HR Goals and Objectives for 2023

If there's one thing we know, it's that there's nothing more important than having a reliable human resources department. Something that HR professionals can do to make their facilities as robust as possible is set actionable, quality goals for each year.

An excellent method of goal-setting is to use the SMART goal process. This involves creating HR goals and objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely - SMART!

Let's take a look at a few SMART goals that HR teams can implement for 2023 to boost employee engagement and improve company culture. Read on for more.

Understanding SMART Goals

A SMART goal is a technique that outlines a strategy for reaching pretty much any objective that you set. Here's how you can implement this goal-setting process.

• Specific - Identify what you want to accomplish so that you can set specific goals. This first step can include your desired result.
• Measurable - Determine the aim of your goals and how you might achieve each of them. These goals can be quantifiable or measurable.
• Achievable - Each goal may use different variables to be achieved. These include things like resources, abilities, and any necessary support. Goals may even be outside of an employee's realm of expertise while still being very achievable.
• Relevant - Goals that you set may apply to an employee's position or to the mission and objectives of your organization's values.
• Timely - Of course, you should have a time-sensitive approach to setting goals. Hiring managers may set large goals with milestones determined by date, step, or smaller goals and objectives.

The SMART method of setting goals is an important tool for human resources to take advantage of when it comes to creating HR goals and objectives.

The method helps formulate goals that foster a positive work environment and greater employee satisfaction, as employees will have an easier time not only understanding goals but achieving them.

5 SMART Goals to Set for 2023

Here are 5 great examples of SMART HR goals and objectives that hiring managers can set for 2023.

Revitalize the Employee Experience

In order for any organization to thrive, it needs to recruit and retain the best and brightest in its niche. HR professionals must help the company achieve this objective by preserving the employee experience at a high level.

This means ensuring that existing and new staff not only tolerate working with the organization but enjoy working so that they don't feel the need to browse for other opportunities.

Here's a breakdown of this goal:

Objective: Increase the percentage of employees that demonstrate higher employee engagement levels from 50% to 60% in 2023.

• Specific - Improve the employee experience using recognition and rewards.
• Measurable - To 60% in 2023.
• Achievable - From 50% in 2022 to 60% in 2023.
• Relevant - Companies with better employee engagement report improved productivity.
• Timely - From 2022 to 2023.

Acquiring Talent

In 2023, consider looking at the bigger picture and reviewing your achievements in talent acquisition; are there new recruitment targets that you can set? Hiring managers will need to keep up with the ever-changing trends by setting the right recruiting targets for 2023.

Here's how to do just that using the SMART goal method:

Objective: Increase the percentage of active job postings filled during the projected deadline from 40% to 50% in 2023.

• Specific - Increase the 2023 hiring process.
• Measurable - To 50% in 2023.
• Achievable - From 40% in 2022 to 50% in 2023.
• Relevant - To maximize hiring effectiveness, hire star employees, and reduce cost-to-hire.
• Timely - From 2022 to 2023.

Improving Talent Retention

It's difficult for most organizations to keep the talent that they hire on their staff. In fact, many are working without retention strategies. This is a major concern, especially once you consider the record-low unemployment rates and the constant search for talent.

Let's take a look at how an HR professional can use SMART goals to improve their organization's talent retention.

Objective: To keep existing talent on staff and save on the costs for new hires by increasing current employee retention from 50% to 70% in 2023.

• Specific - Increase annual retention.
• Measurable - To 70% by 2023.
• Achievable - From 50% in 2022 to 70% in 2023.
• Relevant - Retain hired talent and save on new hires.
• Timely - From 2022 to 2o23.

Improve Company Culture

There's no denying that employees who are part of a strong company culture produce greater levels of engagement.

After all, committed workers are far more likely to recommend their company to their friends, so it's important that HR professionals set goals to make the company culture the best it can be.

Here's how an HR professional can set SMART goals to improve company culture.

Objective: Increase the percentage of employees that give positive employee feedback regarding their work environment from 65% to 70%.

• Specific - To maintain a values-based work environment with a positive culture.
• Measurable - Increase positive employee feedback from 65% to 70%.
• Achievable - From 65% in 2022 to 70% in 2023.
• Relevant - To help employees embody the company's values.
• Timely - Quarterly workplace employee engagement survey.

Better Feedback Structure

In the current age of extreme competition between businesses, providing inspirational feedback is well worth the time and effort that it takes. Doing so helps HR professionals maintain employee satisfaction, helping improve the overall productivity of the company.

Here's how HR professionals can use the SMART goal method to improve their company feedback structure.

Objective: To increase sales from 30% to 45% in 2023 by using proper feedback to eliminate misunderstandings.

• Specific - To improve sales performance.
• Measurable - By 15% in 2023.
• Achievable - From 30% in 2022 to 45% in 2023.
• Relevant - Employees should feel that their work is meaningful and contributes to the company at large.
• Timely - Quarterly employee feedback.

The Benefits of SMART Goals

SMART goals are more than just using a fancy acronym to streamline HR processes; HR managers can use this method to achieve a wide range of valuable business objectives. These include things like project management, personal development, and employee performance.

HR professionals can also improve the performance of their team by helping them set goals of their own, which are easier to attain and manage on a personal level. Team members can take part in setting goals that they are able to achieve and measure while still providing themselves with plenty of room to grow.

These goals are not limited, either. They can be specific to job performance and duties and tied to performance review dates. The great thing about SMART goals is that they can be used at any time - before, during, and after employee training and hiring.

Managing Goals

As an HR professional, it's easy to fall into the trap of setting goals for your team, then forgetting about those goals and leaving employees to fend for themselves with no feedback or guidance.

Instead of making this mistake, it's important to review development and goals throughout the year. Otherwise, your team's priorities may change.

To keep your goals updated, take note of what you think has to change, and be sure to discuss these points with your manager. Also, make sure that both you and your manager are aligned on changes and that both of you agree to any later alterations made to these changes.

You can also use midpoint check-ins to manage and update your HR SMART goals to increase your chances of achieving HR objectives. What's more, you can schedule informal goal checkpoints to discuss and review any changes that you make to your goals throughout the year.

It's important that these discussions summarize accomplishments to date, review priorities, identify goals that were changed, added, or eliminated, and clarify performance expectations moving forward. You want to equip employees with all the tools they need to achieve the goals you set for them as well as the goals they set for themselves.

How Many Goals?

In general, it's recommended setting no more than five personal SMART goals and five company-wide goals each year. This specific number will be determined by the number of key priorities that your organization needs to achieve during performance periods.

Of course, this doesn't mean that there isn't going to be other important work that needs to be done throughout the year. However, the goals that you set and maintain have to be representations of your top priorities.

Conclusion

As you can see, having your human resources department up to speed and all on the same page is vital to the success of your company. Setting actionable, quality goals and objectives for the year is critical for HR departments.

Above, we have covered the SMART goals and objectives process that involves setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goals to increase productivity.

These SMART goals ensure everyone knows what they should be doing and the direction the company is moving in at all times.

Do you want to see Humaans in action? You can book a demo with our team.

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