2 OKR examples for Talent Retention

What are Talent Retention OKRs?

The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.

Crafting effective OKRs can be challenging, particularly for beginners. Emphasizing outcomes rather than projects should be the core of your planning.

We have a collection of OKRs examples for Talent Retention to give you some inspiration. You can use any of the templates below as a starting point for your OKRs.

If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read more about the OKR meaning online.

Best practices for managing your Talent Retention OKRs

Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.

Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇

Tip #1: Limit the number of key results

The #1 role of OKRs is to help you and your team focus on what really matters. Business-as-usual activities will still be happening, but you do not need to track your entire roadmap in the OKRs.

We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.

Tability Insights DashboardTability's audit dashboard will highlight opportunities to improve OKRs

Tip #2: Commit to the weekly check-ins

Don't fall into the set-and-forget trap. It is important to adopt a weekly check-in process to get the full value of your OKRs and make your strategy agile – otherwise this is nothing more than a reporting exercise.

Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.

Tability Insights DashboardTability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparency

Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row

Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples below). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.

Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.

Building your own Talent Retention OKRs with AI

While we have some examples below, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. There are 2 options available to you.

Best way to track your Talent Retention OKRs

The rules of OKRs are simple. Quarterly OKRs should be tracked weekly, and yearly OKRs should be tracked monthly. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:

  • It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
  • It will highlight poorly set OKRs
  • It will surface execution risks
  • It improves transparency and accountability

Spreadsheets are enough to get started. Then, once you need to scale you can use a proper OKR platform to make things easier.

A strategy map in TabilityTability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRs

If you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.

Talent Retention OKRs templates

We've covered most of the things that you need to know about setting good OKRs and tracking them effectively. It's now time to give you a series of templates that you can use for inspiration!

You will find in the next section many different Talent Retention Objectives and Key Results. We've included strategic initiatives in our templates to give you a better idea of the different between the key results (how we measure progress), and the initiatives (what we do to achieve the results).

Hope you'll find this helpful!

OKRs to boost talent retention

  • ObjectiveIncrease Employee Retention
  • Key ResultCreate an employee recognition program
  • TaskSelect a method of recognizing employees who meet the criteria.
  • TaskSet goals and criteria for employee recognition.
  • TaskIdentify a reward system for employees who meet the criteria.
  • TaskCreate a system for tracking employee recognition.
  • Key ResultIncrease employee retention rate by 15%
  • TaskCreate an engaging work environment.
  • TaskDevelop a competitive benefits package.
  • TaskEstablish a career growth plan.
  • TaskImplement regular performance reviews.
  • Key ResultIncrease employee satisfaction ratings by 25%
  • TaskCreate a list of actionable items to improve employee satisfaction.
  • TaskMonitor employee satisfaction ratings and make adjustments as needed.
  • TaskSurvey employees to gain insight into their satisfaction levels.
  • TaskImplement a system to track employee satisfaction ratings.

OKRs to reinstate Intel's victorious culture and unify its talent pool

  • ObjectiveReinstate Intel's victorious culture and unify its talent pool
  • Key ResultImplement a quarterly team-building activity to foster unity among 95% of employees
  • TaskIdentify various team-building activities suitable for all employees
  • TaskMonitor employee participation, aiming for 95% involvement
  • TaskEstablish a scheduling and communication plan for activities
  • Key ResultIncrease talent retention rate to 90% through effective incentive programs
  • TaskImplement annual employee feedback surveys
  • TaskDevelop a comprehensive incentive program to reward employee performance
  • TaskProvide regular career development opportunities
  • Key ResultAchieve a 10% increase in internal promotion rate, strengthening our talent base
  • TaskCreate opportunities for internal growth and advancement
  • TaskImplement training programs to enrich employee skills and performance
  • TaskRegularly review and adjust promotion criteria

More Talent Retention OKR templates

We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.

OKRs resources

Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the Objectives and Key Results framework.