What are the best practices for designing an HR dashboard that is user-friendly and informative?

1 Define your purpose and audience

Before you start designing your HR dashboard, you need to clarify your purpose and audience. What are the main questions or problems you want to address with your dashboard? Who will use or view your dashboard, and what are their needs and expectations? Depending on your purpose and audience, you may need to create different dashboards for different levels or roles, such as executives, managers, or employees. You may also need to customize your dashboard for different platforms or devices, such as desktop, mobile, or print.

2 Choose the right metrics and data sources

Once you have defined your purpose and audience, you need to select the most relevant and meaningful metrics and data sources for your HR dashboard. You should avoid using too many or too few metrics, and focus on those that are aligned with your HR and business objectives, such as turnover rate, employee satisfaction, or training hours. You should also ensure that your data sources are reliable, accurate, and up-to-date, and that you have access to the necessary tools and systems to collect and analyze them.

3 Use clear and consistent design principles

The design of your HR dashboard should be clear and consistent, so that your users can easily understand and interpret the information. You should use simple and intuitive layouts, colors, fonts, and icons, and avoid cluttering or overcrowding your dashboard with unnecessary elements. You should also use appropriate charts and graphs to visualize your data, such as bar charts, pie charts, or gauges, and label them clearly with titles, legends, and units. You should also provide filters, drill-downs, or tooltips to allow your users to explore the data in more detail or context.

4 Test and refine your dashboard

Before you launch or share your HR dashboard, you should test and refine it to ensure that it meets your purpose and audience's needs. You should solicit feedback from your users and stakeholders, and ask them to rate your dashboard on its usability, functionality, and value. You should also monitor and measure the performance and impact of your dashboard, such as its loading speed, usage frequency, or user satisfaction. You should use the feedback and data to identify and fix any issues or gaps, and to improve your dashboard over time.

5 Update and maintain your dashboard

Finally, you should update and maintain your dashboard regularly to keep it relevant and useful. You should review and refresh your metrics and data sources periodically, and ensure that they reflect the current trends and challenges in your HR operations. You should also review and update your design and features periodically, and ensure that they match the preferences and expectations of your users. You should also communicate and promote your dashboard effectively, and encourage your users to engage with it and provide feedback.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?