A model proposal for diagnosing skills and competencies in job positions through human resources analytics: An application on human resources departments

Data has become one of the most crucial resources businesses use for decision support in today's labor market. The process of generating decision support through data derived from human resources within organizations is defined as Human Resources Analytics (HRA). While HRA provides numerous benefits to organizations, it is noted that its implementation faces certain challenges. One significant issue is the limited number of practical HRA applications, which can be attributed to barriers hindering its adoption. Chief among these barriers are the reluctance of management to embrace data-driven decision-making and employees' lack of analytical skills. A reciprocal cause-and-effect relationship exists between management support and the development of skills and competencies. On the one hand, data-driven decision-making produced by employees lacking analytical skills may lead to poor decisions, causing organizational leaders to approach the process cautiously. On the other hand, the absence of managerial demand for analytical competencies discourages employees from improving their analytical skills. Based on this observation, this doctoral dissertation proposes a competency- and skill-focused career diagnostic model to examine employer demands through job postings and contribute to practical applications. The model aims to analyze general skill and competency demands and specific analytical skill requirements throughout a career trajectory within a department. The model's implementation was conducted using a job posting dataset, where keywords representing the core functions of the Human Resources (HR) department were identified through job titles. Key skills and competencies were highlighted throughout a career path, from intern to director, using frequency analyses, line graphs, clustering analyses, and heatmaps. Two skill inventories were developed as part of the application. Additionally, this study's first and second chapters provide a detailed exploration of HRA, including its definition, scope, types, metrics, and applications in large organizations.