Working with HR data and communication principles

Focused on Assessment Criterion 2.2 of 5CO02, this video examines the types of organisational datasets that HR, L&D, and OD practitioners work with when presenting findings to stakeholders. The datasets covered include reward data — spanning salary information, bonus distributions, benefits uptake, and pay progression — alongside recruitment data, compliance data, learning and development data, and performance data. For each dataset, the video addresses the specific considerations that shape how findings should be communicated, including confidentiality in reward reporting, adherence levels in compliance presentation, and rating distributions in performance analysis.

Alongside the dataset content, the video addresses data quality as a distinct concern when preparing stakeholder presentations. It covers how limitations such as incomplete records, inconsistent categorisation, small sample sizes, and the currency of data affect interpretation, and why transparent acknowledgement of those limitations matters when presenting findings. The video also introduces the pyramid principle as a structural approach to organising information, placing conclusions and recommendations before supporting evidence to serve audiences who may not engage with every element of a prepared presentation.

The communication principles of clarity, objectivity, balance, and actionability are examined in relation to people practice presentations, including the use of plain language, consistent visual styling across diagrammatical formats, and the professional obligation to present both positive and negative results rather than data selected to support predetermined conclusions. Specific formats addressed include graphs, charts, briefing papers, reports, and presentations used to communicate people performance calculations, all considered in relation to what different stakeholder audiences need to see and in what level of detail.