The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Organisational Performance Analyst (L2)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Independently delivering standard impact analyses for individual programmes, managing quarterly reporting dashboards, and answering ad-hoc data questions. Getting really good at SQL and BI tools.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering accurate and timely reports without significant supervision.
- Proactively identifying and solving data quality issues.
- Beginning to propose improvements to existing measurement approaches.
- Successfully presenting basic findings to internal L&D teams.
- 2
HR Analyst / People Analytics Specialist (from another company)
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Translating broader HR analytics experience into specific L&D performance measurement. Understanding the nuances of learning transfer and behavioural change. Adapting to our specific tech stack and business context.
You're ready to move on when
- A strong portfolio of impact studies, even if not strictly L&D focused.
- Demonstrated ability to learn new domain-specific methodologies quickly.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills from previous roles.
- Clear understanding of the difference between HR metrics and L&D impact metrics.
- 3
Business Intelligence Analyst (from another function)
4-6 yearsSkills to master
- Applying strong BI and statistical skills to the unique challenges of human capital data. Developing a deep understanding of L&D methodologies (Kirkpatrick, performance consulting). Building strong relationships with L&D and HR stakeholders.
You're ready to move on when
- Expertise in complex data modelling and visualisation.
- Proven ability to derive actionable insights from large datasets.
- A genuine interest in people, learning, and organisational behaviour.
- Strong desire to move into a more 'human-centric' data role.