How to Set SMART HR Goals to Improve Performance

Social Share

HR and its function

In brief, The HR function helps an organization in achieving its business strategy and objectives through the HR professionals and practitioner who work with in it. The HR main goals are to efficiently hire, develop and manage people. Within the company, HR performs a range of important functions. These include hiring, performance management, training, and many other things. According to Storey (1995), HRM is a distinctive approach to employment management that seeks to accomplish competitive advantage through the strategic utilization of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural, and personnel techniques. Thus, different organizations have several methods for achieving their HR goals to improve their bottom line.

It should go without saying that HR decisions have a direct impact on the business objectives of the organization, making it crucial for HR human resource professionals to have the appropriate HR SMART goals.

Smart Goal and HR

HR SMART objectives provide much-needed clarity and alignment. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART) goals are those that are not vague, misguided, or impossible to attain.

To further elaborate on, SMART can be specifically defined as follows:

HR Smart Goals
  • Specific: Properly identify the who, what, where, when, and why of what you want.
  • Measurable: Select criteria to traildevelopment and mark accomplishment.
  • Achievable: Make sure the goal is acceptabletaking into considerationexisting skills and resources.
  • Relevant: The objective matters in the context of the situation.
  • Time-bound: exact timeframe with a clear closing date

Not including goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely, even the most defined and well thought plans can fall through.

HR Smart Goals

Detailed goals might seem remarkable, but they are often ambiguous and challenging to follow and assess. Having a realistic goal, one can envision working toward in their day-to-day endeavors that is more efficient and effective. The SMART goals method creates better aims for HR in the following situations:

Enhancing focus and professional performance

Clear and attainable goals help HR professionals focus on what their priorities and how they progress on it. SMART goal as a tool creates a sense of direction and mindset about what people want to achieve.

Creates accountability

When people are aware of what they want to achieve and can monitor its progress, individual members, and the whole team itself creates and promotes accountability. If people are clear on the target date to meet their goals, the tendency is for them to dedicate their time and effort in order to deliver. Deadline for work is necessary and inevitable.

Leadership buy-in

HR must articulate its impact on the success of organization, through SMART GOAL it can help everyone foresee what success looks like in numbers. HR must show leadership how thing is progressing in tangible results for them to understand its value and importance.

Examples of HR Smart Goals to improve organizational Performance

The following are examples of team and individual HR SMART goals for inspiration, Let’s look at below to know how SMART goals for HR professionals would look like:

HR team Smart Goals Examples

Recruitment and Selection SMART Goals

By the end of Q2, decrease recruiting costs by 20% by improving on current employee engagement and rewards satisfaction. Actively engaged employee through feedback and coaching.

  • Specific: Lower recruitment costs by focusing on how to keep current employees from resigning.
  • Measurable: Target of 20% reduction in overall recruitment costs.
  • Achievable: The target percentage is reasonable, and feedback and observations will reveal the level of employee engagement
  • Relevant: Reducing turnover saves time and unnecessary expenses from the company.
  • Time-bound: By the end of Q2

Smart Goal for recruiters

HR team Individual Goals Examples

HR goals example

SMART goal for establishing better communication at work

I will improve my communication skills in the next month to be more productive at work and sustain a better balance between my work and my private life.

  • Specific: I will support my team feel like they can communicate efficiently and freely since we work virtually.
  • Measurable: I’ll use more apps to communicate with team members to encourage communication and see how often they use them.
  • Achievable: All of us are computer geek and know that communication skills are imperative for a team, so I’d like to improve those skills.
  • Relevant: our work will remain virtual for the future, so we need to get well at communicating completely online with one another.
  • Time-bound: I create group chat to everyone tomorrow morning, and three weeks, I’ll ask everyone’s feedback on how they feel about communicating online

In Summary

Establishing SMART goals is useful both on individual and team levels. They give you a perfect understanding of where you’re headed, how to get there, and monitor the progress you’re getting. SMART goals also provide a strong motivation by laying a clear goal to aim for, and that’s why they assist you and your team achieve better for overall organizational success.

SMART HR Goals

Westford Uni Online offers Executive MBA in HR Management and Analytics(UCAM) and Diploma in Human Resources & Organizational Culture (SQA) that are designed to equip beginners and professionals with the skillset required to smartly function and lead teams through HR. Explore the world of opportunities available to you with Westford Uni Online.

Recent Blogs