How can CEOs use data to inform people-focused decisions as a business leader?
Doug Field OBE, Joint CEO at East of England Co-operative Society Ltd, tells Bill Banham in our latest podcast about the values data can bring throughout employee journey processes.
Owned by its members, over 260,000 of them, the East of England Co-operative Society is the largest independent retail business in East Anglia with more than 200 trading outlets located in over 70 towns and villages throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Doug firstly talks about Co-op’s unusual business model, explaining how they recruit potentially four new Directors a year.
These people are democratically elected, with thousands of employees voting.
What about recruitment?
Doug then explains some of the recruitment challenges they have faced.
The Co-operative has around 3,8000 colleagues across their family of businesses which include food stores, post offices, petrol stations, funeral branches, and travel agents.
“WE ARE SEEING DIFFERENT CHALLENGES ACROSS DIFFERENT BUSINESSES.”
– Doug Field
Doug explains that the funeral business in particular are currently experiencing recruitment challenges, where in the past recruitment was not an issue for the sector.
The IT and tech sectors have also encountered recruitment issues, Doug explains.
How is data used?
“IT IS ALL ABOUT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.”
– Doug Field
Doug explains how the Co-op has a relatively high staff turnover rate. With the help of data, they were able to learn that the first-year turnover is over 10 percent higher than other years.
They have subsequently been able to focus their efforts on ensuring they hire the right people who are not going to leave after a year.
“DATA CAN GIVE US INFORMATION THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION ON.”
– Doug Field
To dig deeper into the art of using data effectively, click here to listen to the free podcast!
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
