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Purpose – This study explores the rationale behind the utilisation of human resource (HR) analytics in public sector organisations. The existing HR analytics literature exhibits limited empirical evidence and has predominantly focused on the business context of private firms. In addressing this gap, the study seeksto answer the following research question: What reasonsfor the adoption of HR analytics can be identified in public sector organisations?

Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a qualitative approach drawing on the empirical data collected from three public administrations in Sweden – national, regional and local. A total of 51 in-depth interviews are conducted with HR and other organisational practitioners engaged in HR analytics practices.

Findings – Drawing on the institutional legitimacy perspective, this paper suggests that public sector organisations adopt HR analytics to secure cognitive, socio-political and technological legitimacy, stemming from explanations rooted in economic rationality. This encompasses organisational and HR-related outcomes achieved through data management and analysis, driven by the personal interests of specific individuals.

Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to ongoing debates about the adoption of HR analytics in diverse contextual settings. Future research is needed in other organisational contexts, including various national and international settings.

Practical implications – The results of this study offer practical insights for HR practitioners in public sector organisations seeking to adopt HR analytics to enhance organisational and HR legitimacy.

Originality/value – This study contributes to the HR analytics literature by providing empirical evidence from the public sector. Furthermore, it advocates for a synthesis of economic rationality with legitimacy gains and individual interests to elucidate the rationale behind the adoption of HR analytics.

The topic of human resource (HR) analytics has recently attracted growing interest. Despite numerous advantages, adopting HR analytics in practice is still limited, especially in a public sector context. The aim of this study is to investigate why this is the case. The study applies the Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity (AMO) framework to examine public sector HR professionals’ preconditions for HR analytics. A total of 30 interviews were conducted with HR practitioners in three public administration authorities in Sweden and they were analysed using thematic template analysis. The results show that despite the high motivation to comply with governments’ political agendas, improve decision-making, and ensure transparency, HR practitioners report a lack of analytical skills and technical knowledge. They are also limited by data availability, technical support, scarce resources, and complex organisational structures. The study adds to a growing body of HR analytics literature and highlights the complexity involved in HR analytics adoption. 

The study examines the implementation of human resource analytics (HRA) within the context of public sector organisations, drawing upon the organisational translation perspective. We conduct a longitudinal process study of real-time HRA implementation projects in two public sector organisations in Sweden. The findings reveal that the content of the HRA concept undergoes significant transformation during the translation process, with components being copied, omitted, added, and altered. As a result, HRA in practice diverges substantially from its original idea. The study identifies three translation patterns: alignment to the needs of final users, technological determinism, and organisational complexity. We argue that these translation patterns may explain the outcomes from the unique translation processes. The study contributes to the organisational translation literature by integrating principles of heterogeneity and homogeneity of translation results. Additionally, it provides empirical evidence to the field of HRA, enhancing understanding of HRA in public sector organisations.