Accenture’s research into collecting employee data can help organizations get the most out of their employees and decode their organizational DNA. Learn more.

1. Decoding Organizational DNA: Trust, Data and
Unlocking Value in the Digital Workplace
PUTTING TRUST
TO WORK

2. Trust is the Force.
Trust is the currency of the digital
economy. It fuels growth. It underpins
responsible innovation and shared
prosperity.
But amid the uncertain global markets and the
disruption of new technologies, digital trust is
eroding.
As businesses begin to use workforce data at
scale, it’s time to lead a trust turnaround.

3. What is Decoding
Organizational DNA?
New sources of data—from employee work applications and smart sensors, to video or
voice recordings and wearables—can be converted into insights, decisions or
automated actions by applying analytics, artificial intelligence or human judgment.
Organizational data reveals the DNA of a business. It explains how and why the
company works and what makes it tick. It covers work processes, the performance of
people and the way they collaborate with intelligent machines. It has the power to
improve innovation, agility, cybersecurity and employee performance and engagement.
As with the human genome, companies must learn to decode it, and then to use it to
the benefit of companies, workers and society as a whole.

4. Businesses Are Using New Sources of
Workforce Data to Unlock Trapped Value
of businesses are
using new
technologies and
sources of workplace
data to a large or
significant extent.
62%
of business leaders
recognize that new
technologies and
sources of workplace
data can be used to
unlock value that is
currently “trapped” in
the enterprise.
say that new
technologies and
sources of workforce
data will be important to
grow the business.
91% 77%
The areas where they
expect greatest value:
placing the right
people in the right roles
productivity and
workforce performance
organizational agility
and speed.

5. of workers would strongly resist
their organization collecting
new sources of data on them
and their work. 52% think it will
damage trust.
Just Because They Can Use Workforce
Data Doesn’t Mean They Always Should
of workers are open to the
collection of data on them and
their work if it improves their
performance, wellbeing or
provides other personal benefits.
And yet 92%
of workers would refuse to
give permission for
technology to collect data
about them if their
organization doesn’t have
strong measures for
responsibility.
62%43%

6. Some businesses will leave value on
the table by hesitating in the face of
employee sensitivities; others risk
damaging employee trust by pressing
ahead too swiftly without measures for
responsibility:
The Risks Go
Both Ways
of business leaders say that employee
concerns are holding them back from
investing in technologies that collect
workforce data.
31%
are investing anyway and figuring
out how to do so responsibly as
issues arise.
32%
Only 30%
of business leaders are very
confident that they are using
workforce data in a highly
responsible way.

7. The Value at Stake: 12.5% of Future Revenues
We studied the factors that employees say most influence their level of trust in their organizations and
modeled these to reveal the financial impact of failing to decode organizational DNA responsibly.
If businesses adopt irresponsible
strategies, they risk losing 6.1%
from future revenue growth.
However, if they adopt responsible
strategies, the trust dividend could
be worth as much as a 6.4% boost
to future revenue growth.
The value at stake between these two
opposite situations adds up to over
US$3.1 trillion in global revenues.
The Trapped Value of Trust. Implications for Financial Performance.

8. Business Leaders Have Limited
Regulatory Guidance
But in the absence of sufficient legislation to
guide leaders to make responsible decisions,
49%
“Executives are entering a new era of workforce
data without sufficient tools and strategies to
help them drive growth through stronger digital
trust. But business leaders can take proactive
steps that improve the potential of workers while
achieving new business value. A responsible
approach will strengthen the resilience and
agility of workforces and help CEOs navigate
disruption at a time of intense competition and
volatility.”
Eva Sage-Gavin, Senior Managing Director,
Talent & Organization, Accenture
say that current legislation is
sufficient to guide business leaders
to use workforce data responsibly.
50%
say they would use new technologies and
workplace data as they see fit, without additional
measures for responsibility.

9. Three Steps to Build Employee Trust
with Workforce Data
Give Control.
Gain Trust.
Empower people with greater
control of their own data.
By providing individuals the choice
as to whether they want to “give”
data to “get” particular benefits—
and by letting them manage and
even own their own data—
organizations will earn employee
trust and benefit from greater flow
of workforce insights with which
they can improve performance.
Elevate People.
Use Tech
Responsibly.
Use tech in responsible and
creative new ways to fix the
unintended consequences it
creates.
Companies need to use AI and
other technologies to open more
growth opportunities for
employees and improve fairness
and diversity.
Share
Responsibility.
Share Benefits.
Involve people in the design of
data systems.
Maintaining employee trust
requires sharing responsibility
across the C-suite and even
beyond the organization—as well
as involving employees in the
design of the systems
themselves.

10. GIVE CONTROL.
GAIN TRUST.

11. of employees surveyed want to
own their work-related data and
take it with them when they
leave their jobs—and 56% of
business leaders are open to
allowing them to do so.
of workers say that in
return for their
permission to collect
data, employers will have
to give them control over
how it is used.
70%At a time when companies are
using newly available workforce
data to drive greater value,
responsible leadership is the key
to building employee trust. Trust
is the ultimate currency—it’s the
path to innovation and fuels
growth by unlocking people’s
potential.”
Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership and Human
Relations Officer, Accenture
“
58%
of workers are unwilling for employers to collect data if they did
not keep it private when the expectation was that they would.
Give to Get
Co-own Data
with Employees
Protect Privacy—Together
Nearly 73%

12. SHARE
RESPONSIBILITY.
SHARE BENEFITS.

13. 33%
plan to do so.
of business leaders say a C-level
executive is accountable for the
responsible use of data, while
Only 22%
Create Checks
and Balances
Co-create Systems
with People
31%
employ ethicists to evaluate the
potential impact on employees
and society.
Today, fewer than 1/3
of businesses co-create company
policies with employees, although

14. ELEVATE PEOPLE.
USE TECH
RESPONSIBLY.

15. of managers say real time
information will help people to
experiment and innovate.
Open Opportunities.
Don’t Constrain Them.
Trust has evolved from a
‘soft’ corporate issue to a
quantifiable metric with
bottom line impact on
revenue, EBITDA and,
ultimately, growth through
competitive agility. Today’s
leaders must put employee
and consumer trust at the
heart of their business
strategies with a clear
actionable plan to get it and
to keep it.”
Mark Knickrehm, Group Chief Executive,
Accenture Strategy
“
More than 4 in 5
employees say that having reliable
data gathered by new technologies
will improve fairness in pay,
promotions and appraisal decisions.
Reduce Bias—
Everywhere.
89%
of employees say that the use
of workplace data will improve
their lives and business
performance.
57%
51%
of business leaders say their
organization is measuring the
joint performance / productivity of
people working with intelligent
machines.
Decode Human +
Machine DNA.
Grow Talent.
Don’t Penalize It.

16. Key Contacts
To learn more about how Accenture can help your organization unlock the
power of data, gain trust and elevate your workforce, contact:
Ellyn J. Shook
Chief Leadership and Human
Relations Officer, Accenture
ellyn.j.shook@accenture.com
@EllynJShook1
Mark A. Knickrehm
Group Chief Executive,
Accenture Strategy
mark.a.knickrehm@accenture.com
@Mark_Knickrehm
Eva Sage-Gavin
Senior Managing Director,
Talent & Organization, Accenture
eva.sage-gavin@accenture.com
Download the full report: www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/future-workforce/workforce-data-organizational-dna
Susan Cantrell
Project Lead, Talent &
Organization, Accenture
susan.m.cantrell@accenture.com