Accountability in HR: How Do We Measure What Truly Matters?

?? The Challenge: Measuring Impact in HR is Complicated

In the HR profession, one of the most frustrating realities is that it's often difficult to measure outcomes accurately. Even when HR leaders contribute to supporting business objectives, the true impact can be challenging to quantify. Imagine hiring top-notch salespeople who have a history of success and bringing them onboard just in time to meet revenue goals. But if the company’s product has flaws or the implementation process falters, these stellar hires may still miss their numbers, despite HR's best efforts.

Conversely, sometimes average or even mediocre hires can look like superstars when external conditions are favorable. Think back to the Y2K era when everyone seemed to be hitting their targets effortlessly, or the initial boom during the pandemic when certain industries thrived. When the tide inevitably turned, however, many businesses struggled because their foundation wasn’t sound to begin with.

In scenarios like these, how does HR take credit—or get blamed—for the outcomes? The lack of clear, consistent performance metrics for HR initiatives makes it nearly impossible to gauge our true impact. The reality is that the complexity of linking people analytics to profitability or business success can feel like a leap of faith. This complexity often discourages HR leaders from signing up for accountability. Yet, it’s precisely where we need to focus.

?? Focusing on What We Can Control

Here’s where we need to change the conversation: instead of getting lost in things beyond our control, we’ve got to zero in on performance indicators that we can directly influence in the human capital and talent space.

1?? Talent Acquisition: A Prime Example

Let’s use talent acquisition as a great example that most of us can relate to, whether we're in HR or not. For as long as I’ve been paying attention to this, around 80-85% of candidates out there are what we call "passive." They’re not actively looking for a job—they might be curious or unhappy in their current role but aren’t actively seeking something new. This means that if we stick to the old "post and pray" method, we’re only engaging with about 15% of the available talent pool.

Now, when we're talking about mission-critical roles that we need to fill repeatedly, it’s just not sustainable to keep throwing money at search firms and paying 30% fees. These positions are too important to rely on outsiders. That’s why we need to make proactive sourcing and internal headhunting a core competency within our organization.

Think about it: if you build an internal team that’s designed to go after those passive candidates, you’re taking control of your talent pipeline. You learn that to generate a slate of three top candidates, you might have to start with 100 initial names, reach out to 300 contacts, and work those numbers down through multiple stages. It’s a more hands-on approach, but it’s also a lot more sustainable and measurable.

And here's where it gets really interesting: when you start tracking every step—response rates, conversion rates, submittal ratios—you can coach your recruiters in real-time and make improvements that actually stick. Let’s say one recruiter’s submittal rate is only 25% when it should be 75%. That’s a coaching opportunity right there. Or if their offer acceptance rate is way below the target, it’s a chance to dive into their closing skills.

2?? Simplifying the Accountability Journey for HR Leaders

Accountability can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With today's technology, dashboards and data visualization tools can make tracking performance metrics much simpler. When you have clarity on these metrics, you can provide your team with clear direction, coach them effectively, and empower them to take ownership of their results.

Imagine sitting down with a recruiter and discussing their performance with concrete data points in front of you. These numbers don’t just make your recruiters better—they make you a more effective leader.

My Challenge to You: Focus on Controlling What You Can Measure

If we, as HR leaders, commit to measuring what we can control and holding ourselves accountable for these metrics, we’ll transform how we’re perceived within our organizations. We’ll be seen not just as supporters of the business but as drivers of business performance.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the types of performance indicators you find most valuable in other centers of excellence within HR. Let’s continue the conversation and find ways to help CHROs drive measurable business impact by controlling what we can.

Here’s to helping CHROs lead the charge in driving better outcomes through accountability and simplified metrics!

Be well,

Cindy Lu

Join The ?CHRO Re-Branding Movement

www.CHROPARTNERS.com

?

P.S. If you're a CHRO at a company with over 500 employees and would like to learn more about our CHRO Mastermind Group, feel free to book a time with me to chat! The best part? All Mastermind members receive a free ticket to one BigHR Event each year.

Book a time with me here.

?