The invisible organizational chart
CEO at HRscout
In Human Resources, we constantly talk about talent, engagement, leadership, and performance. But often, we rely only on what we see in the organizational chart or performance evaluations… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The reality is that the way people work, communicate, and collaborate doesn’t always align with official organizational charts. There are informal teams, unrecognized leaders, silos that hinder innovation, and employees who are key to daily operations but don’t stand out in traditional evaluation systems.
This is where Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) comes into play.
ONA allows us to clearly visualize how relationships flow within the company:
- Who are the real connectors?
- Who is isolated or at risk of disconnection?
- Who are the people who build trust and move knowledge, even without holding a formal leadership position?
This type of analysis helps us identify hidden talent—those people who make a difference in the day-to-day but often go unnoticed in traditional HR processes.
But there’s one more step: When we combine this network analysis with business indicators such as performance, innovation, or retention, that’s when we truly gain a complete view.
It’s not just about seeing “who talks to whom,” but about understanding who really impacts the results and the culture of the organization.
With this combination, we can:
- Visualize the informal structures that truly support internal processes.
- Identify natural leaders and key employees who can be developed or recognized.
- Detect invisible risks: people in critical roles whose departure could create a gap that is hard to fill.
- Make data-driven decisions without losing the human touch that defines HR.
Organizational Network Analysis is not just for technical teams or data experts. It’s an easy-to-interpret tool that, with the right guidance, can become a powerful ally for any HR professional who wants to better understand their organization and make decisions that are fairer, more human, and more aligned with business objectives.
If you’re interested in learning more or would like to see practical examples, contact us and we’ll explain how, in a simple and quick way, you can carry out this type of analysis in your company.
