Evaluating Success & ROI of HR Projects
Finishing a project isn’t success. Real HR impact comes from tracking what changed—and what changed because of you.
Too many HR projects end with a celebration—but no measurement. The system went live. The training was delivered. The policy was signed off. Great! But… did it work?
If you can’t answer that, your HR function risks being seen as busy but not impactful.
Why HR Needs Better Evaluation
Unlike finance or sales, HR often deals with qualitative outcomes: engagement, experience, behavior. That makes evaluation harder—but even more important.
Evaluation helps you:
- Demonstrate business value
- Justify investment
- Improve future projects
- Build credibility with leadership
What Does Success Look Like?
Define success in multiple dimensions:
- Delivery metrics – On time, on budget, on scope
- Adoption metrics – Who’s using it? How often?
- Outcome metrics – Did behavior, performance, or engagement change?
- Perception metrics – Do people understand and trust the change?
- ROI – What value was created relative to investment?
Metrics Examples by Project Type
| Project Type | Outcome Metrics |
|---|---|
| New Onboarding Process | Time-to-productivity, retention at 90 days |
| Performance System Redesign | Quality of feedback, completion rates |
| DEI Training Initiative | Inclusion scores, sentiment shift, usage |
| HRIS Rollout | Login frequency, error reduction, support tickets |
Use both hard data (systems, surveys) and soft data (focus groups, interviews).
Calculating ROI in HR
ROI isn’t always about dollars—but it often can be.
Basic formula:
ROI = (Benefits – Costs) / Costs × 100
Where benefits might include:
- Time saved
- Attrition reduced
- Productivity gained
- Absenteeism lowered
- Engagement improved (linked to performance)
Tools to Support Evaluation
- Pulse surveys before/after
- System analytics (e.g. LMS, HRIS, intranet)
- Focus groups for qualitative insight
- Net Promoter Score (eNPS) for experience feedback
- Adoption dashboards
Track trends over time—not just launch week.
Learning from What Didn’t Work
Don’t just ask “Did we win?” Ask:
- What surprised us?
- What would we do differently?
- What feedback keeps recurring?
- Where did we over/underestimate complexity?
Hold retrospectives or post-mortems for major projects. Document lessons and share.
Final Thought
Success isn’t shipping—it’s shifting. It’s about what improved, not just what got done.
If HR wants to speak the language of business, it has to measure like business. Evaluation isn’t extra—it’s evidence.