Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Case Notes
Chapter 14: HR Metrics and Workforce Analytics
Regional Hospital
Case Summary
Regional Hospital is a 500-bed hospital and has several associated clinics in a major East Coast
metropolitan area. It has been an aggressive adopter of computing technologies in efforts to
decrease costs and improve operational efficiencies. A critical challenge facing the hospital is
meeting its ongoing challenges to staff at the hospital and allied clinics effectively, given the
ongoing shortage of nurses; uncertainty in health care legislation; emphasis on shortening hospital
stays to reduce costs, which causes the daily census (numbers of patients in various departments)
to vary dramatically from day to day and shift to shift; the continued aging of the population in its
primary care area; and the unending competition for employees with key skill sets. Employee
expenses represent more than 80% of the overall costs of operation for the hospital, so identifying
Case Analysis
The central focus of this case is to define workforce analytics and discuss how and when it can
contribute to improving organizational effectiveness in this hospital. Workforce analysis activities
provide no return on the organization’s investment unless managers make different and more
effective decisions as a result of the information provided by metrics and analytics reports.
Therefore, focusing the development of workforce analytics around organizationally important
problems and opportunities is likely to increase the possibility of significant returns for the
hospital.
Sample Answers to Case Questions
1. Do you believe that a program of HR metrics and workforce analytics might be useful in
Regional Hospital? If so, why?
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Yes, because first it will help to identify metrics of importance to decision-making
procedures. There is a fundamental distinction between HR metrics and workforce
analytics. Metrics are data (numbers) that reflect some detail about given outcomes (e.g.,
success in recruiting new employees). These metrics reflect characteristics of the
2. What opportunities do you see regarding “where” and “how” metrics and analytics might be
applied in this organization?
The organization strategy or goal is to decrease costs and improve operational
efficiencies. This fact will drive the “where” for both metrics and, more importantly, for
analytics.
Metrics should be created and collected anywhere quantitative data are available that
relate to the organizational strategy. This includes the following:
➢ The ongoing shortage of nurses
➢ Emphasis on shortening hospital stays to reduce costs
➢ The daily census (numbers of patients in various departments)
➢ The continued aging of the population in its primary care area
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
3. Identify three analyses and associated metrics you think might be useful for Regional Hospital
to consider.
Most of this answer is contained in the answer to Question 2, so the metrics and analytics
will not be repeated. However, more specifically, three useful analyses would be these:
1. The relationship between the shortage of nurses in the labor market and the number of
nurses hired with key skill sets with predictive analyses
4. How might Regional Hospital utilize benchmarking as a part of its metrics and analytics
effort, if at all?
The mangers should use benchmarking against other hospitals in their geographic region
to determine whether or not their problems are being experienced by the other hospitals—
5. What advice would you offer to the managers at Regional Hospital about developing a
program of HR metrics and workforce analytics?
Given the current state of the organization and its multiple problems, Regional Hospital
should establish a Task Force on Metrics and Analytics and hire an external consultant to
6. What potential problems might occur in the establishment of an HR metrics and workforce
analytics program for Regional Hospital managers about which you would want to alert them
prior to beginning this project?
There are the following potential problems:
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021