ook, all Im suggesting is that we get with it and apply technology to HR, barks John

Maling, CEO of Oz Industries. Marketing is using big data to mine information about our

customers, why cant HR do the same with our employees?

Before Jasmine Nguyen, manager of people and performance can reply, marketing

manager, Sam Wong interjects. Do you know that we can tell what our customers want

even before they know themselves? Big data analytics are amazing! We now have a

detailed customer profile for each of our product lines. We can target our advertising to

specific individuals. Its fantastic. We can segment our customers by their purchase

history, age, sex, marital status, place of residence and product preferences.

I appreciate that Sam but there are some problems with big data when it comes to HR,

Jasmine responds.

Like what? asks Sam.

Before we mine data we have to consider whether or not it is both ethical and legal,

says Jasmine.

I dont see what your problem is we use an external consultant to mine the data.

Yes and where do they get their data? asks Jasmine.

Credit card purchases, loyalty programs, surveys, government sources, social

networking sites. . .

Jasmine interrupts Sam, Precisely, we have to ask ourselves is it ethical and legal to

gather data from employee Facebook and LinkedIn sites?

Why not? asks Sam. If the information is publicly available, it is there to be used. Its

not as if people have been forced to give personal information about themselves they

do it volun

tarily.

But people may have posted extremely private and intimate information. Is it right that

we make use of it? replies Jasmine.

Again, I say why not? If people post information about their social behaviour, political

preferences and other personal stuff, why not use it? Sam answers.

Well for starters, I think we should notify our employees that we are doing this, says

Jasmine.

But why? You want to get a true picture of our employees not a sanitised one. You must

know that with big data analytics, the more data the better. Facebook users likes can

tell you their personality characteristics, sexual orientation, political values and drug

use envisage knowing all that stuff about our employees!

Thats just it its an invasion of privacy. I think its quite frightening, says Jasmine.

Oh

come on, Jasmine. Picture having the ability to determine who are the top

performers, who will abuse their sick leave entitlements, who are the likely

troublemakers the list goes on.

Look, I agree big data can give us a detailed picture of our employees but there are

ethical and legal questions who owns the data? Is it an invasion of privacy to access

employee social networking sites? Is it. . .

Okay, okay, I get your drift. Lets

face it Jasmine, HR is all touchy feely. I really dont

know how you plan to demonstrate HRs contribution to this companys strategic

business objectives if you are not prepared to embrace big data analytics.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.

Who do you agree with? Why?

2.

What ethical and legal questions are raised in this case?

3.

How would you feel about your employer accessing your social networking sites

for information?

4.

Who do you think owns your personal data? What if it is publicly available?

5.

How can big data analytics help demonstrate the value of HRs contribution?