HR Skills

HR Formulas And Specific Scenarios Where They Can Be Applied




These formulas cover employee turnover, retention, cost per hire, training ROI, and more, helping HR professionals make data-driven decisions.


1. Employee Turnover Rate

Formula:
[ {Turnover Rate} = \frac{{Number of Employees Who Left During Period}} / {{Average Number of Employees}} * 100 ]

Example:
- Employees at the start of the year: 100
- Employees at the end of the year: 90
- Employees who left: 20
- Average number of employees = ((100 + 90) \div 2 = 95)
- Turnover rate = (\frac{20}{95} * 100 = 21.05\%)

Scenario:
A retail company experiences a 25% turnover rate in a year. HR reviews exit interviews to identify the reasons (e.g., low pay or lack of career development) and implements retention strategies, such as offering competitive wages and growth opportunities.


2. Employee Retention Rate

Formula:
[ {Retention Rate} = \frac{{Number of Employees at End of Period - New Hires}} / {{Total Employees at Start of Period}} * 100 ]

Example:
- Employees at the start: 200
- New hires: 30
- Employees at the end: 190
- Retention rate = (\frac{190 - 30}{200} * 100 = 80\%)

Scenario:
A tech firm finds its retention rate is 70%. HR creates a mentoring program and offers skill-development workshops, which increases retention to 85% within a year.


3. Cost Per Hire (CPH)

Formula:
[ {Cost Per Hire} = \frac{{Total Recruitment Costs}} / {{Number of Hires}} ]

Example:
- Total recruitment costs: $50,000
- Total hires: 25
- CPH = (\frac{50,000}{25} = 2,000)

Scenario:
An HR team notices their CPH is high due to reliance on third-party recruiters. They invest in an internal recruitment team and reduce CPH by 30%.


4. Absenteeism Rate

Formula:
[ {Absenteeism Rate} = \frac{{Total Unscheduled Absence Days}} / {{Total Workdays in Period}} * 100 ]

Example:
- Unscheduled absence days: 150
- Total workdays for all employees: 10,000
- Absenteeism rate = (\frac{150}{10,000} * 100 = 1.5\%)

Scenario:
A manufacturing company finds its absenteeism rate is 4%. After introducing wellness programs and flexible schedules, the rate drops to 2%.


5. Training Return on Investment (ROI)

Formula:
[ {Training ROI (\%)} = \frac{{Net Benefits of Training}} / {{Training Costs}} * 100 ]
Net Benefits: ({Increased Revenue or Cost Savings - Training Costs})

Example:
- Training costs: $20,000
- Revenue increase due to training: $50,000
- Net benefits = $50,000 - $20,000 = $30,000
- Training ROI = (\frac{30,000}{20,000} * 100 = 150\%)

Scenario:
A sales team undergoes negotiation training costing $10,000. Sales increase by $25,000 within 3 months, leading to a 150% ROI.


6. Time to Fill (TTF)

Formula:
[ {Time to Fill} = \frac{{Total Days to Fill All Positions}} / {{Number of Positions Filled}} ]

Example:
- Total days to fill positions: 300
- Number of positions filled: 10
- TTF = (\frac{300}{10} = 30 { days})

Scenario:
An HR department’s TTF is 45 days. By optimizing job descriptions and using AI-based applicant tracking systems (ATS), TTF decreases to 30 days.


7. Offer Acceptance Rate (OAR)

Formula:
[ {OAR} = \frac{{Number of Offers Accepted}} / {{Number of Offers Made}} * 100 ]

Example:
- Offers made: 20
- Offers accepted: 15
- OAR = (\frac{15}{20} * 100 = 75\%)

Scenario:
A startup with a 60% OAR improves its employer branding and increases the rate to 90% by promoting benefits like remote work and flexible hours.


8. Employee Engagement Score

Formula:
[ {Engagement Score} = \frac{{Total Engagement Responses (Positive)}} / {{Total Responses}} * 100 ]

Example:
- Positive responses: 400
- Total responses: 500
- Engagement score = (\frac{400}{500} * 100 = 80\%)

Scenario:
An employee survey shows an engagement score of 70%. HR introduces recognition programs and development opportunities, increasing engagement to 85%.


9. Salary Increase Percentage

Formula:
[ {Salary Increase (\%)} = \frac{{New Salary - Old Salary}} / {{Old Salary}} * 100 ]

Example:
- Old salary: $50,000
- New salary: $55,000
- Increase = (\frac{55,000 - 50,000}{50,000} * 100 = 10\%)

Scenario:
After benchmarking salaries, an HR team adjusts salaries by 5–10% to remain competitive in the industry.


10. Diversity Hiring Rate

Formula:
[ {Diversity Hiring Rate} = \frac{{Diverse Hires}} / {{Total Hires}} * 100 ]

Example:
- Diverse hires: 25
- Total hires: 100
- Diversity hiring rate = (\frac{25}{100} * 100 = 25\%)

Scenario:
A company with a diversity hiring rate of 15% partners with diversity-focused job boards and achieves a 30% rate the following year.


11. Cost of Employee Turnover

Formula:
[ {Turnover Cost} = {(Recruitment Cost + Onboarding Cost + Lost Productivity)} ]

Example:
- Recruitment cost: $10,000
- Onboarding cost: $5,000
- Lost productivity: $20,000
- Turnover cost = $10,000 + $5,000 + $20,000 = $35,000

Scenario:
A mid-sized business reduces turnover costs by implementing retention initiatives, such as career development plans and improved leadership training.


12. Human Capital ROI

Formula:
[ {Human Capital ROI} = \frac{{Revenue - Operating Expenses (Excluding Labor Costs)}} / {{Labor Costs}} ]

Example:
- Revenue: $1,000,000
- Operating expenses (excluding labor): $600,000
- Labor costs: $300,000
- ROI = (\frac{1,000,000 - 600,000}{300,000} = 1.33)
- ROI = 133%

Scenario:
HR evaluates that their current ROI is 100%. By optimizing workflows and implementing automation, they boost ROI to 150%.


13. Average Tenure

Formula:
[ {Average Tenure} = \frac{{Total Years of Service for All Employees}} / {{Total Number of Employees}} ]

Example:
- Total years of service: 500
- Total employees: 100
- Average tenure = (\frac{500}{100} = 5 { years})

Scenario:
A company with a low average tenure (2 years) launches a mentorship program and increases the tenure to 3.5 years.


14. HR-to-Employee Ratio

Formula:
[ {HR-to-Employee Ratio} = \frac{{Number of HR Staff}} / {{Total Number of Employees}} * 100 ]

Example:
- HR staff: 5
- Total employees: 500
- HR-to-employee ratio = (\frac{5}{500} * 100 = 1\%)

Scenario:
A company with a growing workforce adjusts its HR staffing to maintain a ratio of 1:100 (1%).


Best Practices for Applying HR Formulas

  1. Use Accurate Data: Ensure all inputs (e.g., headcount, costs) are up-to-date.
  2. Compare Benchmarks: Measure your metrics against industry standards to identify areas for improvement.
  3. Track Trends Over Time: Regularly monitor metrics to evaluate the impact of initiatives.
  4. Communicate Insights: Share findings with leadership to support strategic decisions.
  5. Automate Tracking: Use HR analytics tools like BambooHR, SAP SuccessFactors, or Workday for real-time data.

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