What influences the use of HR analytics in Human Resource management in Norwegian municipal health care services?

Abstract

Background The centrality of human resources in the provision of healthcare suggests that Human Resource (HR) management and the use of Human Resource analytics – use of digital data to better understand, assess, plan and organize the workforce - can play an important role in this. However, data driven decision making in the field of human resource management is lagging, and the appropriation of HR analytics in the healthcare sector is limited. Aim The current study explores the role of HR departments and the adoption of Human Resource analytics in four municipalities in Norway to obtain insights into what influences the use or lack of use of HR analytics. Methods Empirical data were generated through qualitative interviews with fourteen individuals working in HR departments, the municipal administration, and the healthcare services. Structurational theory guided the analysis. The findings show that none of the municipalities made extensive use of data to inform decision making related to human resource management or workforce planning. Results and conclusion Three conditions hampered or made irrelevant the use of HR analytics: a decoupling between the services and HR, a weak data-culture, and HR and decision-making processes involving a plurality of stakeholders. However, there were changes underway in all municipalities related to the role of HR and HR analytics.