Reports and Statistics
The HR dashboard and KPIs for personnel management
We explain the different indicators for the HR dashboard and how to define them depending on the current needs of the department.
Reports and Statistics
We explain the different indicators for the HR dashboard and how to define them depending on the current needs of the department.
Isabel García
HR Consultant
1 of April, 2025
Among the many resources available to a human resources team for managing a company’s human capital, the HR dashboard stands out as one of the most relevant HR reports today. With this tool, HR managers have immediate access to key information, especially when it comes to managing objectives.
HR KPIs are indicators that allow us to evaluate performance from a strategic and general perspective. Each company uses its indicators for the HR dashboard according to its needs, let’s see the most outstanding ones.
This is the part of the HR dashboard where we find the most indicators. Among the most notable are the productivity index, employee satisfaction or commitment to the company. It also allows us to access the talent index, the average number of applications received for each vacancy or the time required to fill a vacancy. Employee retention rate, the success rate of external hiring or the length of the onboarding process are also important management indicators.
They are used to measure the performance of our workers, in addition to monitoring and control tasks. Employee productivity can be measured based on performance, for example the number of customers served, number of sales made or units produced. Another one of the standout productivity indicators is the number of overtime hours worked. Properly contextualized, they may reveal structural problems in the company -lack of manpower-, underperformance or poor process management.
Based on the investment made in training, the development of courses, programs and seminars or the detection of needs, we can develop these indicators. The level of training of our staff is the best example, but there are more: how many programs or courses have been offered, how many workers have participated in the company’s training processes, the number of training days per year… If you want a updated and competitive staff, the company must promote training among its employees.
Internal communication is a key issue for the success of the company. Among the HR indicators that we can introduce in our dashboard, the number of complaints and suggestions submitted by the staff stands out. We can also include the percentage of workers who submit their proposals, the quality of the response systems we have or the clarity of messages, both from top management and directors. The results of work climate or internal surveys also play an important role.
This is a basic in the HR dashboard. Attending work is essential for good performance, and absenteeism is one of the most significant burdens any organization must face. The fundamental information of this indicator refers to the number of leaves, number of annual leave days, reason for leaves or absenteeism index. To deepen and try to put an end to the problem, we can separate this information by the employee’s professional category, age range or even whether they are male or female.
Although at first glance finances may seem detached from the HR team, there is always a relationship between the two fields. That’s why, among the HR indicators in our dashboard, we find monetary ones. These include the workforce’s salary cost, the cost of each hiring or dismissal. It’s also important to consider the cost of work accidents -here a connection can be made with absences for this reason- or the cost of employee turnover.
Before starting to add indicators to your HR dashboard, keep in mind that they must be valid in the medium and long term. Only then can we analyze its evolution or make the corresponding forecasts for the future. There are four key elements that we cannot overlook: what we are going to measure, the goal, the source and the frequency. Thus, we know whether the different objectives are met or not. For them to be effective, HR KPIs must be smart:
Once the indicators are established, you just need to add them to the HR dashboard you are working with. Having HR software like Sesame HR, capable of providing data and reports related to all the different human resources indicators, is always a plus. Remember that with these KPIs you can not only analyze the state of the company, but also compare them with those of the competition, especially in key areas such as compensation or the time needed to fill vacancies.