This unit highlights the importance of gathering strong quantitative and qualitative evidence to generate meaningful insight and strengthen critical thinking. It also explores how to interpret evidence through an ethical lens to support better decision-making, and why measuring the impact of people practice is essential for demonstrating and creating organisational value.
Table of Contents
Task 1
AC 1.1 Evaluate the concept of evidence-based practice (EBP) and provide two examples of where Technivara could use it to ensure sound decision-making in people practice.
Defining Evidence-Based Practice
Evidence-based practice (EBP) constitutes a structured methodology wherein practitioners synthesise high-quality research findings, professional expertise, and organisational context to inform decision-making processes (Young, 2024). Within people practice, EBP transforms workforce management from intuition-driven approaches toward data-supported interventions, ensuring that HR strategies address verified needs rather than perceived problems.
Benefits of Evidence-Based Practice
Implementing EBP generates multiple organisational advantages. Decision quality improves substantially when choices rest upon verified evidence rather than assumptions or anecdotal experiences (Young, 2024). Organisations adopting EBP typically demonstrate enhanced operational performance because their interventions target genuine issues with proven solutions. Furthermore, EBP promotes transparency and accountability, as practitioners can articulate the rationale underpinning their recommendations through documented evidence.
Limitations of Evidence-Based Practice
Despite its advantages, EBP implementation presents challenges. Sourcing and analysing robust evidence requires substantial time and resources, potentially straining organisational capacity (Boatman, 2025). Additionally, workforce members and leadership may resist abandoning established practices, particularly when existing methods appear functional despite lacking empirical support (Boatman, 2025). The complexity of translating research findings into practical organisational interventions also poses implementation difficulties.
Example One: Addressing Turnover Through EBP at Technivara
Technivara could deploy EBP to investigate and mitigate elevated employee turnover rates evident in the 2024 data. Rather than implementing generic retention initiatives, Technivara should aggregate evidence from multiple sources including exit interview transcripts, engagement survey responses, departmental turnover statistics, and industry benchmarking data. This triangulated approach would reveal whether departures stem from compensation inadequacies, limited progression pathways, supervisory relationship issues, or workload concerns. By grounding interventions in comprehensive evidence, Technivara can design targeted solutions addressing actual causes rather than assumed problems, optimising resource allocation whilst maximising retention impact.
Example Two: Enhancing Recruitment Effectiveness Through EBP
Technivara could apply EBP principles to improve recruitment outcomes and reduce persistent vacancy rates across departments. This involves systematically analysing historical recruitment metrics including time-to-fill statistics, source channel effectiveness, candidate quality indicators, and new hire performance trajectories. Combining internal data with external research on recruitment best practices and labour market conditions would inform strategic adjustments. Evidence might reveal that particular sourcing channels yield superior candidates or that specific assessment methods better predict subsequent performance, enabling Technivara to refine recruitment processes based on demonstrated effectiveness rather than convention.
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