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What Are KPIs?

KPIs (key performance indicators) are the few measures chosen to track progress toward what matters most.

An educational definition from the HR glossary. Explore related terms below, or jump into the resource center to go deeper.

Definition

KPIs (key performance indicators) are the few measures chosen to track progress toward what matters most.

Why it matters

A focused set drives attention; too many dilute it.

Examples

Illustrative example. Time to fill and offer acceptance could be hiring KPIs.

For the practical detail behind this term, follow the related metric, template and resources below.

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For informational purposes only. This is an educational, plain-language definition — not legal, tax, financial or compliance advice and not an official definition. Terms and obligations vary by organisation and jurisdiction. Numeric examples are simple, placeholder-based illustrations, not data. Confirm specifics with qualified professionals.
Related concepts

Related glossary terms

Keep exploring the HR vocabulary.

Glossary

HR KPI

An HR KPI (key performance indicator) is a small set of HR measures chosen because they matter most for goals and decisions.

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OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)

OKRs (objectives and key results) are a goal-setting structure pairing an objective with measurable key results.

Open Glossary

HR Metrics

HR metrics are the measures used to quantify workforce and hiring — turnover, retention, time to hire, cost per hire and more.

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Measure it

Related metrics & calculators

HR metric

Workforce Planning Metrics

Workforce planning metrics measure how well your actual workforce is tracking against the plan: the roles you intended to have, when, and how reality compares.

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HR metrics hub

How HR measures are defined and read.

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Put it into practice

Related templates

Template

Goal-Setting Template

Goals only work when they are specific and tracked.

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Go deeper

Related resources

The clusters that put this concept into practice.

Lifecycle

Employee lifecycle

The full employee journey, stage by stage.

Open Operations

Employer operations

Run the workforce as a repeatable system.

Open Planning

Workforce planning

Strategy and organizational design.

Open Compliance

HR compliance

Documentation, records, data and policy.

Open Templates

HR templates

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Open Playbooks

HR playbooks

Step-by-step plays for people processes.

Open Technology

HR technology

Automation, analytics and systems.

Open Funnel

Recruitment funnel

Sourcing through to accepted offer.

Open Reporting

HR reporting & dashboards

Turn people data into clear views.

Open AI for HR

AI for HR

Where AI assists HR, responsibly.

Open Resource center

HR resource center

The central map of every cluster.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)?

KPIs (key performance indicators) are the few measures chosen to track progress toward what matters most.

Why does KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) matter?

A focused set drives attention; too many dilute it.

How is KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) measured?

It connects to the HR metric linked on this page, where you can find the formula and how to read it. This glossary entry is an educational definition, not a data source.