Key HR Metrics to Evaluate for Building a Sustainable Business

“Everything that is measured can be managed and improved”– Peter Drucker 

The human resource department plays an important role in monitoring employee performance and measuring organizational productivity. There are several metrics that can be used to track the effectiveness of a company’s key resource—the employees. These HR metrics help organizations build a productive, profitable, and diverse work environment. This article will help you understand what HR metrics are, their importance in an organization, and some key metrics you must evaluate for your business.

What Are HR Metrics?

HR metrics or people metrics are data points that help businesses in analyzing workforce efficiency and measuring the effectiveness of human resources. Businesses today understand that organizational success is dependent upon the performance of their employees, and HR metrics ensure that their employees are performing to the best of their capabilities. These metrics and analytics also ensure that other HR functions like payroll, timesheet management, attendance, etc., are operating smoothly. 

Why Do HR Metrics Matter?

PwC HR Technology Survey shows that 58% of businesses use HR metrics and analytics to find, attract and retain talent. Organizations with HR metrics make better data-backed choices, be it for hiring an employee, analyzing the training needs, or ensuring that employees make the best of training opportunities. 

HR metrics help organizations collate relevant data and shape strategies to boost morale and ensure retention and engagement. Without HR metrics and analytics, the HR department and its strategies would not succeed. Data from HR metrics is important for every organization as it leads to insights, which further leads to action.

HR Metrics That Matter

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The data from these HR metrics can help you manage the workforce and improve their performance through strategic decision-making.

Recruitment

Be it for optimizing recruitment costs or encouraging a diverse set of employees within the organization, these metrics play a critical role for all businesses.

• Time to hire: The time a candidate takes to accept the position you’ve offered them is a key metric that every HR should track. This can also help you set up a timeframe for filling any open positions in your organization. 
• Cost per hire: Hiring new employees is a key function of the HR department. The expense incurred in searching, interviewing, and eventually hiring a candidate is known as the cost per hire. 
• Quality of hire: This determines the time a new employee takes to deliver quality output. Based on the employee’s success in their role and day-to-day performance, this can be measured quarterly for a year.
• Demographics: This data offers a detailed insight into the employees’ age, experience, educational qualification, service, etc, and helps the HR department maintain diversity.

Training and Development

Training and development is another vital part of HR operations; it ensures that your employees are regularly advancing their knowledge and skills. Tracking these metrics can help you develop a competent L&D strategy. 

• Training cost per employee: This can be measured as a cost spent for a specific training or the total cost of all training conducted in a particular year. This can help in optimizing the training performance of your employees. 
• Training return on investment (ROI): The data can be utilized to track the training effectiveness with regular assessments. The ROI tracking of every training is not required. However, tracking these key HR metrics will give you the most impactful training programs.
• Training experience satisfaction: This helps track employees’ satisfaction with the training they have received, and can help measure their performance level post-training.  

You can also implement a Learning Management System (LMS) to better streamline your learning and development initiatives as it offers progress tracking for a variety of metrics. 

Engagement and Retention

These metrics help organizations keep a tab on the most difficult aspect of running a business – keeping the team together and building the organization’s work culture. 

• Employee satisfaction: Employee engagement and satisfaction are intertwined and measured through similar metrics. Satisfied employees showcase a high productivity rate, and recommend the company to others. Whereas, dissatisfied employees showcase low morale, productivity rate, and engagement. 
• Turnover rate: The lower the turnover rate, the better it is for your organization, as the cost of employee retention is always lower than the cost of hiring and training new employees.
• Retention rate: Retaining employees cuts down hiring and onboarding costs. It also improves productivity, engagement, and the organization’s work culture. 
• Employee engagement: This measures the employee’s dedication to work and their overall connection to the organization. It is one of the most important HR metrics; engagement rate can make or break the core of your organization. 

Time Tracking

These metrics help enhance work efficiency and can be an early indicator of team morale within the organization. 

• Absence rate: Tracking the absence rate is essential for tracking a team’s productivity. It also helps analyze any problematic absence patterns. For instance, a high absence rate can indicate low morale, leading to a disrupted workflow and decreased productivity.
• Overtime hours: This tracks the extra time employees spend after work hours, which can signify inefficiency or a shortage of employees. Overtime is an HR metrics example that can be corrected by improving time management techniques.

Employee Performance Metrics

Employee performance metrics not only quantify the performance of your employees but also provide the entire team with a clear direction.

• Revenue per employee: This metric helps divide the company’s total revenue against employees working. It gives an insight into the performance of an employee in relation to the overall performance of the company.
• Employee efficiency: An efficient employee maximizes productivity with minimum cost and effort. Team assessments can measure individual efficiency, providing an insight into an employee’s ability to do their job role. 
• Individual goals: Employees’ performance can be tracked by measuring whether they are achieving their work goals. As the management, you will have a complete overview of where your employees are excelling and where they need training and guidance.

Tracking HR Metrics That Impact Your Business Performance

We have already discussed the various HR metrics that need to be regularly measured. However, it is imperative to understand how to use the metrics data to make well-informed decisions that align with your corporate strategy.

1. Track What Aligns With Business Objectives

HR metrics should be incorporated in such a way that it aligns with the overall business objectives. HR metrics and analytics should help you improve the organizational challenges you face. There are plenty of metrics to consider; select the ones most meaningful for your strategy. 

2. Relevant Stakeholders Should Get The Required Information 

Only when leaders get the specific information they require can they make better business decisions. Even though most of the metrics are HR-related, the other departments need to be made aware so as to help them streamline their processes better to meet the company’s overall objective.

3. HR Metrics Should Go Hand-in-Hand With Business Metrics

The key HR metrics are only a part of the organization’s business strategy. The leadership team needs to understand how HR’s decisions impact overall business goals. Connect the data to explain how the numbers and information relate. The relationships between your data and work processes are critical to the success of your company.

4. Be Inquisitive

When the results of the HR metrics show a particular pattern, the managers and decision-makers must analyze why. 

Why did an increase in salary impact productivity? Why is attrition high? Why is attrition high among a particular age group? Asking “why” will not only help the management figure out the areas of concern but also help understand what is working well. This will enable them to make analytics-backed strategies.

Conclusion

Measuring the HR metrics is essential to the success of any organization. These HR metrics often provide insights that guide the various departments to redesign priorities, HR strategy, team collaboration, and more. To ensure a better workplace experience and high retention of employees, measuring HR metrics and analytics should be your priority. If you’re looking for a single, powerful platform that not only helps with recruiting the best talent but also provides the right insights, check out Auzmor Hire. 

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