Quick facts
- Name: Jaana Saramies
- Role: Project Manager for People Analytics and Evidence-Based HR
- Course: HR Analytics Leader
- Key result: Launched a freelance People Analytics consulting career and later moved into an HR Analytics manager role.
We usually recommend having a certain level of HR experience before enrolling in an AIHR course — but it isn’t always necessary to achieve People Analytics success, as Jaana Saramies demonstrates.
Launching a career in People Analytics
Back in 2017, Jaana was one of the first students to join the HR Analytics Leader course. On paper, she might not seem like a typical HR Analytics student, as she had been working in financial administration for many years.
However, Jaana would go on to become an early AIHR success story.
After becoming a loyal reader of the AIHR blog, Jaana decided that she wanted to make a change and launch her career in People Analytics. She signed up for our HR Analytics Leader course to develop her new skill set.
“If you don’t have previous experience in HR or analytics: it doesn’t matter,” says Jaana. “Coming from financial administration, I had neither, but I learned very quickly during this course.”
See what the learning experience looks like for yourself.
The Demo Portal allows you to:
✅ Preview AIHR lessons before committing to a course or certificate program
✅ Explore guides, templates, and tools you can use in your day-to-day HR work
✅ Browse learning paths that match your role and goals
✅ Get a feel for AIHR’s learning experience and resources for ongoing development
Becoming an HR Development & Analytics Manager
Jaana learned so quickly, in fact, that not long after completing the course, she started to freelance as a people analytics consultant, before working for CGI, one of the world’s leading IT consulting firms.
But Jaana did not stop there. A year into her new career, she made another upward move: she became the HR Development & Analytics Manager at a large healthcare organzation. But Jaana didn’t stop there. She is now a Project Manager for People Analytics and Evidence-Based HR at the City of Helsinki.
“If you’re interested in diving into HR analytics, but don’t know how or where to start, I recommend enrolling in the HR Analytics Leader course,” Jaana says. “It gives you an overview of the possibilities of HR Analytics, versatile examples, action points to initialize such a project, and concrete tools to begin People Analytics in your organization.
“Now I have the competencies and capabilities to identify, develop and implement HR analytics either internally, or as an outside consultant. Through taking this course, so could you!”
“If you’re interested in diving into HR analytics, but don’t know how or where to start, I recommend enrolling in the HR Analytics Leader course. The course gives you an overview on the possibilities of HR analytics, versatile examples, action points how to initialize such a project, and concrete tools to begin people analytics in your organization.If you don’t have previous experience in HR or analytics, it doesn’t matter. Coming from financial administration, I had neither but learned very quickly during this course. Now I have the competencies and capabilities to identify, develop and implement HR analytics either internally or as an outside consultant. Through taking this course, so could you!“
– Jaana
Project Manager, People Analytics & Evidence-based HR and Leadership at City of Helsinki
Click here to connect with Jaana on LinkedIn.
Make the change
Jaana’s story is proof that you don’t need to be an HR specialist to benefit from the HR skills gap. If you are committed to life-long learning — and have the right resources at your disposal — you too can enjoy endless opportunities in the HR field. Browse our complete course catalog here and discover the next step in your career.
FAQ
Yes. AIHR offers practical courses and certificate programs across different HR areas, so you can choose the learning that builds the skills you need for your next career move. Jaana, for example, used the HR Analytics Leader course to develop her People Analytics skills, launch a freelance consulting career, and later move into manager-level roles.
Does AIHR offer other People Analytics courses?
Yes. AIHR offers a wide range of people analytics courses, including the People Analytics Certificate Program, People Data & Business Insights Certificate Program, and other shorter courses. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to specialize, there’s a path built for where you are.
