Human Resources Analysts Spotlight

Human Resources has evolved from an administrative function to a strategic one that helps drive the bottom line of any business. This is due in part to the information Human Resources (HR) Analysts provide managers and decision-makers to create smart, adaptable workforce strategies that keep their company moving forward.

What a typical day looks like:

HR Analysts are all about people and information. They collect data regarding the people in their company and then provide insight and analysis to managers and executives. This information factors into an employer’s decisions and policies that in turn impact employees.

Much of an HR Analyst’s day takes place in front of a computer swimming through pools of the company’s “people data.” This includes databases and reports of employee demographics, compensation, salary range movement, position openings, retiring positions and more. In addition to assisting with the upkeep of these databases, they also analyze and find a story in this data. They work with other HR experts, business advisors and managers to make sense of it all, and then develop presentations, graphs, charts and dashboards to help explain the trends and recommendations. They may also prepare reports with the ongoing data.

Employed by oil companies of all sizes, HR Analysts typically work a 40-hour week. They are usually employed in the exploration and production (E&P), oil sands, oil and gas services and pipeline sectors of the oil and gas industry.

The kinds of problems Human Resources Analysts solve at work:

They analyze topics as diverse as the people they impact. One moment, they might run reports on all employees who are set to retire in the next five years. Another moment, they might be asked to find out how many of their power engineers have 1st or 2nd class tickets. Their analysis informs decisions on everything from recruitment strategies to compensation programs and succession planning.

Skills used most on the job:

To be successful in their work, HR Analysts need to have an analytical yet creative mind and strong verbal and written communication skills. They also need keen attention to detail, organizational skills, and software literacy.

HR Analysts gather and study a company’s people data to find trends and identify solutions. Thanks to them, companies are able to strategically plan for future growth, staffing needs and long-term budgets.