organisations to adapt and innovate faster and wiser. (The world is changing more quickly than ever. And if you snooze, you lose.)

People analytics can provide a competitive edge in the 21st century. But how can organisations leverage people analytics? What tools and methods can they use to collect, analyse, and act on their people’s data? What are the challenges and risks?

In this blog post, I will explore these questions and more. We will compare and contrast Power BI and Visier tools for people analytics. 

I will explain why Power BI is unsuitable for people analytics. This general-purpose business intelligence tool claims to do everything but does nothing well (okay, that’s a bit harsh).

And I will show why Visier, a purpose-built people analytics tool designed specifically for HR professionals like you (yes, you), is a better alternative to Power BI for people analytics.

The limitations and drawbacks of Power BI for people analytics

Let’s start with Power BI. Power BI is a popular business intelligence tool that allows users to connect to various data sources, transform and model data, create and share interactive dashboards and reports, and embed analytics in apps and websites. 

Power BI sounds like an excellent tool for data analytics, right?

Well, not exactly. 

At least not for people analytics.

You see, people analytics is not like any other type of data analytics. People analytics is complex, dynamic, and sensitive. It requires a deep understanding of the human capital domain and HR professionals’ specific needs and challenges.

It also requires high data quality, security, and privacy. And it requires a lot of flexibility and functionality to address various business questions and scenarios.

Power BI, as a general-purpose tool, does not meet these requirements. It has several limitations and drawbacks that make it unsuitable for people analytics. Here are some of them:

  • Lack of HR-specific data models and metrics: Power BI has no built-in or pre-defined data models or metrics for HR and workforce management. This means that users must create their own data models and metrics from scratch, which can be time-consuming, error-prone, and inconsistent. Moreover, users must keep up with the latest industry standards and best practices for HR data models and metrics, which can be challenging and overwhelming.
  • Difficulty integrating and harmonising data from multiple sources: Power BI can connect to various data sources, such as HR systems, payroll systems, applicant tracking systems, learning management systems, employee surveys, social media, etc. However, more than connecting to these data sources is required. Users also have to integrate and harmonise the data from these sources, which can be complicated and tedious. For example, users must deal with different data formats, structures, definitions, quality levels, update frequencies, etc. Users must also ensure the data is consistent and accurate across various sources and periods.
  • Inability to handle sensitive and confidential employee data securely and compliantly: Power BI has no special features or capabilities to handle sensitive and confidential employee data. This means that users must rely on security and privacy measures to protect the data from unauthorised access or misuse. Users must also comply with various regulations and standards governing employee data protection, such as GDPR, CCPA, etc. These regulations and standards can vary by country, region, industry, or organisation. Therefore, users must be aware of and follow these regulations and standards carefully to avoid legal or ethical issues.
  • Limited functionality and flexibility in creating interactive and actionable dashboards and reports: Power BI allows users to create and share interactive dashboards and reports that can visualise data in various ways. However, these dashboards and reports are not flexible or functional for people analytics purposes. For example, users cannot quickly drill down, slice, or dice the data by different dimensions or filters. Users need help to easily compare or benchmark the data against other groups or periods. Users cannot efficiently perform advanced or predictive analytics on the data. Users cannot quickly generate insights or recommendations from the data.
  • High dependency on IT and data experts to build and maintain the solution: Power BI requires many technical skills and expertise to develop and sustain a people analytics solution. Users must know how to connect to different data sources, transform and model data, create and share dashboards and reports, embed analytics in apps and websites, etc. Users also have to troubleshoot any issues or problems that may arise with the solution. This means that users must depend on IT or data experts to help them with the solution, which can result in long development cycles and high costs.

As you can see, there are better fits for people analytics than Power BI. It does not give users the HR-specific data models and metrics they need.

It does not make it easy for users to integrate and harmonise data from multiple sources. 

It does not ensure that the data is secure and compliant. It does not offer users the functionality and flexibility they want. 

And it does not empower users to build and maintain the solution themselves.

So what can you do to use people analytics effectively and efficiently? 

Is there a better tool than Power BI for people analytics? 

Yes, there is! 

And it’s called Visier.

What is Visier, and why is it designed for people analytics?

Now let鈥檚 talk about Visier. Visier is a purpose-built people analytics tool for HR professionals and workforce management. 

Visier provides users with a comprehensive and integrated solution that covers the entire employee lifecycle and aligns with industry best practices. 

It enables users to collect, analyse, and act on their people data with ease and confidence. 

Visier has several benefits and advantages, making it a better alternative to Power BI for people analytics. 

Here are some of them:

  • Pre-built and validated HR data models and metrics: Visier has a rich and robust HR data model that captures the complexity and dynamics of human capital. Visier also has hundreds of pre-defined and validated HR metrics that measure workforce performance, engagement, retention, diversity, well-being, etc. These data models and metrics are based on years of research and experience in the HR domain. Users do not have to create data models or metrics from scratch. They can simply use the ones Visier provides or customise them as needed.
  • Seamless and automated data integration and quality assurance: Visier can load from any data source that contains employee data, such as HR systems, payroll systems, applicant tracking systems, learning management systems, employee surveys, social media, etc. Visier can also integrate and harmonise the data from these sources automatically and seamlessly. Visier uses advanced algorithms and techniques to ensure data consistency and accuracy across different sources and periods. Visier also performs regular data quality checks and audits to identify and resolve any data issues or anomalies.
  • Robust security and privacy features that protect employee data and comply with various regulations and standards: Visier has a strong security and privacy framework that protects employee data from unauthorised access or misuse. Visier uses encryption, authentication, authorisation, auditing, logging, backup, recovery, etc., to ensure the data is secure at rest and in transit. Visier also complies with various regulations and standards that govern employee data protection, such as GDPR, CCPA, etc. Visier also allows users to control who can access or view the data based on their roles or permissions.
  • User-friendly and intuitive interface that enables users to explore, analyse, and visualise data without coding or technical skills: Visier has a simple and elegant interface that makes studying and visualising their people’s data easy. Users do not need any coding or technical skills to use Visier. They can simply drag and drop the data elements they want to see on the screen. They can also use natural language queries to ask questions about the data. Furthermore, Visier gives users various options to display the data in different formats, such as charts, graphs, tables, maps, etc.
  • Rich and dynamic dashboards and storyboards that provide insights and recommendations for various people-related topics and issues: Visier has a library of ready-made dashboards and storyboards that cover various people-related topics and issues, such as hiring, turnover, engagement, diversity, performance, learning, etc. These dashboards and storyboards are interactive and actionable. They allow users to drill down, slice, and dice the data by different dimensions or filters. They also allow users to compare or benchmark the data against other groups or periods. They also provide users with insights and recommendations based on the data. Users can also create their dashboards and storyboards or modify the existing ones.
  • Self-service and cloud-based solutions empower users to access and update the data anytime and anywhere, without relying on IT or data experts: Visier is a self-service and cloud-based solution that allows users to access and update the data anytime and anywhere, without relying on IT or data experts. Users can access Visier from any device, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones. 

Visier is an excellent fit for people analytics. First, it provides users with HR-specific data models and metrics. Second, it makes it easy for users to integrate and harmonise data from multiple sources. Third, it ensures data is secure and compliant. Finally, it empowers users to build and maintain the solution.

So if you want to use people analytics effectively and efficiently, stop using Power BI for people analytics and switch to Visier.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have compared and contrasted two tools for people analytics: Power BI and Visier. We have explained why Power BI, a general-purpose business intelligence tool, is unsuitable for people analytics. And we have shown why Visier, a purpose-built people analytics tool, is a better alternative to Power BI for people analytics.

If you want to learn more about Visier and how it can help you optimise your workforce and business outcomes, check them on their website or request a demo.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x