Case Study: Collin Cosmetics International 1. How does the introduction of the people-analytics algorithm impact the decision-making process in promotions, and to what extent should it be relied upon in comparison to traditional judgment? 2. To what extent should personal relationships and subjective judgments play a role in promotion decisions, and how can organizations strike a balance between objective data-driven approaches and subjective assessments? 3. What ethical considerations arise when implementing data analytics in HR decisions, and how can organizations address potential biases in the data sources to ensure fairness and equity in promotions? Ashley Johnston, the VP of Sales and Marketing at Collin Cosmetics International (CCI), is faced with a challenging decision on who to promote as the marketing director to replace her longtime colleague, Arby Cox. The two finalists are Jenny Wilson, a brand manager in the cleaning division, and Bill Zhang, a successful brand manager in the beauty division. Ashley is torn between her familiarity with Jenny's strengths and Bill's impressive track record, backed by the new people-analytics system championed by HR.

During the interviews, Ashley noticed Bill's professionalism and strategic thinking. He highlighted his success in reviving the NovaFace makeup-removal product line and demonstrated how his experience in the beauty division could be applied to the cleaning division. However, Ashley sensed a lack of dynamism and an entrepreneurial mindset in Bill.

Conversely, Jenny impressed Ashley during her formal interview. Jenny displayed deep knowledge of the business, collaborated well across programs, and had innovative ideas for building on the success of the subscription program. Despite Jenny's polished and thoughtful responses, Ashley questioned whether her preference for Jenny was influenced by their close relationship.

The HR team introduced network analyses of Jenny and Bill's email and meeting history, revealing that Bill had a broader network across the firm compared to Jenny, who mainly interacted within the cleaning products division. The data suggested that Bill could bring diverse perspectives to the role, but Ashley remained skeptical about fully trusting the new algorithm.

The HR team emphasized the algorithm's role in making more informed, less biased decisions. However, Ashley raised concerns about potential bias in the data sources, such as performance reviews and resumes, and questioned whether the algorithm was pushing for Bill to fill the position due to his high potential and risk of leaving CCI.

As decision time approached, Ashley struggled to make a choice. Bill was qualified and had impressed her, but Jenny seemed ready for the job. Ashley grappled with whether her preference for Jenny was influenced by their close relationship and whether Jenny would leave CCI if passed over for the promotion.