“Wait, We’re Still Guessing?” Why HR Needs Better Data - NOW

HR teams have more data than ever, but many still rely on guesswork when it comes to people decisions. In this episode, we unpack the rapid growth of the people analytics tech market, which ballooned from $1.7B in 2019 to $8.1B by last summer.

Hosts Dani Johnson, Stacia Garr, and Priyanka Mehrotra walk through how this market has evolved, what’s driving investment, and why the demand for better-connected, more useful insights keeps rising.

We also dig into what’s not working, like customer frustration, disappointing ROI, and the reality that AI in these tools often overpromises and underdelivers. Whether you’re brand new to people analytics or looking to uplevel your HR tech strategy, this episode will help you move from “hoping for the best” to truly leading with insight.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• (0:00) Setting the stage: Why people analytics tech is worth revisiting.
• (4:31) The market’s growth from $1.7B to $8.1B, and what’s fueling it.
• (8:31) Three big shifts: use cases, democratization, and ethics.
• (13:40) Pandemic-driven surge: Why execs finally cared about people data.
• (14:57) What vendors are getting right: Partnerships and practical AI.
• (23:25) Where vendors are falling short: UX, ROI, and unmet promises.
• (29:30) The near-term future: Middleware, consolidation, and embedded insights.
• (36:00) AI expectations vs. reality: Trust, risk, and what vendors still miss.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Visier – https://www.visier.com
• Culture Amp – https://www.cultureamp.com
• One Model – https://www.onemodel.co

Connect with Dani, Stacia, and Priyanka

• Dani Johnson
• Stacia Garr
• Priyanka Mehrotra on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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