Big data has made its way into the modern vernacular. This is no surprise, as 2.5 quintillion bytes of new data are now generated every day. With all that information available, and with a growing number of ways to collect even more of it, employers are starting to imagine how it could be used to better understand their workplaces and improve worker productivity.

One way this is happening is through personal data – an idea pioneered by the Quantified Self movement, a group of tech-savvy consumers who track their sleep patterns, work out routines and even toilet habits. Employers have been inspired by this to learn more about their staff.

The sports world has been one of the first to benefit. Early this year it was announced that basketball players for two NBA Development League teams would be kitted out with tiny sensor discs weighing under an ounce each. These measure a player’s vital signs, recording cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in order to build in-depth data sets and eventually improve tasks such as acceleration, deceleration and jumping.