Big data: lessons for employers and employees

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the pros and cons of using employee information in big data projects. Design/methodology/approach The authors reviewed papers in the area of big data that has immediate repercussions for the experiences of employees and employers. Findings The review of papers to date suggests that big data lessons based on employee data are still a relatively unknown area of employment literature. Particular attention is paid to discussion of employee rights, ethics, expectations and the implications employer conduct has on employment relationships and prospective benefits of big data analytics at work for work. Originality/value This viewpoint paper highlights the need for more discussion between employees and employers about the collection, use, storage and ownership of data in the workplace. A number of recommendations are put forward to support future data collection efforts in organisations.

The ethics of people analytics: risks, opportunities and recommendations

“…Technologies that allow keystrokes to be logged and work to be viewed by supervisors also create a panopticon effect, reducing workers' privacy and autonomy, with potentially negative effects on work satisfaction and mental health (Booth, 2019*). They have also been shown to affect employees' inclusion in and access to future training and development opportunities (Jeske and Calvard, 2020).…”

Promise versus reality: a systematic review of the ongoing debates in people analytics

“…High-quality data are essential for conducting value-added people analytics (Fernandez and Gallardo-Gallardo, 2020;Jeske and Calvard, 2020). However, many organizations still struggle to have confidence in their HR and people data (King, 2016;Pape, 2016;Andersen, 2017;Boudreau and Cascio, 2017;McIver et al, 2018;Minbaeva, 2018;Jeske and Calvard, 2020). For example, in a Deloitte study (Deloitte, 2017) of over 10,000 business and HR leaders (as cited in McIver et al, 2018), only 8% of HR leaders surveyed reported being confident using the data they have access to.…”

“…As evidenced by the growth of people analytics research, the field has made significant steps forward over the past several years. For example, the majority of recent research has offered much-needed insight into several key areas, including the current limitations and challenges facing the development of people analytics (Andersen, 2017; Boudreau and Cascio, 2017; Levenson and Fink, 2017; van der Togt and Rasmussen, 2017; Huselid, 2018; Minbaeva, 2018; Jeske and Calvard, 2020), best practices in utilizing people analytics (Green, 2017; Peeters et al ., 2020), the impact and importance of analytical skills (Andersen, 2017; Kryscynski et al , 2018; McIver et al ., 2018; Minbaeva, 2018; Vargas et al , 2018; McCartney et al ., 2020) and the potential future applications of people analytics by drawing upon practitioner experience and case studies (van den Heuvel and Bondarouk, 2017; van der Togt and Rasmussen, 2017; Minbaeva, 2018; Schiemann et al ., 2018; Simón and Ferreiro, 2018). A summary of the 46 articles included in the review can be found in Appendix.…”

A multi-stakeholder ethical framework for AI-augmented HRM

“…Moreover, there lies some sense of responsibility with the employees (dependent stakeholders). Employees should also be aware of exactly which data they have given their consent to be collected and obtain verification information for the recruitment or selection process (Jeske and Calvard, 2020).…”