How Cardinal Health Transformed Their People Analytics Function (Interview with Erin Gerbec)

Creating a new operating model for people analytics in large organizations is essential in the modern workplace. Cardinal Health, a global healthcare services and products company, recognized the importance of this transformation in a recent podcast interview with Digital HR Leaders. During the episode, David Green interviewed Erin Gerbec, Cardinal Health’s People Analytics team leader, as she shared insights into their journey, highlighting the challenges they faced, the strategies they implemented, and how partnering with Crunchr significantly enhanced their analytics capabilities. 

Keep reading for a summary of the episode, or click here to tune in for yourself! 

Erin Gerbec took over the People Analytics function at Cardinal Health during the Great Resignation when turnover rates were exceptionally high across many industries. This sudden increase in turnover created an urgent need for reliable, data-driven insights to help Cardinal Health navigate the challenges and risks among its workforce. Erin noted that the team she inherited had always experienced high turnover, ranging from 30% to 50% annually, compounding the difficulties in managing and interpreting the vast amounts of data available. 

Challenges with Existing Processes 

Upon joining, Erin discovered that while the team had some solid foundational elements, there were significant challenges in managing and reporting data. The team was using multiple Tableau dashboards and an SQL database, but the lack of standardization across these tools led to inconsistencies in reporting, such as varying headcounts depending on the dashboard used. This fragmented approach made it difficult to maintain data accuracy and reliability, especially when turnover within the team was high. 

In her first year, Erin focused on maintaining the most critical and high-visibility requests with the remaining team members while rebuilding the team one key position at a time. She recognized the need to standardize reporting processes to ensure consistency and reliability across the organization. This included creating standardized Tableau dashboard templates, consistent SQL code, and a unified approach to data storytelling. 

Focusing on the Foundation 

Erin and her team adopted a mission statement: “We exist to deliver insights that drive outcomes.” This mission guided their efforts to standardize and streamline their processes, freeing up time to focus on more strategic initiatives. The team significantly reduced the manual workload by automating everything that could be automated and decommissioning outdated dashboards, allowing them to shift their focus to more impactful work. 

The Decision to Adopt Crunchr 

Initially, Erin hesitated to adopt an external solution like Crunchr, believing the team could build a similar system internally. However, she quickly realized that building an in-house solution would take at least 18 months, if not longer, and would not meet the immediate needs of the business. After engaging with stakeholders and conducting demos of various tools, it became clear that Crunchr was the best fit for their needs. 

Crunchr provided an intuitive, quick-to-value system that met the needs of Cardinal Health’s HR partners. The tool enabled the team to scale their analytics efforts and deliver more consistent, accurate data across the organization. For example, the compensation team, which had previously relied on manual processes to analyze complex data, could use Crunchr to automate and streamline their reporting, reducing the time required to prepare reports for senior leadership. 

Empowering Consultative Roles 

One of the most significant impacts of adopting Crunchr was the People Analytics team’s shift from order-takers to order-makers. By automating routine tasks and standardizing processes, the team could focus on delivering proactive, consultative insights that drive business outcomes. This shift in focus has deepened the partnership between the People Analytics team and other HR centers of excellence and with business units like finance. 

With Crunchr, Cardinal Health was able to provide more timely and accurate data to HR partners, enabling them to make more informed decisions. For example, by creating a custom story in Crunchr, the compensation team could quickly generate reports that were used in senior leadership presentations, reducing the preparation time from weeks to days. 

Looking ahead 

Erin plans to extend Crunchr’s capabilities to frontline supervisors and critical business partners, further enhancing data-driven decision-making across Cardinal Health. This expansion will allow more employees to access and interact directly with HR data, freeing up HR business partners to focus on more strategic initiatives. 

Cardinal Health’s journey to transform its People Analytics function demonstrates the importance of the right tools and strategies to support data-driven decision-making. By partnering with Crunchr, Cardinal Health was able to standardize its processes, improve data accuracy, and empower its HR team to deliver more impactful insights. This transformation has enhanced the People Analytics function and positioned Cardinal Health to support business objectives better. 

Erin’s leadership and the strategic adoption of Crunchr have set Cardinal Health on a path to becoming a leader in People Analytics. By focusing on standardization, automation, and a consultative approach, the People Analytics team is now delivering more meaningful insights, driving better business outcomes, and preparing for future challenges in the healthcare industry.