Learning the Ropes

When you onboard a new employee, one of the best things to do is have them interview leaders that their role will impact. They will learn that there are important details in their job that they may not have been aware of prior to starting the role. This is often referred to as “learning the ropes.”

For many HR leaders, moving toward a data-driven approach may feel a little bit like starting their career over in certain regards. Similar to a new employee, it definitely makes sense to talk with leaders about what you are about to do to ensure that you are on the right path. While you are learning about data, they live and die by data every day.

Finding out how different leaders measure their own success is critical to getting their support for what you are doing. In other words, while reducing turnover may be important for you, the Chief Operating Officer may spend his days being evaluated on website metrics, or the time it takes to onboard a new...