More than ever HR is using data to support their decision-making, from hiring and firing, to identifying and managing workplace issues. In light of that fact, here are 3 fascinating HR numbers to look out for in 2017.

10: words NOT to use on your LinkedIn Profile

How do you get hired? Be an individual, not a statistic.

If the job description states they are looking for a passionate individual, conventional wisdom suggests you should state that you’re passionate on your online profile, right?

Wrong. LinkedIn’s annual ‘buzzwords’ study shows that the old writer’s adage: “show, don’t tell” also applies to penning a winning professional profile.

According to LinkedIn, Australians who are using buzzwords in an attempt to highlight their expertise may not realise that they are actually diluting their professional brand in the minds of recruiters. Each year, LinkedIn’s analysis of millions of profiles comes together to compile the ten worst offenders from the past twelve months.

2017’s overused words?

•         Specialised
•         Leadership
•         Passionate
•         Experienced
•         Strategic
•         Focused
•         Expert
•         Creative
•         Successful
•         Excellent

LinkedIn’s data also shows you only have five to ten seconds to impress a potential employer online, so it’s important to use authentic communication to stand out.

“You can’t always avoid using buzzwords,” says Shiva Kumar, LinkedIn Head of Communications Australia & New Zealand. “But if you do you need to substantiate what you say you are with evidence in your profile.” If you don’t, well, you’re just another of the eight million Australians on the platform saying the exact same thing.

Despite the fact that an algorithm sourced this buzzword data, Kumar maintains professional social networks like LinkedIn actually favours authenticity when it comes to recruitment. “In the end, it’s about people-to-people communication and recruiters are still looking to try to see through the hype to who you really are.”

6,200: Injured Australian and NZ workers

New findings from Safe Work Australia show that employee’s satisfaction with their employer’s return to work plan varies depending on the size of the organisation.

The 2016 Return to Work Survey spoke to nearly 6200 Australian and New Zealand injured workers from organisations ranging from small businesses to large organisations.

While those employed within a large business are are “more likely to feel supported than their small-business counterparts,” they are also “less likely to believe their workplace suggestions are taken seriously or their managers are committed to safety.”

Small-business respondents were also significantly more likely to have been “very involved” in the development of their return-to-work plan than medium-organisation workers (67% compared to 53%).

It also reveals that when it comes to employee support, we are being outdone by our South-Eastern neighbours.

The report says that 44 percent of injured workers in New Zealand were likely to say that returning to work when they did helped their recovery, as compared to 33 per cent in Australia (33%).

On the other hand a significantly greater proportion of injured workers in Australia (64%) stated that they had a return to work plan when compared with New Zealand (55%) and around six in ten reported that they were very involved in the development of the plan.

3: The unpaid hours you clock if you work from home

Working remotely may not be as advantageous as we think.

A new study out of the University of Iowa shows that working from home adds extra hours to the work week, but little additional pay.

Telecommuting has long been hailed as a boon for workers; giving employees the flexibility to work outside the office and improve work-life balance.

However these new findings may change workers’ perceptions of the value of telecommuting – or, could spur employers to better define the ‘work-at-home workday.’

The study was based on a long-running national survey of American workers with a standard 40-hour work week. It found that those who opted to work at least part of the time away from the office ended up working an average of three hours more per week, encroaching on home and family time.

The takeaway for HR? Employees need to track their time and keep their manager in the loop, says Mary Noonan, associate professor in sociology at the UI and co-author of the study.

For more surprising HR numbers, read our previous articles on game-driven recruitment and wearable workplace tech.