News story

‘No more guesswork’: Using analytics to amplify HR’s voice in the boardroom

Emma-Louise JonesLearning NewsCiphr

Ciphr's new HR analytics suite boasts ready-to-use dashboards and robust reporting tools that enable organisations to turn their people data into actionable insights with ease.

Karen Lough, Ciphr's director of people
Karen Lough, Ciphr's director of people 

Research by HR, payroll and benefits software provider Ciphr shows that most UK organisations underutilise their people data – and the expertise of their HR team – when it comes to making strategic decisions.

In a 2024 survey of 300 HR professionals, just a third (32%) believed their organisations were leveraging HR analytics fully and effectively to inform decision making. Based on those findings, a lot of essential people data is going untapped, and much workforce planning and risk management is being left to guesswork.

How can HR change this status quo? Having access to the right HR system to track critical workforce metrics, and get a better understanding of your people, is a vital starting point. But the solution doesn’t stop there.

To find out how to best utilise data-driven insights in your organisation, and amplify HR’s input and influence in the boardroom, join Ciphr’s director of people, Karen Lough, for a special HR analytics webinar at 11am on Thursday 1 May.

Key takeaways for attendees include tips on better analytics and essential reporting, using dashboards to add clarity and purpose to complex data, and an in-depth look at the metrics that matter most to leadership – including employee turnover, engagement and performance, time and attendance, pay and reward, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The session will be co-hosted by Neal Morris, Ciphr’s director of data science and analytics, and will feature a demonstration of Ciphr’s newly launched HR analytics suite.

Ciphr Analytics’ ready-to-use dashboards and robust reporting tools enable organisations to turn their HR data into actionable insights with ease. Data can be extracted and explored with custom filters, user-defined views, and point-in-time snapshots for fast KPI trend analysis, or more comprehensive year-on-year analysis.

Pre-configured dashboards include organisation analytics (providing a holistic view of headcount, salary, tenure and more), holiday analytics, absence analytics, and dedicated DEI analytics (with filtering restrictions to protect sensitive diversity data). More dashboards are set to be rolled out over the coming year.

According to Karen Lough, Ciphr’s director of people, HR teams have long struggled to bring people data to life in a way that truly influences decision-making.

She says: “HR teams have never had more access to people data. But turning that data into something meaningful – something that makes an impact and truly influences decisions at the top table – has always been the hard part. I’m really looking forward to showing how the right tools, like Ciphr Analytics, can transform the way we work – giving HR professionals the clarity, confidence, and credibility to interpret data, tell powerful stories with that data, and drive real change.

“In a world where businesses are under constant pressure to boost performance, retain top talent, and build more inclusive, adaptable cultures, data-driven insight is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s essential. No more guesswork. From spotting engagement trends to unlocking productivity potential, people analytics can empower leaders to act faster, smarter, and with purpose.

“Every organisation is sitting on a goldmine of people data. The real opportunity lies in knowing where to dig, what to look for, and how to turn that insight into better outcomes – for the business, and for your people.”

Neal Morris, Ciphr’s director of data science and analytics, adds: “I'm excited to showcase how Ciphr Analytics empowers HR teams to unlock the full potential of their data – enabling smarter decision-making, deeper insights, and a transformative approach to how HR data is understood and used across organisations.”

Webinar: Insight that makes an impact – analytics that amplify HR’s voice in the boardroom
When: 11:10am, Thursday 1 May
Speakers: Karen Lough and Neal Morris
Free registration link: https://bit.ly/4jqCUPf

Ciphr will present an abridged version of this webinar at HR Technologies 2025 (at 11:10am on 23 April, in HR Tech Theatre 4). The Ciphr team will also be available to meet at the show on stand #DD20 to discuss all things HR, payroll, learning and benefits technology.

All Ciphr webinars are free to attend. Links to video recordings of the seminars are made available afterwards and emailed to all registrants.

Previous webinars are available to watch on-demand at https://www.ciphr.com/webinars.

Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams to help inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Based in Reading, Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.

For more information, please visit www.ciphr.com.