HR Performance Metrics
Human resources (HR) metrics are defined as the operational measures that help assess the impacts of HR practices to the company. The importance of HR metrics is they influence the power of data to help human resources leaders make decisions that spearhead better outcomes for their firms and their employees. The parameters also make it possible for HR executives to keep track of certain aspects and develop a prediction of the future. HR metrics vary, dependent on the characteristics of the delivery metrics, HR measurement, and people metrics. This essay outlines the usefulness of HR metrics, as presented in three different magazine articles.
The first article focuses on HR metrics derived from the onboarding process. According to Dávila and Piña-Ramírez (2018), data collection processes should start before the onboarding program begins. Not only does the data help in the creation of solid baselines, but it also makes it possible for HRs to identify the patterns in the very results. These measurements on onboarding processes help explain the current and future inputs for the programs, as the data offers the decision-makers the opportunity to deduce the actual implications of the program to the overall business performance (Dávila & Piña-Ramírez, 2018). The authors suggest that companies that lack specific onboarding metrics will most likely fail to recognize the effectiveness of the program. Moreover, the results garnered from the onboarding process indicate the areas of the program that will require improvement. HRs who keep track of onboarding is able to assess whether the company is experiencing unexpected positive or negative results.
I agree with Dávila and Piña-Ramírez that keeping track of the onboarding data is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of the program. For instance, HR executives in a company can track the number of new recruits who do not meet or those who exceeded the expected performance standards in comparison to another phase or year. After realizing a particular trend, the HR officials should analyze a sample of the relevant employees to get responses as to where the program failed or succeeded.
The second article was authored by Feffer in the HR magazine. The author suggests the ways in which HR officers can combine various performance metrics with the broader organizational data to solve problems. Feffer (2017) suggests that HR metrics help in measuring the excellence of the HR function as well as how the company is taking advantage of the human capital to maximize the firm’s performance. HR metrics promote talent analytics because they describe what is going on in the company. HR metrics help troubleshoot the areas that need improving and the right type of data to evaluate. For instance, if the objective HR is to assist employees in staying in their job, he or she should be focusing on attrition and turnover. Moreover, the data helps human resources to further investigate meaning by asking themselves questions pertinent to the situation.
I agree with Feffer (2017) that the preliminary data from HR metrics are essential for the framing of the relevant questions. For instance, when employee performance is below the expected standard, the HR might ask “Are the results similar to those of other departments?” “Do the employees receive adequate training?” and “Who is in charge of the training program?”
The third article is by Leonardi and Contractor and was published by the Harvard Business Review magazine in 2018. The authors explore the dynamics of better people analytics. Leonardi and Contractor observe that some HR functions in diverse settings, might have the correct data, but often they fear that the management could use the information to fire people. However, HR metrics in programs such as Project Oxygen at Google got the help of the company’s best managers to offer training sessions for low performers (Leonardi & Contractor, 2018). This case shows that HR metrics can help improve areas with low performance, rather than punish the individuals.
I agree with Leonardi and Contractor that HR metrics are necessary for identifying and improving areas with low performance. More so, the authors highlight that the best way to make use of the data analysis process is by evaluating the interconnection between people, rather than focus on individuals (Leonardi & Contractor, 2018). Relational analytics helps companies identify how certain individuals are important to the organization as they create links with other departments as well as suppliers. This knowledge help HR functions in determining which employees cannot be dismissed. It also assists them in planning ahead by training back-up employees in case the employees leave the company.
In conclusion, HR metrics are important for companies. They not only indicate the numbers on a certain aspect such as job turnover but also act as a blueprint for initiating change processes. The HR metrics show the performance of individual employees as well as that between people from across various departments within the company. The information deduced from HR data is useful in determining the company’s plan of action relative to a particular work challenge. Managers should also make sound judgments relative to an employee’s analytical data. That is, they should investigate the reasons leading to the numbers collected by the HR function.