Top 10 Onboarding and Training HR KPIs

Recruitment is no longer just about filling vacancies – it’s about ensuring new hires integrate seamlessly, contribute effectively, and remain engaged for the long term. A poorly executed onboarding process can lead to disengagement, high turnover, and productivity loss, ultimately impacting the organisation’s bottom line.

This is why data-driven recruitment strategies are crucial. By leveraging HR Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), organisations can measure, analyse, and continuously improve their onboarding and training processes.

What Are HR KPIs and Why Do They Matter?

HR Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable metrics that assess how well HR functions are performing. Specifically, in recruitment and onboarding, KPIs provide insights into new hire success, training efficiency, and long-term retention.

Tracking the right HR analytics allows businesses to:

• Enhance workforce planning by predicting onboarding success rates.
• Boost employee retention by identifying risk factors leading to early attrition.
• Improve productivity by ensuring new hires acquire the skills needed to contribute effectively.
• Refine hiring strategies by evaluating the effectiveness of recruiters, hiring managers, and trainers.
• Justify HR investments by measuring the ROI of onboarding and training programs.

By implementing the right HR KPIs, companies can shift from reactive hiring to proactive talent management, making smarter decisions that benefit both the organisation and its employees.

The Top 10 Onboarding and Training HR KPIs You Need to Track

To build a high-performing workforce, here are the 10 most critical HR KPIs for onboarding and training:

1. Time-to-Productivity

• Measures how long it takes a new hire to perform at full capacity.
• Helps HR teams optimise training programs for faster integration.
• Formula: (Date employee reaches full productivity – Start date)

2. New Hire Retention Rate

• Tracks the percentage of employees who remain beyond their probationary period.
• Helps assess the effectiveness of the onboarding experience.
• Formula: (Number of new hires retained / Total new hires) x 100

3. Employee Engagement Score

• Evaluates how involved and motivated new hires feel.
• Typically measured through surveys and pulse checks.
• A strong engagement score correlates with higher performance and lower turnover.

4. Training Completion Rate

• Indicates how many employees successfully complete required training.
• Highlights potential gaps in the onboarding process.
• Formula: (Number of employees who completed training / Total new hires) x 100

5. Onboarding Satisfaction Score

• Captures employee feedback on their onboarding experience.
• A low score may indicate process inefficiencies or gaps in communication.
• Measured through post-onboarding surveys.

6. Manager Satisfaction with New Hires

• Assesses how well new employees meet expectations after onboarding.
• Provides insights into the effectiveness of hiring decisions.
• Typically measured via manager feedback forms.

7. Time-to-Fill Knowledge Gaps

• Evaluates how long it takes for employees to develop key competencies.
• Helps HR teams adjust training programs for quicker upskilling.

8. Cost per Hire (Including Training Costs)

• Breaks down the financial investment required to bring a new hire to full productivity.
• Formula: (Total recruitment & training costs / Number of hires)

9. First-Year Turnover Rate

• Tracks how many employees leave within their first year.
• High turnover may indicate ineffective onboarding or poor cultural fit.
• Formula: (Number of new hires who leave within 12 months / Total new hires) x 100

10. Mentorship Effectiveness Score

• Measures the impact of mentorship programs on new hire success.
• Helps HR refine mentoring strategies to improve integration.

Implementing These KPIs in Your Recruitment Process

Tracking KPIs is only valuable if you take action on the insights they provide. Here’s how you can integrate these HR KPIs into your recruitment and onboarding strategy:

1. Define Success Metrics – Align each KPI with specific business goals.
2. Leverage HR Technology – Use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with built-in analytics to automate tracking.
3. Standardise Onboarding Processes – Ensure all new hires experience a structured and measurable onboarding process.
4. Monitor and Analyse Trends – Look for patterns in data to identify strengths and weaknesses.
5. Take Proactive Action – Adjust training programs, onboarding schedules, or recruitment practices based on data insights.
6. Engage Employees for Feedback – Continuously refine the process through employee input.

Optimise Recruitment with Our ATS Reporting Features

Manually tracking these KPIs can be overwhelming. That’s why our cutting-edge ATS comes equipped with robust reporting and analytics tools to help you:

• Automate KPI tracking for onboarding and training.
• Generate real-time reports to make data-driven decisions.
• Identify hiring and training inefficiencies before they impact retention.
• Enhance employee experience with structured, measurable onboarding plans.

We understand that data is the key to success. With our ATS reporting features, you can transform onboarding from a challenge into a competitive advantage.

Ready to take your recruitment process to the next level? Contact us today to learn more!