2022 HR Statistics, Trends & Data: Ultimate List

Another year, another set of decisions to make when it comes to all of the things under the umbrella topic of HR, like employee engagement, job satisfaction, and employee and performance management, just to name a few. You don’t want to make those decisions blindly, given that anyone’s decision affects your whole company. Looking to HR statistics, even if the HR role doesn’t directly apply to you, can give you some indication of what’s working — and what’s not — for other HR and non-HR personal.

In this post, we’ve rounded up some insightful HR statistics to help both HR and non-HR professionals alike to make those hard decisions and have a positive impact on your employees and your company.

Recruitment Statistics

In recent years, finding and hiring the right candidate for a position has become more difficult. There are thousands of companies out there looking for employees, so you need to stand out to attract candidates and get referrals from current or former employees.

Keep up with hiring and recruitment trends to decide what works for you and your potential employees. Don’t forget to use applicant tracking software to track who’s applied for openings.

• 43% of HR professionals cited the top reason for difficulty finding the right employee as “competition from other employers”. (SHRM)
• 60% of employees reported that they referred an acquaintance or friend to a company that they were employed at. (Jobvite)
• 6% of companies reported using AI for recruiting to a “high degree”, while 24% responded that they would likely be using AI for recruitment to a high degree within the next two years. (HR.com)

Recruitment software can be a life-saver for talent management and help get you on your way to nabbing great candidates.

Employee Onboarding Statistics

Employee onboarding is crucial to ensuring new employees are motivated and productive. Bad onboarding experiences can set back employee development or increase turnover, so companies are putting more resources into the process. Boost employee retention by providing an encouraging and clear onboarding experience.

• 71% of employees that went through an onboarding process had a clearer understanding of their role and felt equipped for their responsibilities. (TalentLMS)
• The biggest challenge for employees during the onboarding process was feeling out their manager or supervisor’s expectations, followed by learning their responsibilities. (TalentLMS)
• In a survey of employees who quit shortly after being hired, 23% noted that if they had received a clearer direction around their role and duties, it would have made a difference in their decision. (BambooHR)

HCM software can have huge value for onboarding and employee management — keep this in mind as you budget for software and tools!

Employee Retention Statistics

We all know an important part of HR is keeping great employees once you’ve hired them. An employee might quit for a variety of reasons — some of which are out of your control. Put time and resources into the reasons you can control, like fostering an engaging and healthy office culture, providing growth opportunities, and making employees feel valued.

• Almost 30% of new hires resign in the first 3 months of employment. (Jobvite)
• 13% of employees in younger generations reported that they would leave a job if there was no potential for career development. (Jobvite)
• Company culture is important to new hires — 32% of workers would agree to a 10% reduction in salary if they cared about their job strongly enough. (Jobvite)

Employee Engagement Statistics

As you probably know, one of the hardest jobs that fall to the HR department is keeping employees engaged in their work and the company. The HR statistics prove that motivating your employees and being considerate of their passions boosts engagement. In the coming year, support their professional development by challenging them with goals within their reach, to keep them engaged and motivated to take on the next challenge!

• 46% of employees feel supported in acting when they notice an issue or opportunity within their company. (SHRM)
• Achieving goals at work is important to employees — 89% agreed that they were confident they could accomplish goals, and 86% were determined to do so. (SHRM)
• Employees are more engaged when they have opportunities to use their expertise and capabilities. Overall employee satisfaction with these opportunities is 77%. (SHRM)

Job Satisfaction Statistics

If you’re passionate about HR, you probably care about whether your employees are satisfied with their roles. There are a lot of factors that go into employee satisfaction, and the HR statistics show that every employee wants something different out of their job. So, how do you keep everyone happy? Start with the little things, like building relationships based on respect and trust.

A few stand-out employee satisfaction statistics to keep in mind:

• Treating workers at all levels with respect was rated as “very important” to 67% of employees, higher even than compensation, which was rated by 63% of employees as very important. (SHRM)
• Another important factor for job satisfaction was the employee’s relationship with their direct superior. 40% of employees reported feeling “very satisfied” with this relationship. (SHRM)
• In a survey that measured employee pride in their work or company, employees, on average, rate their pride in their level of skill at 79.3%, the highest work-related point of pride. (FundRocket)

Want to create the best possible workplace to keep employees satisfied? Here is the best HR Software to do so!

Performance Management Statistics

Keeping track of employee performance can be tough at the best of times — and it gets tougher as your company grows. On top of that, a recent trend has been an increase in performance reviews and feedback. Keep up with performance management tools like Factorial or Oracle, and stay on top of your employees using the HR statistics below.

• 89% of HR professionals agree that conducting performance management on an ongoing basis is more effective than yearly or twice yearly performance reviews. (HR.com)
• When given the choice between training current employees and hiring new ones, 77% of respondents in one survey were either strongly or moderately more inclined to train current employees. (Deloitte)
• 57% of companies use a specific performance management technology such as Kissflow HR Cloud or BambooHR. (HR.com)

Invest in your employees with human capital management strategies to boost their performance.

Employee Recognition Statistics

HR statistics and surveys year in and year out show that employees want to be recognized. But what’s the best way to recognize them? Every employee likes to receive recognition in different ways, and not always in the way you expect. The statistics show a preference for praise and public recognition –keep this in mind when creating your employee recognition program for the coming year.

• 84% of HR professionals agree that recognizing employees promotes engagement, and 82% agree that it boosts the happiness of workers. (SHRM)
• 83% of employees would rather be recognized with praise over a present. (OfficeVibe)
• In one survey, respondents listed the 6 most “memorable” types of recognition, among which were public recognition and getting a promotion or more responsibilities. (Gallup)

Creating an employee recognition program from an organizational development perspective will help you build one that is meaningful to your company and your employees.

Diversity and Inclusion Statistics

Having a diverse workforce is important for a number of reasons — you want to make sure your company reflects the demographics of your customers, and it promotes a range of opinions and ideas, which is great for choosing the right path for your company. Diversity is a hot topic among HR professionals, and the HR statistics show it will continue to be. Take note of when planning upcoming HR initiatives.

• Only 51% of companies agree that the diversity of their employees mirrors the diversity of the market they serve. (HR.com)
• The percentage of executives who agreed that inclusion is a top priority rose by 32% from 2014 to 2017. (Deloitte)
• 78% of respondents in a survey stated that diversity and inclusion gave them a “competitive advantage” over other companies. (Deloitte)

Employee Burnout Statistics

Another hot topic is employee burnout. High-stress levels, long working hours, and little time off contribute to this phenomenon. It’s costing companies money and employees unless they prevent it. The HR statistics show that companies aren’t doing enough, according to employees themselves. Use these trends to prevent employee burnout in your company.

• 23% of employees note that they experience burnout often or constantly at work, while 44% experienced burnout less frequently. (Gallup)
• Almost 70% of employees say their company needs to do more to prevent or lessen burnout. (Deloitte)
• Lack of clarity and communication factor heavily into employee burnout. Only 60% of employees have a strong understanding of their boss’s expectations, while employees who are confident in their relationship with their manager are 70% less likely to feel burned out. (Gallup)

Employee Wellness Statistics

One way to prevent burnout is promoting employee wellness. Reducing stress and anxiety and encouraging workplace wellness will keep your employees happy and motivated. If your work environment is not conducive to good mental health, there can be consequences. Use these statistics to keep your company trending in the right direction when it comes to mental health.

• It is estimated that inadequate mental health costs companies $50 billion CAD per year. By 2041, the total cost is estimated to be $2.5 trillion. (Deloitte)
• 87% of employers state that they provide services or programs to promote employee wellness, but only 50% have ones relevant to stress reduction. (HR.com)
• 63% of companies believe that providing programs for employee wellness leads to more engagement from employees. (HR.com)
• Employee wellness extends to family members: Each week, 16% of U.S. employees spend an average of 20+ hours providing assistance of some kind to a friend or relative. (AARP)

Originally published at https://peoplemanagingpeople.com on January 18, 2020.