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# hr-operations

> Manage hiring pipelines, analyze compensation data, create performance review templates, and design onboarding checklists. Use when building HR processes, conducting comp analysis, designing review cycles, or structuring employee onboarding.

# HR Operations

Operational HR framework for hiring pipeline management, compensation analysis, performance reviews, and employee onboarding. Covers the process-oriented side of people operations — not strategic workforce planning (which is the CHRO agent's domain).

## Use this skill when

- Designing or analyzing a hiring pipeline (stages, conversion rates, time-to-fill)
- Conducting compensation benchmarking and pay band analysis
- Creating performance review templates and calibration processes
- Building employee onboarding checklists (pre-start through 90 days)
- Calculating HR metrics (attrition, eNPS, cost-per-hire)
- Designing org-level review cycles

## Do not use this skill when

- Setting company-wide people strategy or culture (use CHRO agent directly)
- Planning OKRs or goal-setting frameworks (use `brainstorm-okrs`)
- Running employee engagement surveys (use CHRO agent for strategy)
- Handling legal employment matters (use `legal-contract-review` for contract aspects)

## Instructions

1. **Identify the HR operation** — hiring, compensation, performance, or onboarding.
2. **Apply the relevant framework** from the sections below.
3. **Use templates** to standardize output across the organization.
4. **Track metrics** using the HR Metrics Framework for ongoing measurement.

---

## Hiring Pipeline Dashboard

### Pipeline Stages & Benchmarks

| Stage | Description | Target Conversion | Target Duration |
|-------|------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| **Sourced** | Candidate identified (inbound or outbound) | — | — |
| **Applied / Screened** | Resume review passed | 20-30% of sourced | 2-3 days |
| **Phone Screen** | Recruiter screen completed | 40-60% of screened | 3-5 days |
| **Technical / Skills Assessment** | Skills evaluation passed | 30-50% of phone screens | 5-7 days |
| **Onsite / Final Interview** | Full interview loop completed | 50-70% of assessments | 5-10 days |
| **Offer Extended** | Offer made | 70-90% of onsites | 2-3 days |
| **Offer Accepted** | Candidate accepts | 80-90% of offers | 3-7 days |
| **Started** | First day completed | 95%+ of accepted | Per start date |

### Pipeline Health Metrics

| Metric | Formula | Benchmark | Action if Off |
|--------|---------|-----------|---------------|
| **Time-to-Fill** | Days from req open to offer accepted | 30-45 days (IC), 45-60 days (manager+) | Review bottleneck stage |
| **Cost-per-Hire** | (Internal costs + External costs) / Hires | $3-5K (IC), $10-20K (senior/exec) | Optimize source mix |
| **Source Effectiveness** | Hires per source / Candidates per source | Referrals: 2-5x better than job boards | Invest in high-yield channels |
| **Offer Acceptance Rate** | Offers accepted / Offers extended | >85% | Review comp competitiveness |
| **Quality of Hire** | Performance rating at 6-12 months | >80% meeting/exceeding expectations | Review interview process |

### Pipeline Report Template

```markdown
## Hiring Pipeline — [Period]

**Open Requisitions:** [X] | **Hires This Period:** [X] | **Avg Time-to-Fill:** [X] days

| Role | Stage | Days in Stage | Recruiter | Hiring Manager | Notes |
|------|-------|--------------|-----------|----------------|-------|
| | | | | | |

### Funnel Conversion (Period)
| Stage Transition | Volume | Conversion | Benchmark | Delta |
|-----------------|--------|------------|-----------|-------|
| Sourced → Screened | | % | 25% | |
| Screened → Phone | | % | 50% | |
| Phone → Assessment | | % | 40% | |
| Assessment → Onsite | | % | 60% | |
| Onsite → Offer | | % | 80% | |
| Offer → Accepted | | % | 85% | |
```

---

## Compensation Analysis Framework

### Market Benchmarking Process

| Step | Action | Data Source |
|------|--------|------------|
| 1 | Define comparison cohort (industry, size, geo, role) | Radford, Pave, Levels.fyi, Option Impact |
| 2 | Pull market data at P25, P50, P75 | Survey data + real-time platforms |
| 3 | Map internal roles to market equivalents | Job architecture / leveling framework |
| 4 | Compare internal comp to market percentile targets | Internal HRIS data |
| 5 | Identify outliers (below P25 or above P75) | Comp analysis output |
| 6 | Build adjustment recommendations | Budget-constrained optimization |

### Pay Band Design

| Level | P25 (Below Market) | P50 (Market Rate) | P75 (Above Market) | Spread |
|-------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------|
| IC1 (Junior) | $ | $ | $ | ±15-20% |
| IC2 (Mid) | $ | $ | $ | ±15-20% |
| IC3 (Senior) | $ | $ | $ | ±20-25% |
| IC4 (Staff) | $ | $ | $ | ±20-25% |
| M1 (Manager) | $ | $ | $ | ±20-25% |
| M2 (Director) | $ | $ | $ | ±25-30% |
| M3 (VP) | $ | $ | $ | ±25-30% |

### Total Compensation Modeling

| Component | IC (Individual Contributor) | Manager+ |
|-----------|---------------------------|----------|
| Base Salary | 60-70% of total comp | 50-60% of total comp |
| Variable / Bonus | 10-15% | 15-25% |
| Equity (RSUs / Options) | 15-25% | 20-30% |
| Benefits | 5-10% | 5-10% |

### Internal Equity Analysis

```markdown
## Compensation Equity Review — [Department/Team]

| Employee | Role | Level | Tenure | Base | Total Comp | Market % | Compa-Ratio | Flag |
|----------|------|-------|--------|------|------------|----------|-------------|------|
| | | | | $ | $ | P[X] | X.XX | |

**Compa-Ratio:** Employee pay / Pay band midpoint (1.0 = at midpoint)
- <0.85 = Below range (retention risk)
- 0.85-1.15 = Within range (healthy)
- >1.15 = Above range (review justification)
```

---

## Performance Review Templates

### Self-Assessment Template

```markdown
## Self-Assessment — [Name] — [Review Period]

### Accomplishments
1. [Achievement with quantified impact]
2. [Achievement with quantified impact]
3. [Achievement with quantified impact]

### Areas for Growth
1. [Skill or behavior to develop]
2. [Skill or behavior to develop]

### Goals for Next Period
1. [Specific, measurable goal]
2. [Specific, measurable goal]

### Career Aspirations
[Where I want to grow in the next 12-24 months]
```

### Manager Assessment Template

```markdown
## Manager Assessment — [Employee Name] — [Review Period]

### Performance Summary
**Overall Rating:** [Exceeds / Meets / Developing / Below]

### Key Accomplishments
1. [With business impact]
2. [With business impact]

### Strengths
- [Strength with evidence]
- [Strength with evidence]

### Development Areas
- [Area with specific examples and improvement plan]
- [Area with specific examples and improvement plan]

### Rating Justification
[Evidence-based narrative — avoid recency bias, include full period]

### Compensation Recommendation
- Merit increase: [X]%
- Promotion: [Yes/No — if yes, to what level]
- Equity refresh: [Yes/No — amount]
```

### Calibration Process

| Step | Action | Participants |
|------|--------|-------------|
| 1 | Managers submit initial ratings | Direct managers |
| 2 | Pre-calibration: review distribution | HR Business Partner |
| 3 | Calibration session: discuss outliers | Manager peers + skip-level |
| 4 | Adjust ratings based on cross-team view | Managers |
| 5 | Final approval | Department head |
| 6 | Deliver reviews to employees | Direct managers |

**Rating Distribution Guidance (avoid forced ranking):**
| Rating | Target Distribution | Notes |
|--------|-------------------|-------|
| Exceeds Expectations | 15-20% | Truly exceptional, not just "good" |
| Meets Expectations | 60-70% | Solid performance at level |
| Developing | 10-15% | New to role or specific growth areas |
| Below Expectations | 5-10% | Requires performance improvement plan |

---

## Employee Onboarding Checklist

### Pre-Start (Before Day 1)

- [ ] IT equipment ordered and configured (laptop, monitors, peripherals)
- [ ] Software accounts provisioned (email, Slack, GitHub, HRIS, etc.)
- [ ] Building access / badge arranged
- [ ] Welcome email sent with Day 1 logistics
- [ ] Manager prep: 30/60/90 plan drafted, buddy assigned
- [ ] Onboarding calendar populated (orientation, training, 1:1s)

### Week 1: Orientation

- [ ] HR orientation (benefits enrollment, policies, compliance training)
- [ ] Manager 1:1: goals, expectations, communication preferences
- [ ] Team introductions and stakeholder meetings
- [ ] Buddy assigned and first buddy check-in
- [ ] Dev environment / tooling setup (engineering roles)
- [ ] Review team norms, rituals, and documentation

### Day 30: Foundation

- [ ] Completed all required compliance training
- [ ] Attended at least one cross-functional meeting
- [ ] Delivered first small contribution (PR, analysis, design, etc.)
- [ ] Manager 1:1 review: progress check, blockers, feedback
- [ ] 30-day survey: onboarding experience feedback

### Day 60: Contribution

- [ ] Independently handling core responsibilities
- [ ] Building relationships beyond immediate team
- [ ] Participated in team planning/sprint activities
- [ ] Manager 1:1: development conversation, skill gaps identified
- [ ] Buddy check-in: social integration and cultural acclimation

### Day 90: Integration

- [ ] Fully productive at expected level for tenure
- [ ] Probation review completed (if applicable)
- [ ] Manager 1:1: formal 90-day review, goal-setting for next quarter
- [ ] 90-day survey: onboarding effectiveness
- [ ] Onboarding formally concluded — transition to steady-state 1:1 cadence

---

## HR Metrics Framework

| Metric | Formula | Benchmark | Frequency |
|--------|---------|-----------|-----------|
| **Attrition Rate** | Departures / Avg headcount x 100 | <15% annual (tech) | Monthly |
| **Regrettable Turnover** | High-performer departures / Total departures | <30% of total attrition | Quarterly |
| **eNPS** | % Promoters - % Detractors | >30 = good, >50 = excellent | Quarterly |
| **Offer Acceptance Rate** | Accepted / Extended x 100 | >85% | Monthly |
| **Time-to-Fill** | Avg days from req open to accepted | 30-45 days | Monthly |
| **Cost-per-Hire** | Total recruiting spend / Hires | $3-5K IC, $10-20K senior | Quarterly |
| **Span of Control** | Direct reports per manager | 5-8 (IC teams), 3-5 (manager of managers) | Annually |
| **Diversity** | % representation by dimension | Set org-specific targets | Quarterly |

---

## Common Mistakes

- **Compensation decisions without market data** — internal perception of "fair pay" often diverges from market reality; always benchmark
- **Performance reviews without clear criteria** — vague criteria lead to bias; use rubrics tied to level expectations
- **Onboarding that ends after Day 1** — orientation is not onboarding; the 30/60/90 framework is the minimum
- **Hiring pipeline without source attribution** — if you don't know which sources produce the best hires, you can't optimize
- **Forced ranking** — forces managers to label good performers as poor; use guided distribution instead
- **Ignoring span of control** — managers with 15+ reports cannot coach effectively; restructure before it becomes a retention issue

---

## Additional Resources

- Related skill: `brainstorm-okrs` (goal-setting alignment for performance reviews)
- Radford / Pave / Levels.fyi — compensation benchmarking data
- SHRM — HR operations best practices
