HR and People teams often get goals that are really projects: "launch the new review process." Better OKRs name what changes for employees and managers. Here are three examples with the work behind each.
How to read these examples
Each OKR has an objective in plain words, key results with a start and a target, and the first tasks. The numbers are examples. Measure your own starting point before you set a target.
Example 1: We hire good people faster
Objective: We hire good people faster.
Key results by the end of the quarter:
- Days from job post to accepted offer, from 52 to 35
- Offer acceptance rate, from 70% to 85%
First tasks:
- Write a clear job description template with pay ranges
- Cut the interview process from five steps to three
- Send every candidate an update within two business days
Example 2: New hires are productive sooner
Objective: New hires are productive sooner.
Key results by the end of the quarter:
- New hires who finish their first real project in 30 days, from 40% to 75%
- New-hire 90-day survey score, from 3.6 to 4.3 out of 5
First tasks:
- Give each new hire a first-week task with a clear brief
- Set weekly one-on-ones for the first 90 days
- Run a 30-day check-in using delivered work, not impressions
Example 3: Reviews are based on work, not memory
Objective: Reviews are based on work, not memory.
Key results by the end of the quarter:
- Reviews that cite at least three pieces of real work, from 20% to 80%
- Employees who say their review was fair, from 61% to 80%
First tasks:
- Train managers on writing reviews from delivered work
- Ask everyone to keep an accomplishments log
- Add a calibration session before reviews are shared
Mistakes to avoid
- Surveys as the only measure. Survey scores move slowly. Add a KR you can see sooner, like time to first project.
- Owning what managers control. HR can design the review process. Managers run it. Make the KR shared, or pick one HR controls.
- Setting and forgetting. Check each key result every week, in five minutes, with a goal check-in.
Write your own
Describe what your people team wants to change and any numbers you know. The OKR generator drafts an objective and key results you can edit.
Connect the goal to the work
People goals are easy to lose in the day-to-day of hiring and admin. Link each project to its key result, and the team can see at mid-quarter whether onboarding work is really changing the 30-day number. M-Tracker links tasks and projects to objectives and key results, so you can see each week how much of the team's time goes to the goal. No screenshots and no activity tracking.
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Questions people ask
How many OKRs should one team have?
One to three objectives, each with two to four key results.
Should OKRs be tied to bonuses?
Most teams keep them separate. Tying them to pay makes people set safe goals.
What if we miss?
Scoring 0.7 on a stretch goal is a good quarter. Look at what you learned, and set the next one.
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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