By Cheryl Koe, HR Profession
On 16 June 2025, the APS HR Professional Stream organised a one-hour webinar on Evidence-based HR Management with subject matter expert Professor Rob Briner from Queen Mary University of London. Professor Briner is an experienced lecturer and trainer in the HR space. He has an extensive academic background and is currently Professor of Organisational Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. He is also the Research Director at the Corporate Research Forum, a membership-based organisation whose mission is to help the HR function become more effective in supporting the organisation. Prior to that, he co-founded of the Centre for Evidence-Based Management, which provides education and support for people who want to increase the use of evidence-based practice in their organisations.
The session started with an overview of evidence-based decision making, benefits and principles, and a structure to guide the process. This was followed by a Q&A style discussion with ATO host Melinda Bopping, during which many interesting questions were discussed. Professor Briner highlighted that the goal was not to make perfect decisions, instead it was to make better-informed decisions. He explained the importance of following a robust structure of finding relevant information, gathering information from multiple reliable sources, and aligning the work done with corporate objectives. Many professions already adopt an evidence-based approach, especially where safety is a major concern such as in mining and medicine. The HR industry could also benefit from regularly using an evidence-based approach to assist with improved use of resources and prioritisation of work.
While highlighting the benefits of an evidence-based approach, Professor Briner recognised that it may not suit all types of work, and the approach should be used where it would be most beneficial such as in major projects. He also spoke about barriers that could prevent the use of an evidence-based approach and the need to influence stakeholders.
Participants asked many questions about using an evidence-based process in HR including the impact of artificial intelligence, how to measure HR work outcomes, ethics, and how to incorporate academic findings into practical work. This is a highly relevant HR topic, and the presentation reminded APS HR professionals to keep striving to use more evidence-based practice processes in their work.
If you missed the webinar, some links to information about evidence-based practices are listed in downloads section of this article.