Every employee relations function, regardless of size, structure or maturity, faces the same early decision when beginning a more data-driven journey: Which business challenge should we focus on first?
I’m not asking you for ten challenges your employee relations team could influence, nor the five that feel urgent.
Just one: Your North Star.
Choosing a single organizational priority as your North Star is the fastest way to demonstrate the value of ER data, see early wins and build momentum for a broader Trust & Risk Statement™ strategy. It is also one of the most powerful ways to deepen trust with leaders across the business because it aligns ER’s work to what matters most to them right now.
Let’s dive in.
Why Your North Star Matters More Than Your Metrics
Many employee relations teams begin by asking: “Which metrics should we track first?”
But the real question is: “Which business priority does our organization care most about at this moment in time?”
This distinction matters because metrics without alignment don’t influence decisions. But metrics tied to a clear North Star, such as cost savings, growth, leadership effectiveness, M&A integration, AI disruption, retention and unionization risk, position ER as a strategic partner.
That’s why one of the first steps is to align your metrics to a major business problem so that employee relations analytics speak the language of your C‑suite’s most pressing priorities. (If you want to learn more about how to do so, check out the Trust & Risk Getting Started Guide.)
Your North Star Will Change…And It Should
As both your ER team and your leadership team mature in their understanding of ER data, your North Star will evolve.
There are two maturity models you should consider:
- ER functional maturity
- How disciplined your ER processes are
- How clean and consistent your case data is
- How confident you are in segmenting, trending and diagnosing patterns
- Leadership maturity in ER data consumption
- What they’ve been exposed to
- Whether they understand that ER data isn’t about “good” or “bad,” but about insight
- Their readiness to move from case counts → patterns → predictive signals
A sophisticated North Star requires a sophisticated audience. That’s why early priorities must match the organization’s reality, not ER’s aspiration
How to Begin: Start Where the Business Is Today
The quickest way to gain leadership buy-in is to root your North Star in the current enterprise context.
Here are common North Star categories directly aligned to enterprise priorities found in high-performing organizations:
- Cost or Efficiency
(Budget tightening, operational excellence, M&A driven integration)
- Growth
(Rapid hiring, new markets, scalability)
- Mergers & Acquisitions
(Culture harmonization, retention of critical talent)
- Impact of AI
(Role redesign, layoffs, re‑skilling, process optimization)
- Leadership Capability & Effectiveness
(Manager development, behavioral consistency, trust building)
- Unionization
(Union avoidance or positive labor relationship strategy)
- Employee Retention
(Voluntary turnover, flight risk analysis, key role stability)
A word of advice: Don’t choose your priority in a silo. Metrics only become powerful when legal, finance, HR, compliance and business leaders agree the focus is strategically relevant. So see other teams think about your North Star before you commit to it.
Why Cross-Functional Input Is Non-Negotiable
Your North Star shouldn’t be selected by employee relations exclusively. It should be selected in collaboration with:
- Legal
- Finance
- Organizational Development
- HRBPs
- DEI
- Business unit leaders
- Compliance
Each group has different incentives, concerns and definitions of success. Bringing them in early:
- Builds credibility
- Surfaces blind spots
- Minimizes friction later when data sharing begins
- Strengthens your executive narrative
- Makes ER a strategic partner, not a downstream responder
This is also where you can frame the opportunity in language leaders care about:
What’s in it for them?
You’re not asking them to build the strategy. You’re asking them what problem it needs to solve.
Putting the Framework into Practice
Once your North Star is selected, you can use the familiar Trust & Risk Statement narrative framework to communicate value:
- The Priority: “To support the organization’s focus on [North Star], employee relations is aligning our early analytics around the biggest friction points impacting this priority.”
- The Data: “We are tracking [metric name] to help illuminate where issues are emerging and how they affect our workforce experience.”
- The Analysis: “Current data shows a [trend] in [department/region], suggesting [hypothesis].”
- The Solution: “ER is partnering with [stakeholder] to implement [intervention] designed to reduce risk and support business continuity.”
How to Request Input on Your North Star: Templates
Below are copy and paste templates for talking points and emails you can use with legal, finance, OD and business units.
1. Legal Team Template
Talking Points
- “We’re defining ER’s first North Star to align our metrics with the organization’s top risk and business priorities.”
- “From your perspective, which emerging risks or patterns should ER elevate early?”
- “Where do you see preventable legal exposure that better ER insights could directly reduce?”
- “What information would help legal anticipate issues earlier or reduce outside counsel spend?”
Email Template
Subject: Aligning Employee Relations Analytics to Legal’s Risk Priorities
Hi [Name],
As we formalize how employee relations measures and reports, we’re identifying our first North Star, one critical business priority that will shape the earliest metrics we track and report on.
Your visibility into enterprise risk is exactly the context we need to make sure our early analytics are pointed at the right problems. I’d love your perspective on:
- The biggest risk areas you see emerging
- Any trends where earlier ER insight would materially reduce exposure
- Where ER data could strengthen your advisory role with the C-suite
Your input ensures our initial analytics directly support legal’s priorities and help us collectively reduce risk. Can I put 20 minutes on your calendar next week to discuss?
Thank you,
[NAME]
2. Finance Team Template
Talking Points
- “We’re aligning ER’s North Star to support the organization’s financial priorities.”
- “Where is the business most focused on cost containment or efficiency right now?”
- “Which ER-related costs (turnover, escalations, productivity loss) should we quantify early?”
- “What ER insights would help finance forecast or budget more accurately?”
Email Template
Subject: Input Needed: Aligning ER Analytics to Current Financial Priorities
Hi [Name],
As we formalize how employee relations measures and reports, we’re identifying our first North Star, one critical business priority that will shape the earliest metrics we track and report on. It’s important to us that our North Star aligns with the business’s most urgent financial priorities. Your input would help us ensure ER data directly supports enterprise cost, efficiency and budgeting goals.
Specifically, I’d appreciate your perspective on:
- Current cost pressures or efficiency targets
- Where ER-related costs show up in finance’s world (turnover, escalations, productivity loss)
- Which insights would help you model or plan more accurately
Could we connect for a brief discussion? Your guidance will help shape our first high-value ER analytics focus.
Best,
[NAME]
3. Organizational Development (OD) Template
Talking Points
- “We’re selecting ER’s North Star and want to align it with leadership and culture priorities.”
- “Which leadership behaviors or capability gaps most threaten organizational performance?”
- “Where could ER insights help OD target development investments more effectively?”
- “Are there culture or engagement hotspots that need ER’s integrated perspective?”
Email Template
Subject: Aligning ER Analytics to OD’s Priorities
Hi [Name],
As employee relations formalizes its metrics strategy, we’re identifying our North Star, a single business priority that will guide our first set of analytics. I’d appreciate your input to ensure we’re aligned with leadership capability, culture and organizational health priorities.
I’m particularly interested in your perspective on:
- Current leadership or capability gaps affecting performance
- Culture friction points that require cross-functional visibility
- Where ER data could strengthen or target OD interventions
Can we set up time to discuss? Your insights will make our analytics point to the leadership and culture problems that matter most right now and not just the ones visible from HR.
Thanks so much,
[NAME]
4. Business Unit Leader Template
Talking Points
- “We’re choosing ER’s North Star and want it tied directly to business performance outcomes.”
- “What is your BU’s biggest operational or people-related challenge right now?”
- “Where do employee issues slow productivity, impact customer outcomes or derail team performance?”
- “What insights would help you run your business more effectively?”
Email Template
Subject: Partnering to Align ER Metrics to Your Business Priorities
Hi [Name],
As we formalize how employee relations measures and reports, we’re identifying our first North Star, the business problem we will focus our initial analytics on. You’re closest to where people issues actually affect performance.
Could you share:
- Your BU’s biggest strategic or operational challenge this year
- Where people related friction impacts performance or customer outcomes
- Which insights would meaningfully support your decision-making
I’d love to meet briefly to ensure our early ER analytics directly support your business goals. Do you have some time next week?
Warmly,
[NAME]
Getting Started: Aligning Employee Relations Metrics to Outcomes
Employee relations has historically lacked standardized, executive-level metrics to demonstrate its impact. It’s time to change that.
Ready to take the next step in translating employee relations activity into the outcomes executives care about?
