Behavioral analytics, a niche within talent science, is helping organizations of all sizes look beyond resumes to hire people most likely to succeed in specific jobs in particular organizations. It’s also being used to chart career paths and to identify high potentials and employees who are likely to leave the company.

Predictive analytics is being applied to talent science for the simple reason that predicting job candidates’ success based on a resume is difficult, and mistakes are expensive. Using data to manage talent more effectively, however, improves bench strength, reduces turnover and minimizes lost are likely looking for new positions. Likewise, people whose work-related social networks are posting about retirement also are likely to consider it, according to the Society for Human Resources Management.

Organizations are also using behavioral analytics to chart career paths for current employees and build more effective project teams, by considering personal attributes as well as work-related skills. They’re mining their existing talent pools to identify current strengths and employees with high potential and to better predict future staffing needs.

Behavioral assessment testing is the newest wave of big data science and is already helping organizations use scientific techniques to gain better insights and make more accurate predictions when making their talent decisions. Is people analytics the next big step for you and your company?