Home >> Metrics >> Developing Insights from Metrics

Metrics measure effective performance in key program or function areas. While the strategic goals are being developed, key measurement areas are identified that report on the extent to which a goal has been achieved. As a result, metrics must be tightly related to the business goals of the agency. Consequently, the overall number of metrics must be kept to the few high impact metrics that tell the story of whether the agency's goals have been achieved.

HR credibility issues

There are several challenges for HR in this transition:

• Reliability of service (response time) establishes the connection to HR service delivery problems.
• Output quality resulting from poor quality data resident in current systems. Newer technology must be applied to ensure data integrity.
• HR staff quality must be examined as a critical success factor in metrics implementation.
• Manager reporting of HR effectiveness indicates the quality of the relationship between HR and the operational managers.
• HR strategic planning must be derived from the overall strategic planning process. This is the way to link HR results to the operational managers' business goals.
• The cultures within the organization must be harmonized so that the operational managers are working together with each other and with HR.

The HR function can add value to the organization only if it captures its performance in terms that are relevant to the business. The core team driving the metrics effort therefore needs to view the metrics implementation as a change process and apply the appropriate change models.