MIKE WEST
PEOPLE ANALYTICS PROFESSIONAL
Workforce Insights & HR Decision Support | Analytics Systems | Applied AI
Pittsburgh, PA | mike@peopleanalyst.com
linkedin.com/in/michaelcwest | github.com/people-analyst
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
People analytics professional with 20+ years applying behavioral science, statistics, and analytics systems to workforce decisions for large and small organizations. I build the measurement approaches, data systems, analyses, and reporting that help leaders better understand their organizations and decide what to change. My experiences span workforce planning, talent acquisition, compensation, performance, employee experience, diversity & retention, connecting people and business data across internal & external sources. Author of People Analytics For Dummies (Wiley). My most recent work extends this foundation into AI-assisted software engineering and AI-enabled analytical applications.
AI ENGINEERING & ANALYTICS WORK 2026–present
I build analytical applications and repeatable AI workflows. I use AI to develop software and within the applications themselves, combining domain knowledge with hands-on engineering.
I develop applications, data workflows, and integrations with Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex; defining requirements, testing outputs, iterating design, and documenting how the systems work.
I build reusable analytical tools and source-linked knowledge that AI agents can query, combining retrieval, calculations, and reviewable results.
I use AI to design analytical microservices that can be combined directly into data workflows or called by AI agents using MCP or API.
A few examples include: job architecture and market-pay intelligence (JobFrame.Global) and team-performance diagnostics (Performix.App). Portfolio: github.com/people-analyst
CONTRACT EXPERIENCES 2012–present
Independent people analytics and compensation practice spanning hands-on analysis, executive presentations, surveys, data architecture, HR technology, and compensation systems. Designing and implementing analytical capabilities for client organizations using their preferred data environments and tools.
Fivetran | 2026
Analyzed performance and workforce data across ratings, promotions, calibration, and productivity measures.
The New York Times | 2025–2026
Dual projects: Workforce Analytics & Compensation. Supported the move from disparate Tableau projects to a unified One Model people-data warehouse; mapped sources and validated reporting logic. Compensation Planning analysis - built what-if analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, and Workday data load (EIB Files).
Avid Bioservices | 2024–2025
Developed workforce dashboards and people related quarterly board reporting and rebuilt the compensation foundation through job catalog, leveling, and market analysis.
Juniper Networks | 2023–2025
Interim Global Compensation Programs Technology and Data Lead. Designed data workflows and reporting for workforce planning, annual budgets, and merit cycles across 45+ countries; reconciled M&A job, level, pay-band, and market-data structures.
Pfizer | 2023
Implemented a Visier people-data warehouse from HRIS extracts, including roles and security, dashboards, and rollout materials. Contract through Insight Global.
Mars / Royal Canin | 2023
Modeled employee lifetime value, connecting people investment with lifetime contribution using workforce and payroll data.
Cityblock Health | 2022–2023
Developed workforce dashboards and people related quarterly board reporting and rebuilt the compensation foundation through job catalog, leveling, and market analysis.
Instabase | 2022
Designed pay-range structures using Radford and Option Impact market and equity data, with consistent job levels and bands.
Frontdoor | 2021–2022
Developed compensation ranges, job architecture and catalogs, market-pricing models, and annual and long-term incentive models.
Nike | 2021
Analyzed employee and recruiting experiences, including employee journey surveys and analysis to understand early employment outcomes.
Varian | 2019–2020
Delivered people scorecards, board reporting, and HRIS-to-analytics mapping. Contract through Ultimate Staffing.
Molekule | 2019
Created a people-analytics blueprint, Tableau headcount and workforce-planning tools, job architecture, and Radford-based market analysis.
10x Genomics | 2018–2019
Developed a people-analytics blueprint, implemented a One Model warehouse, and established job leveling for consistent workforce reporting.
Pure Storage | 2016–2019
Established people analytics, selected and implemented One Model, and built Tableau dashboards and headcount-planning tools. Conducted attrition and survival analysis and established reusable data workflows.
One Model | 2016–2017
VP of Product Strategy for the workforce-intelligence platform, connecting people-analytics practice with product development.
Jawbone | 2014–2016
Built a people-data warehouse and Tableau executive dashboard, with workforce reporting, attrition analysis, and exit-risk modeling.
SolarCity | 2015
Developed a Tableau talent-acquisition dashboard and recruiting-pipeline analytics from applicant-tracking data.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical | 2014–2015
Analyzed competency and performance relationships, outliers, and pay-for-performance patterns to inform leadership decisions.
Children’s Health / Children’s Medical Center Dallas | 2012–2013
Established people analytics for the health system: strategy and roadmap, HR scorecard, data warehouse, dashboards, surveys, and executive presentations. Analyzed workforce data and modeled nurse attrition.
FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES 2001–2012
Otsuka Pharmaceutical | 2010-2012
Manager, HRIS & Data Management
Led Workday implementation across Core HR, Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll, consolidating three applications in under ten months and going live with $6M+ in monthly payroll transactions and zero payroll errors.
Drove requirements, process design, data migration, testing, and launch across HR, Payroll, Benefits, Finance, and IT; established employee-data controls and operational reporting.
AstraZeneca | 2008–2010
People Analytics Business Partner, Field Sales
Combined HR, sales, operations, training, and survey data in talent-management dashboards and presentations. Evaluated training effectiveness and presented employee-survey findings and recommendations to executives and managers.
Google | 2006–2008
Program Manager, People Analytics
Helped build Google’s first HR data warehouse and reporting program; designed global employee surveys, exit metrics, and reporting during growth from 7,000 to 21,000 employees.
Developed Google’s first attrition prediction model and established the Benefits Analytics role, translating employee data into retention and benefits decisions.
PetSmart | 2005–2006
Sr. Quantitative Analyst, Talent Management
Established the quantitative HR role and designed workforce metrics and reporting. Linked associate knowledge, engagement, and attrition with customer satisfaction and sales, informing compensation, performance, and training priorities.
Merck | 2001–2005
Sr. HR Decision Support Analyst; Talent Management & Organization Effectiveness
Built decision-support datasets and management reporting for workforce planning; analyzed hiring, transfers, promotions, attrition, and headcount. Contributed to enterprise HR reporting and PeopleSoft implementation, employee-survey analysis, and learning-program evaluation.
METHODS & TECHNOLOGY
Analytical systems: Power BI, Tableau, Alteryx, Excel, R, SPSS, Qualtrics, CultureAmp.
HR specific analytical systems: One Model, Visier.
Talent systems: Workday, ADP Workforce Now, Oracle HR, PeopleSoft, UltiPro/UKG, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, BrassRing, Syndio, Radford, Mercer, WTW, CompAnalyst, MarketPay, Option Impact, Pave, OpenComp.
AI & Software Engineering: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub, Supabase, Vercel, V0, Replit, Railway, Mailgun, Stripe; Node.js; Python, SQL; Novel design method integrating microservices by APIs and Model Context Protocol (MCP).
EDUCATION
M.A., Human Resources & Industrial Relations — University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management
B.S., Sociology & Psychology — Northern Arizona University