49 — Evidence-based practice for HR and L&D

We all make decisions based on evidence, whether hard data or personal experience. But are we really interpreting that evidence correctly, or are we basing decisions on hunch and opinion? In HR and L&D, proponents of evidence-based practice (EBP) encourage us to gather the best available evidence from multiple sources and to weight it appropriately. On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, EBP-enthusiast Mark Hendy joins Owen Ferguson and Ross Garner to share his experience with EBP, as well as tips to get you started. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find Mark on Twitter @MarkSWHRF, Owen @OwenFerguson, and Ross @RossGarnerGP. You can also tweet @GoodPractice or @GoodpracticeAus. If you'd like to find out more about our upcoming events, blogs and whitepapers, visit goodpractice.com. The Freakonomics podcast episode that Ross referenced makes a case for evidence-based policy. It is available at: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/most-famous-political-operative-america/. The ASK Manager app that Mark recommended is available from the Apple Store at: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ask-manager/id1143524652. The two CIPD reports that Owen recommended are available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/rapid-evidence-assessment-of-the-research-literature-on-the-effect-of-goal-setting-on-workplace-performance_tcm18-16903.pdf and https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/rapid-evidence-assessment-of-the-research-literature-on-the-effect-of-performance-appraisal-on-workplace-performance_tcm18-16902.pdf. The CIPD's 'Evidence-based HR' discussion forum can be accessed at: http://www2.cipd.co.uk/community/discussion-forum/evidence-based-hr. Other useful resources include the Center for Evidence Based Management (https://www.cebma.org) and Science for Work (http://scienceforwork.com). Mark's HR blog is available at: http://hendyshrblog.co.uk/. The article Owen recommended on Deep Blue's psychological battle with Kasparov is available at: https://backchannel.com/what-deep-blue-tells-us-about-ai-in-2017-3284f92b2a93. And the source for Ross' German word game was: http://hellogiggles.com/10-fabulous-german-words-english-equivalent/. Finally, because it's 2017, the text-to-speech voice used in this podcast was Google Translate, not Microsoft Sam. Ross apologises for any confusion caused.