The term people analytics (or HR analytics) is used to describe analytical methods that enable evidence-based decisions based on employee-related data. Employee-related data sources are collections of information about an organisation's candiates and employees that provide information on topics such as career, communication, performance and occupational health management.
The use of people analytics aims to achieve classic efficiency goals by partially automating decision-making processes in human resource (HR) management and contributing to more evidence-based HR work. There are concrete application possibilities in all HR areas, from personnel marketing and selection to onboarding, personnel development and (further) qualification as well as diversity and performance management, offboarding and knowledge transfer. Employers expect benefits, for example, in the quality control and assurance of decisions and the development of preventive measures through improved traceability of cause-and-effect relationships (e.g. in the case of resignations).
The current discourse pays little attention to the existing areas of application and the future potential and risks of people analytics applications in public administration. Relevant issues such as competence building and human resource development in the face of a cross-industry shortage of skilled workers, ethics and the protection of employee-related data, digitalisation strategies and measures in the public sector, and marketplaces for HR services play a central role here and require a differentiated analysis.

Objective and approach

The aim of the study is to examine and evaluate the fields of application, conditions and developments of people analytics in human resource management at federal, state and local level. The aim is to provide a compact overview of existing and future applications, the landscape of actors and resource issues, as well as the opportunities, challenges and social impacts of people analytics applications in public administration.
The analysis is based on five key questions

• What examples of people analytics applications already exist in public administration in Germany and internationally and/or where is such an application planned?
• What is the relevance of people analytics applications as a building block for successful administrative modernisation/digitalisation?
• What are the prerequisites and necessary financial, human, legal and technological resources for the use of people analytics applications at different levels of public administration?
• What are the potential benefits and risks of people analytics applications for organisations (public administration) and individuals (employees and applicants)?
• How can people analytics be used responsibly (ethics? data protection? [in]dependence on international technology providers?)

The study will be carried out in four methodological steps:

• The first step will be a literature review. Reports, studies and scientific publications on people analytics in public administration will be reviewed toidentify examples of existing and emerging innovations.
• In a second step, up to 12 interviews will be conducted with relevant experts from different levels of public administration (federal, state, local) and from the field of HR and people analytics services. These interviews will be automatically transcribed and systematically analysed using the qualitative content analysis software MAXQDA. The aim is to fill knowledge gaps and to take into account references to current research in the development of the TA Compact Study.
• In a third step, the results of the interviews will be processed and validated through extended expert participation in the form of a two-stage Delphi survey. For this purpose, the interview results will be condensed and core theses/hypotheses will be developed for each of the five guiding questions and evaluated through an online survey. This will show whether there is a consensus on certain core theses/hypotheses or future assumptions and where opinions differ. As part of the survey, open-ended questions can also be used to collect expert opinions on aspects that have been less researched or are associated with a high degree of uncertainty.
• In a fourth step, future scenarios for the responsible use of people analytics in public administration are developed with 5 to 8 experts from public administration, HR and people analytics providers.