People analytics takes information an organisation already has, such as who it hires, how they perform, what they are paid and when they leave, and uses statistics to support a decision. It differs from HR reporting in three ways: it starts from a decision rather than from the data at hand, it compares groups so that a number means something, and it tries to separate cause from coincidence.
International practice is anchored in ISO 30414, the human-capital reporting standard first published in 2018 as guidelines; the 2025 edition adds requirements that can be audited. Japan's People Analytics & HR Technology Association (ピープルアナリティクス＆HRテクノロジー協会) was founded in 2018.
Japan has an unusual advantage. Since fiscal years ending on or after 31 March 2023, every company filing an annual securities report publishes its share of women managers, fathers' childcare leave uptake and gender pay gap. That makes it possible to compare a company with its industry and size peers on public data. Among listed companies with 1,000 or more staff, for example, women's share of management is 4.9% in the quarter with the lowest fathers' leave uptake and 8.9% in the quarter with the highest. That is an association, not proof that one causes the other.
The Hardest Market goes out every other week — sourced analysis of Japan's talent market.
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- Start from a decision. "Why do our bilingual mid-career hires leave in year two?" is a people analytics question; "build an HR dashboard" is not.
- Benchmark against Japan, not only the group. Global norms for women in management or turnover mislead in Japan. Use the disclosures of comparable Japanese employers.
- Mind the law on personal data. Employee data falls under the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), including its rules on sensitive data and transfers abroad.
The full guide, with metrics, maturity levels and a worked example on 3,789 companies: People analytics.
Sources
- ISO, ISO 30414:2025 announcement (ISO/TC 260).
- Financial Services Agency, Cabinet Office Order on Disclosure of Corporate Affairs, as amended January 2023.
- The Hardest Market, analysis of annual securities report disclosures (see the guide).