Vacant positions cost on average 52,000 euros by vacancy. The Vvacancy period for specialists It is 173 days in Germany, in bottleneck occupations such as geriatric care even 286 days. At the same time expect 49 Percent of Employers A higher fluctuation rate for 2025. These figures show that anyone who still manages today without reliable personnel figures is reacting too late. HR KPIs turn good feeling into measurable management and turn personnel statistics into a strategic tool for better decisions.
Personnel figures create exactly this transparency. They show where bottlenecks arise before projects are endangered. They reveal which recruiting channels are working and where budgets are fizzling out. They warn of fluctuation before know-how is lost. Companies that work with HR indicators make data-based decisions instead of venturing expensive experiments. The key is choosing the right indicators, recording them systematically and consistently translating them into measures.
What are personnel figures and what distinguishes KPI, metric and report?
Personnel figures are measurable variables that quantitatively record personnel-relevant aspects of a company. They form the basis for HR reporting and make it possible to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of personnel measures. But not every key figure is automatically a key performance indicator.
The difference between a key figure, a KPI and a metric
One Kennzahl Is every measurable value in the personnel sector, such as the number of employees or incoming applications. One HR metric Also describes measurable values, but is often used as a synonym for key figure. A KPI On the other hand, it is a strategic indicator that is directly linked to corporate goals and measures their achievement. While the total number of applications is a key figure, it becomes a KPI if you aim to increase the quality of applications from specific channels by 30 percent.
HR Reporting In turn, there is the systematic preparation and communication of these key figures to defined stakeholders. It translates raw data into decision-making bases and makes developments visible over time. Effective HR reporting combines quantitative employee figures with qualitative insights and provides clear recommendations for action.
Typical mistakes when using HR indicators
Many companies record too many personnel figures without a clear purpose. The result: Mountains of data that no one uses. According to studies, 82 Percent of Managers Convinced that HR should have a say in the strategic direction, but only 33 percent see their HR team in a position to do so. The reason is often unclear KPI definitions, a lack of responsibilities and a lack of links with specific measures.
Another mistake: viewing key figures in isolation. The turnover rate alone says little. It is only in combination with employee engagement, overtime rates and vacancy times that a reliable picture emerges. HR KPIs must therefore always be interpreted in context.
Which personnel figures are the right ones? A selection framework in four steps
The selection of suitable HR indicators does not start with the key figure itself, but with your corporate goals. Only when personnel figures contribute to strategic goals do they actually control. The following framework helps with systematic selection.
Step 1: From corporate goal to people goal
Derive a corresponding people goal from each strategic corporate goal. When your company expands into new markets, the people goal is to build qualified teams within defined time frames. If profitability is the focus, the goal could be to increase productivity per FTE while maintaining stable employee satisfaction. This link creates the basis for a reliable HR Strategy.
Step 2: Define leading and lagging KPIs
Select both leading and lagging indicators for each target. Leading KPIs Are early indicators that indicate future developments, such as application quality or engagement scores. Lagging KPIs Measure results that have already occurred, such as turnover rate or time-to-fill. The combination enables proactive management instead of reactive crisis management.
Step 3: Set data sources and definitions
Every HR key figure needs a clear definition and a reliable data source. Define how headcount is measured: deadline or average? Which employee groups belong? Which systems provide the data? HRIS, Project Management Tools and Billing Systems must work together. For example, ZEP integrates time and project data With absences And thus enables reliable utilization and productivity figures.
Step 4: Review rhythm and measures
Determine how often you check which key figures: Recruiting KPIs usually monthly, fluctuation quarterly, strategic development KPIs annually. The logic of measures is decisive: Which deviation triggers which action? Without this connection, HR Reporting remains a data grave.
KPI Cluster 1: Head Count, Capacity, and Productivity
Capacity indicators form the basis of all personnel planning. They show how many resources are available and how effectively they are being used.
Headcount and FTE
Headcount Counts the number of employees, regardless of the amount of employment. FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) converts part-time workers into full-time equivalents and thus enables realistic capacity calculations.
FTE formula:
(sum of all working hours of all employees)/(full-time hours per week × 52 weeks)
A team of 8 full-time and 4 half-time employees is equivalent to 10 FTE. This key figure is essential for workload calculations and project planning.
Utilization and capacity
Die Utilization rate Shows what proportion of available working time can be calculated productively. In service companies, it is a central profitability indicator.
Utilization formula:
(Billable hours/available hours) × 100
A workload of 75 percent means that out of 40 hours per week, 30 hours are directly assigned to projects. The remaining 10 hours are spent on internal tasks, continuing education or idle time. Systems such as ZEP collect this data automatically project and time tracking.
Turnover per employee
The Turnover per FTE Measures value added per full-time equivalent and is an important efficiency indicator.
Formula:
Annual turnover/ FTE
This figure varies significantly by sector. In IT services Typical values are between 100,000 and 180,000 euros per FTE. If this figure falls, this indicates overcapacity, lack of capacity utilization or price pressure.
KPI Cluster 2: Personnel Costs and Efficiency
Personnel cost management is one of the core tasks in personnel controlling. The right key figures show where budgets are being used optimally and where there is potential for optimization.
Personnel cost ratio
Die Personnel cost ratio Sets personnel costs in relation to total turnover.
Formula:
(Total personnel costs/turnover) × 100
In project-oriented service companies, this ratio is often between 50 and 70 percent. If it rises without sales growing proportionally, there is a risk of margin erosion.
Cost of Workforce
This key figure sums up all personnel-related costs: salaries, social security contributions, benefits, recruiting costs, continuing education and infrastructure per employee.
Formula:
Total personnel costs/average head count
A realistic employer factor in Germany is 1.4 to 1.7. This means: For a gross salary of 50,000 euros, there are 20,000 to 35,000 euros in additional employer costs.
Overhead ratio
Die Overhead ratio measures the proportion of costs that are not directly billable.
Formula:
(non-billable personnel costs/ total personnel costs) × 100
In consulting and IT companies, this ratio should be below 30 percent. Higher values indicate inefficient structures or too large support functions.
KPI Cluster 3: Recruiting KPIs
Recruiting indicators measure the efficiency and quality of recruitment. They are particularly relevant during growth phases and when there is a shortage of skilled workers.
Time-to-hire and time-to-fill
Time-to-hire measures the duration from application to contract signing. Time-to-fill covers the entire duration from the start of the job posting to filling.
Time-to-fill formula:
Date of appointment - date of advertisement
With average 173 days for professionals and 160 days Overall, vacancy periods in Germany are critically high. Every unoccupied day costs productivity and puts a strain on existing teams.
Cost-per-hire
Die Cost per hire Add up all expenses for successful staffing: job advertisements, headhunter fees, recruiting tools, internal personnel expenses and onboarding costs.
Formula:
Total recruiting costs/number of new hires
According to industry studies, these costs in Germany are between 4,000 and 8,000 euros for skilled workers and significantly higher for managers.
Offer Acceptance Rate
This key figure shows how many job offers are actually being accepted.
Formula:
(Offers accepted/Offers sent) × 100
A ratio of less than 80 percent indicates problems: unattractive conditions, processes that are too slow or better offers from competitors.
KPI Cluster 4: Retention and Fluctuation
Employee retention is one of the most important success factors. High fluctuation destroys know-how, burdens teams and causes massive costs.
Turnover rate
Die Turnover rate measures how many employees leave the company.
Formula:
(number of departures/average head count) × 100
A differentiated approach separates voluntary from involuntary fluctuation and looks at critical positions separately. When 49 percent of employers Expecting increasing fluctuation in 2025, this key figure will become a strategic early warning system.
Retention rate
Die Retention rate is the counterpart of the turnover rate.
Formula:
((Headcount end - additions)/Headcount start) × 100
A retention rate of 90 percent means that 90 percent of the workforce is still with the company at the beginning of the year, even at the end of the year.
Leading Indicators: Engagement and Manager Effectiveness
Modern HR approaches rely on Engagement scores as a leading indicator. Decreasing commitment is often seen months before actual termination. Employee surveys and pulse checks provide valuable data here. A close connection with Appreciation of employees pays directly to the retention.
KPI Cluster 5: Absence, Health, and Stability
Absence figures measure the availability of the workforce and provide information on health, workload and job satisfaction.
Sickness rate and absenteeism rate
Die Sickness rate records absences due to illness.
Formula:
(total sick days/total working days) × 100
In Germany, the average sickness rate is around 4 to 5 percent. Some sources Make a conscious distinction between sick leave and actual absenteeism rate, as absenteeism is often higher than medically based illnesses.
Absenteeism
Absenteeism describes unplanned absences of any kind.
Formula:
(Unplanned days absente/ target working days) × 100
High absenteeism rates often correlate with low job satisfaction, poor leadership, or overwork.
KPI Cluster 6: Development and Skills
Investments in personnel development ensure the future viability of the company. The right indicators show whether these investments are effective.
Training hours per employee
This key figure measures the average volume of continuing education.
Formula:
Total training hours/headcount
According to studies, leading companies invest at least 40 hours per year and per employee in continuing education.
Internal mobility
Die internal mobility rate Shows how many positions are filled internally.
Formula:
(Internally filled posts/total number of new appointments) × 100
High internal mobility retains talent, saves recruiting costs and preserves know-how within the company.
HR Reporting in Practice: How to Build a KPI Dashboard That Is Used
Even the best key figures fizzle out without professional HR reporting. The art lies in the right concentration and presentation.
Define reporting levels
Structure your reporting in three levels:
- Executive summary: 5 to 7 top KPIs for management, highly condensed, with clear traffic lights and trend arrows.
- HR Ops Reporting: Detailed key figures for HR managers with drill-down options by department, location or team.
- Executive views: Team-specific KPIs for decentralized managers, such as team workload, absenteeism, and development budgets.
Rhythm and Logic of Measures
Define clear review rhythms: Monthly KPI reviews for operational indicators, quarterly for strategic ones. Each variance must be followed by a defined action logic. If the sickness rate rises above 6 percent, this automatically triggers a stress check in the team.
Single Source of Truth
Conflicting figures destroy trust in your HR reporting. Create a uniform database. Modern PSA systems Like ZEP combine time, project, absence and workload data in one platform. This guarantees consistency and enables automation.
Standards and Comparability: ISO 30414:2025 as a guide
Die ISO 30414:2025 Establishes binding standards for human capital reporting for the first time. The one in August 2025 Published second edition comprises 58 metrics Over 11 core areas and signals a paradigm shift: From voluntary guidelines to mandatory requirements.
Why a standard helps
ISO 30414:2025 creates a common KPI language across industries and countries. This enables benchmarking, facilitates investor relations and strengthens the comparability of personnel reports. Integration with ESG frameworks makes human capital measurable and reportable.
Practical classification
Not every medium-sized company needs all 58 metrics. But the structure helps to systematize your own KPI sets. The categories Workforce Composition, Costs, Productivity, Health & Safety, Recruitment, Turnover and Skills Development cover the key HR management dimensions.
KPI overview: definition, formula and use
Conclusion: HR figures are only valuable if they lead to action
Personnel figures are not an end in themselves. Their value only emerges when they are systematically translated into decisions and measures. Companies that work with the right HR KPIs identify bottlenecks earlier, manage costs more precisely and retain employees more successfully. They transform employee controling From administrative duty to strategic competitive advantage.
The key lies in three principles: Focus on relevant KPIs instead of a flood of data, integration with operational systems instead of manual Excel maintenance and consistent action logic instead of passive reporting. With a continuous PSA solution such as ZEP automatically track time, project, absence and workload data. This creates the database for reliable HR indicators and enables real management instead of downstream statistics.
FAQs
I have 50 employees: Which 10 personnel figures should I check every month?
With 50 employees, a compact monthly set is recommended: FTE and head count for capacity overview, utilization rate for productivity, personnel cost ratio for profitability, current vacancy times for recruiting efficiency, sick rate and absenteeism rate for health monitoring, overtime balance for burden check, cost-per-hire for budget control and vacancies by priority. In project-oriented companies, you should also track billable hours and project profitability. These 10 KPIs provide a complete picture without overhead.
Which HR KPIs are leading indicators and which lagging?
Leading indicators warn of developments early on: Engagement scores, application quality from channels, overtime account balances, pulse surveys, training participation and manager effectiveness scores show trends before they become critical. Lagging indicators measure achieved results: turnover rate, time-to-fill, actual costs per hire, realized sick rate and productivity per FTE. Effective HR controlling combines both: Leading KPIs enable proactive management, lagging KPIs measure the effectiveness of measures.
What is the maximum number of HR indicators that a dashboard should contain?
Less is more. 5 to 7 top strategic KPIs, which are discussed quarterly, are sufficient for management. HR managers work with 15 to 20 operational indicators, which are reviewed monthly. Team leaders need 5 to 8 team-specific KPIs with weekly transparency. The golden rule: Each key figure must have a clear action logic. Indicators without consequence are junk data. Dashboards with over 30 KPIs are in fact not used.
HR Reporting: Monthly or Quarterly — What is Best Practice?
The frequency depends on control relevance and volatility. Operational KPIs such as workload, absenteeism, overtime and vacancy progress should be reviewed monthly. Strategic KPIs such as turnover rate, development investments, internal mobility and engagement scores are sufficient on a quarterly basis. Ideally, you should track recruiting KPIs for each completed position. Critical early indicators can justify weekly checks. The fixed rhythm is decisive: monthly reviews on the 5th working day, quarterly reviews with action planning.
Which HR KPIs belong in an executive summary?
Management needs a maximum of 7 summarized KPIs with direct business impact: head count and FTE development against plan, trending personnel cost ratio, critical vacancy periods by priority, fluctuation rate with differentiation by segment, utilization rate for billable roles, health rate as a health indicator and a strategic development KPI such as skill coverage. Each key figure requires a comparison of the previous year, a trend arrow and, if there is a deviation, a measure in one sentence. Detailed reporting includes more details.
Which HR KPIs make the most sense when growing from 100 to 200 employees?
In growth phases, pre-management indicators are decisive: time-to-fill by criticality, recruiting pipeline velocity (candidates per funnel level), offer acceptance rate for attractiveness, onboarding effectiveness after 90 days, manager ratio (management margin) for scaling, productivity per FTE to identify dilution effects, retention rate of new employees in the first year, cost-per-hire for budget extrapolation and cultural fit scores from survey. These KPIs show whether you are not only growing quickly but also sustainably.
