Understand how evidence-based practice informs organisational measures and outcomes.

About this package

Evidence-based practice helps people professionals examine what is known about a workplace issue before deciding what to do. This package explains how scientific research, organisational data, professional expertise and stakeholder perspectives contribute to that process. It distinguishes evidence about what is likely to work from the judgement needed to choose an option that is fair, feasible and aligned with organisational objectives. Learners explore why accurate, complete and relevant data matters when identifying problems and assessing organisational outcomes. The content considers how errors and gaps can distort decisions, with consequences for workplace culture, performance and perceptions. It compares quantitative measures, such as headcount and absence rates, with qualitative evidence, such as employee feedback, and documentary information recording what was agreed or done. People-related measures span recruitment, turnover, performance, reward, dismissals, learning and development, skills, employee voice, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and organisational change. The practical data content covers percentages and averages, including absence rates, employee turnover and average training hours. Learners consider why calculations need compatible populations, units and time periods, and how to identify themes, patterns and trends without treating assumptions as findings. The package also explains how pie charts, bar charts and line graphs communicate different relationships: proportions of a whole, comparisons between groups and changes over time. Choosing a suitable format and labelling it clearly helps decision-makers interpret the results. The final part connects evidence-based decisions with agreed policies and procedures. It explains how approved criteria, required steps and documented records establish what was checked and why action was taken. Throughout, the emphasis is on using evidence to support consistent, principle-led recommendations rather than relying on habit or personal preference. This makes the content relevant to everyday people-management questions where organisational needs, stakeholder interests and a customer-focused approach must be considered together.

Who it’s for

This package suits people professionals, HR learners and managers developing foundational skills in evidence-based people management. It is particularly relevant to those who need to interpret workforce data and explain the reasoning behind recommendations.

What’s covered

1. Evidence-based practice and principle-led HR judgements

   Introduces the four sources of evidence: scientific research, organisational data, professional expertise and stakeholder perspectives. Explains how to frame questions, appraise evidence, implement decisions and review outcomes while considering fairness, feasibility and organisational objectives.

2. Why accurate organisational data matters

   Explains how accurate and complete records help establish the nature and scale of workplace problems. Examines how errors and missing information can distort decisions and affect organisational culture, performance and perceptions.

3. Types of information and people-management measures

   Compares quantitative data, qualitative evidence and documentary information, including their strengths and limitations. Considers information sources and measures across areas such as resourcing, absence, turnover, reward, learning and development, diversity, wellbeing and organisational change.

4. Calculating and interpreting organisational data

   Covers percentages and averages used in workforce analysis, including absence rates, turnover and average training hours. Explains the importance of compatible units and periods, and how to interpret themes and patterns without assuming that a calculation explains their causes.

5. Presenting findings for informed decisions

   Explains when to use pie charts, bar charts and line graphs to show proportions, compare categories or display change over time. Covers matching the presentation to the decision being considered and labelling findings appropriately.

6. Policies, procedures and customer-focused decisions

   Distinguishes approved policy principles from the procedural steps used to apply them. Explains how records of checks, criteria and actions create evidence for consistent, fair decisions and support a customer-focused organisational approach.

Learning outcomes

By completing this package, learners can:

• Define evidence-based practice and describe its four components: scientific research, organisational data, professional expertise and stakeholder perspectives.
• Explain how evidence-based practice is applied within an organisation to frame questions, gather and appraise evidence, implement decisions and review outcomes.
• Explain the importance of accurate, relevant data in identifying organisational problems and informing decisions, including its effects on organisational culture, performance and perceptions.
• Compare qualitative and quantitative data, identifying the strengths, limitations and appropriate uses of each in people-related decision-making.
• Identify appropriate data measures and information sources for investigating resourcing, absence, turnover, performance, reward, dismissals, learning and development, employee voice, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and organisational change.
• Apply percentage and average calculations to organisational datasets to determine and interpret measures such as absence rates, employee turnover and average training hours.
• Analyse organisational data to identify themes, patterns and trends, distinguishing findings supported by the evidence from assumptions.
• Construct appropriately labelled pie charts, bar charts and line graphs to present organisational findings in formats suited to the data and the decisions required.
• Justify principle-led recommendations for a people-related issue by weighing evidence from multiple sources against organisational objectives and stakeholder needs.
• Explain how evidence generated through the application of agreed policies and procedures informs consistent decisions and supports a customer-focused organisational strategy.

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