KPIs for HR Managers and People Teams
These are the KPIs an HR manager or people team tracks for hiring, retention and workforce cost. Headcount timing and the definition of a leaver change most of these figures.
The KPIs to track
Employee turnover rate is the percentage of employees who leave the organisation during a period.
Formula and SQL query on the Employee Turnover Rate page.
Employee retention rate is the percentage of employees who stay with the company over a period.
Formula and SQL query on the Employee Retention Rate page.
Time to hire is the number of days from a candidate entering the hiring process to accepting an offer.
Formula and SQL query on the Time to Hire page.
Cost per hire is the average total cost of recruiting one new employee.
Formula and SQL query on the Cost per Hire page.
Offer acceptance rate is the percentage of job offers that candidates accept.
Formula and SQL query on the Offer Acceptance Rate page.
Absenteeism rate is the percentage of scheduled working days lost to unplanned absence.
Formula and SQL query on the Absenteeism Rate page.
Headcount growth rate is the percentage change in the number of employees between two dates.
Formula and SQL query on the Headcount Growth Rate page.
First-year turnover rate is the share of new hires who leave within their first twelve months.
Formula and SQL query on the First-Year Turnover Rate page.
Where the data usually lives
An HR information system, an applicant tracking system, payroll and attendance records. Employee data is sensitive and should be restricted and aggregated.
Measurement mistakes to avoid
- Whether contractors and part-timers count as headcount changes every rate; decide once.
- Voluntary and involuntary exits tell different stories; split them where possible.
- Small teams give volatile percentages; show the counts beside them.
Questions to ask your data
You can type these as plain questions. SchemaChat turns each one into SQL against your connected database or uploaded file, runs it, and shows the SQL and the figures it used so you can check the answer before you share it. Check that the result matches how your business defines each KPI.
- What is turnover by department over the last 12 months?
- How long does it take to fill roles by team?
- What share of new hires left within a year?
- How has headcount changed by location?