Big data is transforming the way employers hire and fire

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 15: People work at computers in TechHub, an office space for technology start-up entrepreneurs, near the Old Street roundabout in Shoreditch which has been dubbed 'Silicon Roundabout' due to the number of technology companies operating from the area on March 15, 2011 in London, England. Entrepreneurs using TechHub are predominantly product-oriented tech companies who rent desk space and use the fast wifi. The relatively low rental rates and proximity to media and internet companies has made the area close to the roundabout a prime location for IT firms and web entrepreneurs. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Some companies are using a new emerging trend called "People Analytics," gathering all sorts of data information to hire, assess, and maybe even fire workers

This time of year around most offices, things are usually pretty tame. The holidays are here, maybe you're slowing down your productivity because you're thinking about the holiday vacation. Maybe you're spending a little time doing some shopping online?

But after this next conversation, might not feel so comfortable wasting time online. Some companies are using a new emerging trend called "People Analytics," gathering all sorts of data information to hire, assess, and maybe even fire workers

Don Peck, deputy editor of The Atlantic magazine, wrote about this new trend in this month's issue. If you're not already worried, the title of his piece might do the trick: "They're Watching You at Work."