Manage your human resources effectively with the HR dashboard
In human resources management, the HR dashboard is one of the most essential tools. It helps you analyse data, visualise results and make informed decisions. Thanks to precise indicators, you can transform raw information into concrete actions. 💪
This type of table is essential for today's HRDs. Faced with new challenges, it has become a major ally in steering change within the company.
In this article, co-written with human resources consultant Laure Guérin-Taquet, we explore this tool in detail. We'll look at its objectives, how it's used and, of course, how to draw it up correctly. Ready to find out how an HR dashboard can make all the difference?
What is an HR dashboard?
The HR dashboard is a key tool for managing and steering all the activities of the human resources department. It provides a clear, visual summary of HR activities and results.
The elements analysed often include :
- staff numbers ;
- staff turnover
- absenteeism rate.
📊 This data is presented in the form of tables and graphs, fed by performance indicators (KPIs). These are carefully defined according to the company's size, sector and strategy.
The importance of the HR dashboard
The HR dashboard is a real ally for human resources, offering a number of undeniable advantages:
- a quick and concise overview of the efficiency of human resources ;
- identification of social dysfunctions, whether observed or anticipated;
- a valuable internal communication tool for employees and company managers;
- a precise analysis, thanks to reliable figures;
- support for other HR documents such as the BDES, the social balance sheet and HR reporting.
The HR dashboard thus becomes a genuine decision-making tool. It provides an overview of the company's situation at any given time. Using this information, HR managers, senior management and managers can take concrete action tailored to the reality on the ground.
A word from the expert
Beyond the traditional HR dashboard functionalities that track key performance indicators, an emerging trend is the integration of predictive analysis to anticipate future human resources needs.
By exploiting statistical models and machine learning algorithms, organisations can now forecast trends such as staff turnover, training needs or risks of non-compliance.
This predictive approach not only improves strategic planning, it also helps to proactively align human resources with long-term business objectives. Adopting this predictive dimension transforms HR dashboards into tools not only for monitoring, but also for active steering, offering a more dynamic and anticipatory overview of future HR challenges.
What are the HR indicators?
There are many HR indicators to choose from, depending on your objectives. Here are a few examples. 👉
- Recruitment indicators :
- the number of recruitments per year ;
- the number of applications per post
- average cost of recruitment, etc.
- Absenteeism indicators:
- average rate of absenteeism ;
- breakdown by reason for absence
- average length of absence, etc.
- Social climate indicators:
- Employee turnover rate,
- average length of service,
- the number of incidents of incivility, etc.
💡 Not sure which indicators to choose to manage your human resources? Check out our full list of HR indicators.
How to draw up a dashboard in 3 steps?
☝️ Before you set about drawing up your HR dashboard, it's a good idea to ask yourself a number of questions:
- Why is it essential for your company to better manage its HR functions?
- What exact functions do you want to monitor?
- How often will the data be updated?
- Who will be the users of this social dashboard?
Having said that, let's move on to the next steps.
1. Select the medium for your dashboard
Whether you use Excel or a software package dedicated to human resources management, you need to decide which tool to use according to your needs.
Once again, the solution you choose must meet a number of requirements:
- present a user-friendly interface that is easy to use ;
- offer functionalities that meet your expectations;
- visuals that can be understood by as many people as possible.
2. Identify the data sources
Where does the data you want to use come from? And how do you feed your HR dashboard with the right data?
In reality, the choice of the right data depends on the KPIs and the objectives you have set yourself. For example, data can be collected from :
- your CRM ;
- your accounting software ;
- ERP software, etc.
When it comes to feeding this information back into your dashboard, the procedure varies depending on the medium used.
👉 For an Excel spreadsheet, you can import a file.
👉 Using dedicated software, establish a link between your tool and the selected databases. To do this, you will generally use an API, enabling your systems to be connected in real time. Once the connection has been set up, the data is automatically synchronised, and you avoid any manual input.
3. Design your HR dashboard
Now all you have to do is design your dashboard!
To do this, start by deciding how you want to organise your data.
You have three options:
- ✅ So rting by group of indicators. For example, in the case of data relating to absenteeism, divide the information according to your company's departments: marketing, sales, management, accounting, etc.
- ✅ So rt by level of detail. Again in the case of absenteeism data, divide the workforce according to seniority brackets, for example.
- ✅ So rt by causality. Does the time of year have an impact on the absenteeism rate, for example?
Secondly, it's important to choose the graphs that best represent your information. Opt for :
- curves to show changes ;
- pie charts to represent a proportion of staff;
- bar charts if you want to compare levels.
Example of an Excel HR dashboard
Need a helping hand to create your HR dashboard? Get inspired by our customisable Excel HR dashboard template, which you can download free of charge.
It's up to you!
Which tool is best for producing an HR dashboard?
Is an Excel-based HR dashboard a good idea?
Even though there is a plethora of software for creating an HR dashboard, we have just seen that it is perfectly possible to create your own in Excel.
The spreadsheet has a number of advantages:
- low cost;
- the ability to build a flexible dashboard that can be modified to suit your needs.
On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages, and not the least. Creating an HR dashboard in Excel requires :
- a good grasp of the tool ;
- time to modify the data.
Which software for your HR dashboard?
If you want to go beyond Excel, here are the categories of software to choose from:
- HRIS software (Human Resources Management Information System), which automates all HR management processes, from recruitment to training, including analytics;
- business intelligence solutions, perfectly suited to generating dashboards.
Here are a few examples of tools that will meet your needs, whether global or specific:
👉 HRIS
- Bizneo HR Suite: a comprehensive, modular and scalable HRIS, it is aimed at all types of company. It includes a powerful, customisable HR dashboard, and you can generate reports including over 100 key indicators.
- Cegid HR: this HCM (Human Capital Management) integrates dashboards and analytical functions so you always have relevant, up-to-date data. So you can make better decisions about your recruitment, skills management and QWL operations.
- Eurécia: an all-in-one, customisable HRIS, Eurécia is just as suitable for VSEs and SMEs as it is for larger companies. Configure your different dashboards according to your needs, and manage your staff more effectively, based on reliable, up-to-date data.
- Factorial: comprehensive, scalable HR software that automates, simplifies and streamlines the administrative processes of VSEs and SMEs, via an intuitive interface. You'll be able to manage your teams more effectively and make informed decisions using visual, personalised HR tables.
- Nicoka HR: this platform uses business intelligence to combine data and build customisable reports. In particular, it offers tools for analysing availability and productivity.
- Tellent HR: this all-in-one HR solution for SMEs automates the creation of numerous HR dashboards. It provides you with real-time data thanks to a wide range of indicators (on demographics, working hours, absenteeism, recruitment, pay, etc.).
- Personio: a flexible HR suite that is particularly popular with HR directors and managers in VSEs and SMEs, it enables HR processes and workforce management to be optimised on the basis of macro or, on the contrary, precise analyses.
👉 HRIM software for international companies
- Remote: this is one of the most flexible and secure ways of benefiting from HR services on a global scale and in compliance with labour and tax laws in over 60 countries. The employer dashboard centralises all this activity, from the most important tasks to relevant data about your team
👉 Sof tware for social management
- Emalti-RH: suitable for companies of all sizes, this solution offers pre-configured social reporting tools with over 150 indicators available, for a downloadable social balance sheet in Excel format. It also supports the BDES, the BSI, dashboards, individual or consolidated analyses, etc.
- GrafiQ: a comprehensive social management control and HR reporting tool, it uses business intelligence to manage data such as the BDES and dashboards. In particular, it offers a Reports module to help organisations set up the BDES from their DSNs.
👉 Business intelligence software
- MyReport: this business intelligence solution is aimed at SMEs and includes features dedicated to HR data management. Connect your data sources (your HRIS, for example) to MyReport, which cleans and qualifies them for you and then generates interactive dashboards.
FAQs
1. How can I customise an HR dashboard to suit my company's needs?
To customise an HR dashboard, it is important to clearly define your strategic objectives and select the key indicators that correspond to these same objectives.
Depending on the size of the company, the departments involved and the complexity of the data, you can configure different views, filters or even create specific reports.
For example, for an SME it may be more relevant to focus on simple data such as absenteeism and turnover, whereas a large organisation will require more detailed analyses relating to team performance and talent allocation.
2. What is the ideal frequency for updating an HR dashboard?
The frequency of updating depends on your HR indicators and the objective you wish to achieve.
For example, for data relating to absenteeism, a monthly update may be sufficient. On the other hand, for more dynamic KPIs, such as productivity or employee satisfaction, weekly or even real-time updates are required.
The idea? To maintain the balance between up-to-date data and effective decision-making.
3. Which graphical visualisation tools are best suited to an HR dashboard?
To guarantee the effectiveness of your dashboard, opt for graphs that make the data easier to understand at first glance.
Pie charts are perfect for visualising proportions (for example, the breakdown of staff by department), while curves are well suited to tracking changes in certain indicators over time (such as the staff turnover rate).
Bar charts can be used to compare values between different groups (for example, performance by team).
Finally, heatmaps are used to analyse complex information relating to pay or skills.