LEVERAGING HR ANALYTICS FOR ENHANCED WORKFORCE PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING AT HETERO DRUGS LIMITED

Abstract

Human Resource Analytics— the systematic application of data analysis, statistical modelling, and predictive intelligence to workforce data—has emerged as a transformative capability for HR functions seeking to transition from administrative service delivery toward strategic business partnership. In the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, where workforce competency, regulatory compliance, and operational productivity are directly linked to product quality and business performance, the strategic deployment of HR analytics offers particular value for workforce planning accuracy, talent retention, and human capital decisionmaking quality. Hetero Drugs Limited, one of India's largest generic pharmaceutical manufacturers with a workforce exceeding 9,600 employees across manufacturing, R&D, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and commercial operations, provides a rich organisational context for examining how HR analytics can enhance workforce planning and decision-making effectiveness. This study examines the application of HR analytics across four maturity levels— descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive—at Hetero Drugs, drawing on primary survey data from 100 HR managers and employees and secondary data from organisational workforce reports and pharmaceutical industry HR benchmarks. Findings reveal that HR analytics adoption at Hetero Drugs has driven measurable workforce outcomes: attrition rate declined from 18.4% in FY22 to 12.4% in FY24, time-to-fill improved from 46 to 31 days, internal promotion rate increased from 22% to 31%, and employee Net Promoter Score improved by 18 points. However, implementation challenges including fragmented HR data systems (66%), data quality gaps (62%), and analytics talent scarcity (58%) constrain the advancement toward fully predictive and prescriptive HR analytics maturity.