Is This Room Free?
Welcome to Is This Room Free? In this podcast I will be talking to HR professionals and listening to the stories of their careers. I will be finding out about the journeys they have taken and what they learnt along the way. The purpose is to help others in the profession identify and understand the various paths available and take inspiration from my guest speakers. Whether you are someone who is looking to get that first step on the HR career ladder or an aspiring HR Director, I hope you get value from these conversations.
Is This Room Free?
Lara Holding-Jones - helping HR teams become better with data
In this episode we delve into the significance of HR data, featuring Lara Holding Jones, who is the Founder of Pink Jelly People Consultancy.
The thought of data analysis will make many run for the hills but through this conversation we learn about Lara's mission to make HR data engaging and accessible.
It's not about becoming an analytics expert, Lara's focus is on practices such as learning what and how to input data correctly, simply become more comfortable and confident around data, but also being able to read reports more effectively so you understand what the data is showing.
Lara didn't set out with specific goal of becoming a data specialist. Like many people's careers, it was something that kind of just happened along the way. We talk through her career and how she got some amazing exposure to strategic HR very early in her career. However, a chance opportunity to lead on an LMS implementation sent her career down a new path.
Over time she began to realise the importance of data in making informed decisions, and wanted to empower HR teams to become more comfortable and proficient with data analysis.
Her motivation stemmed from her belief that if HR professionals could improve their understanding of data and statistics, they could significantly enhance their effectiveness and contribute more strategically to their organizations.
So she created Pink Jelly People Consultancy - aimed to provide training and resources that help HR teams move from basic data handling to more advanced analytics, ultimately enabling them to make better decisions and drive business outcomes.
Notes
🎙️ Podcast Introduction and Guest Background (00:00 - 14:39)
- Lara introduced as HR data specialist
- Lara's mission: Make HR data fun and accessible
- Importance of data in HR for commercial alignment and decision-making
- Lara's background: Business degree, HR masters, early interest in HR
📊 HR Data Importance and Applications (14:41 - 35:13)
- Data literacy crucial for HR professionals
- Benefits: Better decision-making, business cases, competitive advantage
- HR data applications: Surveys, system input, reporting, analytics
- Lara's services: System-agnostic training on data analysis and interpretation
👩💼 Lara's Career Journey (35:33 - 49:27)
- Started in reward analyst role at Deutsche Bank
- Moved to HR consultancy, focusing on strategic projects
- Developed skills in data analysis, project management, and systems implementation
🚀 Transition to Self-Employment (49:27 - 01:05:13)
- Left consultancy to start own business
- First contract: LMS management for former client
- Developed HR data specialist role, creating dashboards and improving processes
📈 Current Business and Services (01:05:13 - 01:20:01)
- Pink Jelly People Consulting offers HR data training
- Program includes statistics, Excel skills, reporting, and data best practices
- Focuses on building confidence and competence in HR data analysis