Leveraging HR analytics for employee development: good for employees, organizations, and society

Purpose This paper aims to provide a new perspective on HR analytics that moves beyond the current narrative of its strategic value for organizations yet oftentimes at the cost of employee well-being. The paper argues that analytics-enabled employee development can unleash the positive impact of HR analytics on employees, organizations, and society. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper drawing on relevant literature and HR analytics applications. Findings Analytics-enabled employee development can help organizations gain employee buy-in by demonstrating the direct positive impact of HR analytics on employees. It contributes to social sustainability by focusing on developing employees' current and future skills, which benefits individuals, communities, and society. Moreover, it enhances organizations' human capital by aligning employees' skills and knowledge with business goals, creating a competitive edge. Originality/value This paper affords a new perspective on HR analytics implementation by focusing on the positive impact of analytics-enabled employee development. It provides three rationales for why organizations should invest in analytics-enabled employee development: gaining employee buy-in, contributing to social sustainability, and enhancing human capital.