Over the past few years, many organisations have invested in HR analytics. Dashboards, reporting and KPIs are now increasingly becoming part of HR practice. And of course, we are very pleased about that.

Because this evolution brings clear advantages. Data makes it possible to identify patterns, support decisions more effectively and intervene in a more targeted way.

Yet in practice, we see that a strong focus on data also creates new challenges.

When data becomes too central, perceptions begin to shift. What is intended as support is quickly experienced as control. Managers feel less free to make their own assessments and become more inclined to justify themselves than to reflect.

The result is that conversations become less open. Instead of jointly seeking insight, defensive behaviour emerges. Data ends discussions instead of enriching them.

And that is precisely where value is lost.

On the other hand, there are organisations where HR still relies mainly on experience and intuition. That also has its strengths. Experience provides speed, nuance and context. Especially in complex, human situations, this is essential.

But without data, much of that knowledge remains implicit.

Why does a certain approach work in one team but not in another? Which factors truly play a role in turnover, engagement or performance? Without data, these often remain assumptions.

The risk is not necessarily that decisions are wrong, but rather that they are difficult to reproduce. Insights remain tied to individuals and are rarely structurally embedded within the organisation. As a result, the organisation’s ability to learn also remains limited.

The opposition between data and trust is therefore essentially a false dilemma.

The problem does not lie in one or the other, but in the fact that they are too often used separately. Data without context leads to superficial conclusions. Trust without validation leads to blind spots.

In organisations where data and trust reinforce each other, we see a number of clear characteristics recurring:

1. Data is used as the starting point for conversation
Figures are not the final conclusion, but a reason to enter into dialogue. They make patterns visible and help to ask targeted questions.

2. Data brings nuance, not judgement
Instead of drawing black-and-white conclusions, data is used to better understand complexity. It supports the conversation without dominating it.

3. Experience is made explicit
Gut feeling and expertise remain important, but they are articulated and shared. As a result, they become discussable and transferable.

4. Insights are mutually validated
Data and experience are not placed in opposition to each other, but brought into dialogue. Where necessary, data is used to challenge assumptions — and vice versa.

This interaction leads to richer insights and better decisions.

Perhaps the biggest challenge lies in the way we look at HR and data. The term “data-driven HR” suggests that data is both the starting point and the driving force behind decisions. In practice, we see that this is rarely the case — nor is it desirable.

What organisations need is a form of data-supported HR. An approach in which data does not take centre stage, but supports human insight and decision-making.

In concrete terms, this means:

• Using data to deepen conversations, not to replace them
• Combining insights with context and experience
• Making decisions in which both analysis and human judgement have a place

In this way, data does not become an objective in itself, but a means of achieving better HR practices.

The question is therefore not whether your organisation should invest more in data or in trust.

The relevant question is: how do you ensure that gut feeling and data reinforce each other within your organisation?

• How do you use data to ask better questions?
• How do you make experience and gut feeling more explicit and testable?
• And how do you create a context in which figures and human insight together lead to better decisions?

Organisations that find an answer to these questions take an important step towards more mature and impactful HR.

At Starfish, we help our clients find the right balance between gut feeling on the one hand and their HR data on the other. Don't hesitate to contact us.

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