This highlight video is from the May 15th Milwaukee Talent Development Conference 2025, session Harnessing Data to Enhance Talent Development and Elevate Employee Experience.
Most talent leaders aren’t suffering from a lack of data—they’re facing either data overload or data blind spots. In this session, Angelica Stilling and Ben Warner shared how they moved from analysis paralysis to strategic action—and transformed both employee experience and business outcomes along the way.
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Harnessing Data to Enhance Talent Development and Elevate Employee Experience[/caption]
📉 At a fintech firm with minimal HR data, Ben used leader-led focus groups and embedded review prompts to uncover what surveys missed. These qualitative insights reshaped onboarding, engagement, and retention strategies in real time.
🏭 Angelica’s story at ITW started on the opposite end: overwhelming amounts of disconnected data. By integrating HR, demographic, and operational machine data, her team discovered that 60% of operators were nearing retirement. That triggered a fast-track training program—reducing onboarding time from two years to just three months and expanding the hiring pool.
“Listening became conversation—not just data. That built bridges across silos and a foundation we could scale.” — Ben Warner
🎯 Key Takeaways for Senior HR Talent Leaders:
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Get Creative in Data Deserts: Qualitative insights can be just as actionable as dashboards.
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Break the Silos: Operational and people data must work together to reveal talent risks early.
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Act on Imperfect Data: Waiting for perfect data is a missed opportunity.
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Design for Agility: Rapid upskilling reduces dependency on niche experience and builds future-ready teams.
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Build for Belonging: Culture isn't a “nice-to-have”—it’s a retention strategy.
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Keep it Iterative: Feedback loops are essential for scalable, lasting change.
Forward-thinking HR teams aren’t just collecting data—they’re using it to build systems that are predictive, inclusive, and built to scale.
➡️ What untapped data could you activate to drive real change in your talent strategy? Share with us on ELE Idea Exchange.
