As work becomes increasingly digital, organisations have access to an unprecedented volume of newly available data, and efforts to track work and the workforce are accelerating. But in the rush to adopt such new tools, organisations may be alienating their workers and undermining the very productivity they are attempting to optimise. The solution? Across all industries there is an opportunity, right now, to refocus and harness new technologies. To see the human in the data. As people and machines increasingly interact, they leave an ever-expanding digital trail of work that can be analysed to create value. From algorithms to analytics, wearables to workforce sensing tools and more—the rise of the quantified organisation is here.

The growth in passive workforce data—combined with other sources of information, analytics and AI—is surfacing new opportunities to create what we call: shared value. This is when an organisation uses the data they collect about their workforce to benefit everyone—individual workers, teams and groups, the organisation and society as a whole. The value created at each level can flow between them, reinforcing and amplifying the value created at other levels. By focusing on how to create value, organisations can magnify their impact while strengthening their long-term position.

How can organisations chart a course toward responsible use of workforce data and technology that creates trust, while navigating trade-offs between risk and opportunity? A lack of robust regulation means that many organisations are using new technologies and sources of workplace data however they see fit, without taking any additional measures to ensure responsible data use. This haphazard approach can erode worker trust. Organisations can avoid these pitfalls and create value for themselves and other stakeholders by focusing quantified organisation efforts around using responsible practices that build trust. Dive into the detail around four principles of responsibility.