Evolv Brings Cloud-Based Big Data Predictive Analytics to HR

What do the cloud, Big Data and HR departments have in common? Very much, according to Evolv, which is promoting predictive analytics based on Big Data as part of its Evolv Workforce Optimization Cloud platform for employee hiring and management.

The predictive-analysis tool, called Evolv Insights, comes as part of the latest product update in Evolv Workforce Optimization Cloud. It leverages Big Data, compiled from sources including employee sales performance, so that "operations and HR teams can see a comprehensive view of how their workforce is currently functioning and, more importantly, discover the true factors driving performance and how they can be optimized," according to Evolv.

The software allows users to fine-tune their analytics operations by specificying target actions and simulating different scenarios to predict results. It also provides task-management features that make it possible for HR staff to implement actions based on the analytics research and track their progress.

In some ways, none of this is very novel. HR staff have used aggregated data on employees to make decisions for a long time. But Evolv is taking an explicitly Big Data approach to employee management, including data integration "using Hadoop-based technology" (it's not clear where exactly Hadoop code enters in), and building it into the cloud. That's the innovation here.

Evolv says this type of innovation is in high demand within the HR niche. Only 4 percent of companies are using predictive analytics for workforce-related decisions, according to a September 2013 study, yet the same study found that predictive analytics drastically improve outcomes for enterprises that deploy them.

The latest version of Evolv Workforce Optimization Cloud, which includes Evolv Insights, is available now.