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24 Excellent HR OKR Examples to set your team up for success!

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24 Hr Okr Examples

With a tumultuous job market and rapidly changing employee expectations, HR teams are overwhelmed by the sheer quantum of strategic initiatives that must execute along with the daily operational activities. 

HR professionals can lose focus without a clear understanding of the goals and an ability to measure progress continuously. A modern approach to managing this is using OKRs- Objectives and Key Results.

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Let’s delve into what HR OKRs mean, how to create OKRs, and see OKR examples of every HR function:

What are HR OKRs?

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are components of a robust goal-setting framework that allows tracking performance measurably. 

Hr Okr Meaning
24 Excellent HR OKR Examples to set your team up for success! 1

The Objectives (O) define what you want to achieve. These are aspirational, qualitative goals. In the context of the Human Resources (HR) function, these objectives would relate to improving the various HR aspects across the employee lifecycle, such as recruitment, training, payroll, engagement, and more.  

Each objective has multiple Key Results (KRs), which are measurable business outcomes to track your progress towards your objective. Each KR contains a metric and a target value to be achieved for that metric within a specific timeframe. 

Setting OKRs helps you to define the HR initiatives, projects, or tasks that would help attain the key results.

Per Gartner’s research, a combination of factors such as digital transformation, remote teams, adoption of agile methods, and availability of OKR software is driving the adoption of the OKR framework across organisations.

How To Write HR OKRs?

OKRs must be in alignment with the overall strategic objectives of your organisation. The organisational level goals must cascade down to each department and sub-department in the form of OKRs.

The following are some crucial points for formulating OKRs for your HR department.

  • The key results (KRs) must be specific and measurable in objective terms.  
  • Each OKR must be time-bound. Typically, the timeframe for an excellent HR OKR is three months. 

A Deloitte study shows that high-performing organisations are 3.1 times more likely to update goals at least quarterly.

  • Each objective must have a reasonable number of critical results. Typically, 2 to 5 key results per objective are optimum. Having more than five keys results in a loss of focus.
  • The visibility of each KR should be clearly defined. For example, vital strategic results can be visible across the organisation to ensure transparency.
  • Some organisations assign a weighted value to each critical development to determine the priority among the key results.

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HR OKR Examples

Below are some HR OKR examples covering different facets of the HR function. For the sake of simplicity, the period and visibility for each KR are not mentioned separately in the examples, as these parameters are organisation-specific. 

You can think of these as quarterly OKR examples.

#1. OKR Examples for Employee Engagement

Objective 1Improve Employee Retention
Key Result 1Reduce voluntary attrition rate by 5%
Key Result 2Improve average employee satisfaction survey score to 8+
Key Result 3Increase the average length of employment by 5%
Key Result 4Develop career progression paths for 80% of employees
Objective 2Boost Employee Engagement
Key Result 1Conduct 2 team building events every month with 80%+ attendance
Key Result 2Boost survey response rate on employee satisfaction to 70%+
Key Result 3Decrease non-health-related absenteeism by 10%
Key Result 4Improve participation in peer recognition program by 20%
Objective 3Improve the effectiveness of the rewards and recognition program
Key Result 1Improve coverage of the rewards program by 20%
Key Result 2Ensure 2 weekly emails recognising top performers or project successes
Key Result 3Create a feasibility report of a monthly reward program based on manager recommendations

#2. OKR Examples for Performance Management

Objective 4Improve performance review process
Key Result 1Conduct an employee survey on how the performance review process can be improved, and ensure a 75%+ response rate
Key Result 2Prepare feasibility report about shortening performance review cycle from annual to quarterly
Key Result 3Achieve a 100% completion rate for performance reviews within the deadline
Objective 5Train managers for better performance management
Key Result 1Conduct two monthly training workshops with employees (managers and above) to train about performance review best practices
Key Result 2Ensure an average score of 75%+ in the post-workshop quiz

#3. OKR Examples for Recruitment

Objective 6Decrease average time to fill vacancies
Key Result 1Decrease resume screening time taken by 50% using automation
Key Result 2Decrease the average number of interview rounds per selected candidate to less than 4
Key Result 3Increase offer acceptance ratio to 80%+
Key Result 4Decrease mid-recruitment candidate drop-off rate by 50%
Objective 7Improve recruitment marketing reach
Key Result 1Increase job posting views by 40%
Key Result 2Increase attendance in job fairs by 20% every month
Key Result 3Add 5 new universities for conducting recruitment programs
Objective 8Improve Employer Branding
Key Result 1Improve Glassdoor.com rating to 4+
Key Result 2Increase employer branding video views on social media by 30%
Key Result 3Post-bi-weekly employee testimonials on the  LinkedIn page

#4. OKR Examples for Training

Objective 9Improve the effectiveness of online training modules
Key Result 1Ensure an average 90%+ pass rate for the end-of-training quizzes
Key Result 2Increase average training feedback survey score to 8+
Key Result 3Get 50% online training content reviewed by internal subject matter experts and record feedback
Key Result 4Integrate 3 third-party certification exams into online training paths
Objective 10Increase the adoption of learning and development programs
Key Result 1Increase average enrolment rate by 20%
Key Result 2Make 50%+ training courses accessible on mobile devices
Key Result 3Conduct two programs with 50%+ attendance every month to inform managers about internal training resources
Key Result 4Conduct one internal survey to know about training requirements with a response rate of 50%+

#5. OKR Examples for the Onboarding process

Objective 11Increase new hire satisfaction
Key Result 1Improve the average orientation feedback survey score to 8+
Key Result 2Complete new hire documentation and compliance for 80% + recruits within 3 days of joining
Key Result 3Arrange a one-on-one introductory meeting with the manager for 80%+ recruits within 7 days of joining
Key Result 4Improve the average feedback score for onboarding training modules to 8+
Objective 12Decrease the timeline from hiring to productivity
Key Result 1Improve the completion rate for new-hire online training modules within two weeks from joining to 90%
Key Result 2Improve the speed of assigning new hires to their first project within three weeks of joining to 90%
Key Result 3Arrange a goal-setting meeting with the manager for 100% recruits within 1 month of joining
Key Result 4Increase trainer-to-hire ratio to 1:10 for live training workshops for new-hires

#6. Company Culture OKR Examples

Objective 13Promote a healthy company culture
Key Result 1Launch a monthly Town Hall with Open Q&A by the CEO and VPs
Key Result 2Improve the company’s net promoter score (NPS) to 8+ among employees
Key Result 3Improve average employee happiness score in pulse surveys to 7+
Key Result 4Conduct weekly experiential workshops about company culture to cover 25% of total employees in a quarter
Objective 14Promote employee well-being
Key Result 1Conduct two monthly mental-wellness workshops for 20 employees at a time
Key Result 2Conduct two monthly all-hands meetings with motivational speakers
Key Result 3Send two monthly emails explaining counselling facilities available for employees

#7. OKR Examples for Payroll

Objective 15Improve the accuracy of payroll processing
Key Result 1Decrease the number of payroll error-related complaints by 20%
Key Result 2Automate generation of digital salary slips for 100% of employees
Key Result 3Reduce time spent in resolving payroll errors by 50%
Key Result 4Decrease the monthly number of retrospective payments by 80%
Objective 16Ensure timely payroll processing
Key Result 1Improve the percentage of employees submitting investment proof documents within the deadline to 90%+
Key Result 2Ensure the bank account details and CTC structures of 100% of new hires are updated in the payroll system within 3 days of joining
Key Result 3Reduce the time to collate leave data and overtime data by 50%
Key Result 4Reduce the number of payments processed outside the regular payment cycle to less than 5%

#8. OKR Examples for Compensation and Benefits

Objective 17Increase awareness about non-financial benefits
Key Result 1Send weekly email reminders of how employees can avail company benefits
Key Result 2Increase enrolment in the company fitness program by 20%
Key Result 3Increase enrolment of dependant family members in employee health insurance policies by 20%
Key Result 4Create an online training module for new hires about non-financial benefit offerings
Objective 18Increase salary competitiveness
Key Result 1Conduct research about manager-level salaries of Top 5 competitors
Key Result 2Prepare a feasibility report for issuing ESOPs to top 5% performers
Key Result 3Improve employee satisfaction score for compensation to 8+
Key Result 4Improve salary competitiveness ratio to 1.2 for top 20% performers

#9. OKR Examples for HR Compliance

Objective 19Increase compliance-readiness of the HR Team members
Key Result 1Ensure compliance training completion for 100% of members of the HR department
Key Result 2Improve average score in HR compliance quiz to 75%
Key Result 3Resolve 90% of HR compliance-related complaints within 3 days
Key Result 4Complete internal quarterly audit of the HR department
Objective 20Ensure 100% tax compliance in payroll processing
Key Result 1Completely automate tax calculations related to salary using HR software
Key Result 2Ensure 100% on-time quarterly TDS return filing
Key Result 3Perform audit of salary tax calculations of last 3 months
Key Result 4Ensure digitally signed Form 16 is sent to 100% of employees 30 days before the tax filing deadline

#10. OKR Examples for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)

Objective 21Create a genuinely diverse workforce
Key Result 1Enrol two new diversity-oriented associations or educational institutes in recruitment programs
Key Result 2Ensure 100% of recruiters complete DE&I training modules before conducting interviews
Key Result 3Increase diversity index for leadership levels (above senior managers) by 30%
Key Result 4Ensure 100% adherence to DE&I quotas in recruitment
Objective 22Create an inclusive organization
Key Result 1Create 2 new Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for underrepresented communities
Key Result 2Ensure completion of DE&I training for all new hires within 3 weeks of joining
Key Result 3Ensure investigation of all DE&I-related complaints within 2 days of raising the complaint
Key Result 4Decrease the width of pay bands at each level by 50%

#11. OKRs for Talent Management 

Objective 23Reduce Leadership Talent risk
Key Result 1Enrol 10 new candidates (senior manager and above) in the leadership development program
Key Result 2Create a succession planning report covering at least 70% of managers
Key Result 3Reduce attrition at the top management level (senior manager and above) by 5%
Objective 24Implement an internship program to build a talent pipeline
Key Result 1Recruit 5 paid interns for 3-month internships across functions
Key Result 2Design two online training courses for interns
Key Result 3Create an evaluation framework and an offer policy for interns based on manager recommendations

Closing Words

As per Mckinsey’s research, an agile transformation can increase employee engagement by 20 to 30% and improve operational performance metrics by 30 to 50%.

OKRs are crucial to HR agility. An agile transformation requires enhanced visibility and understanding of objectives, direct ownership, and real-time accountability. It is precisely what OKRs enable. 

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Sukriti Saini

Sukriti Saini works as a content marketing strategist at HROne. She has done Bachelors in Journalism from Delhi University and carries several years of experience in content development. HR trends, Productivity, Performance and topics related to Employee Engagement garner most of her writing interest here. During leisure, she loves to write and talk about fashion, food & life.

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