85 HR Statistics You Need to Know in 2024

The world of human resources is constantly changing.

Employees now wield more power than ever, thanks to gig jobs and technological advancements that allow for remote work. There is a persistent desire to strike a balance between work and life.

Because job opportunities are plentiful, employees have fewer reasons to rely on their employers – especially if they do not provide competitive employee pay and benefits.

HR professionals must continuously develop and maintain people-focused initiatives for employee satisfaction and smooth business operations. This necessitates understanding how detrimental a negative candidate experience can be to their talent pipeline and how vital it is to avoid unconscious bias during the hiring process.

We've compiled a set of leading HR statistics for 2024 to help HR departments avoid falling into costly potholes on the road to building an engaged, diverse, and qualified (read: the best) workforce. 

These stats are an excellent starting point for improving HR operations, especially if you’re unsure about choosing the right HR software to automate these processes. Let’s dive right in! 

Candidate experience in hiring statistics

A company’s primary asset is its employees. That is why many businesses compete for the best candidates. It is now only a matter of attracting the best people to apply and work for an organization. The solution is to concentrate on creating a positive candidate experience. Here are some interesting numbers to show the importance of candidate experience in hiring.

• 60% of applicants are unhappy with the time-consuming hiring processes.
• 70% of candidates are unwilling to submit a job application if it takes more than 15 minutes to complete.
• More than 60% of job seekers stated that if they received feedback during the process of an interview, even if they did not receive a job offer, they would be more likely to apply for a future job at the same company.
• 49% of job seekers have considered leaving their jobs in the last 12 months, the main reason being dissatisfaction with current pay.
• 76% of candidates accepted that a positive experience influenced their decision to accept a job offer. 
• 60% of candidates have left a positive online review after a good hiring experience, whereas 35% have left a negative review based on a bad experience.
• 53% of candidates claim they have been ghosted by an employer.
• 65% of global hiring organizations have lost their preferred candidates because the recruitment process was too long.
• 72% of job seekers say that they have shared their bad experience at a company with other people, either online or in person. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring statistics

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become an area of focus in various industries. To capture new markets, see innovation, and increase value, there is an inevitable need for every company to focus on and implement DEI programs. 

• 67% of job seekers want to join a diverse team. 
• 49% of candidates want employee benefits like gender affirmation paid leave.
• Almost 43% of candidates have had their names mispronounced in a job interview.
• 48% of Gen Z are ethnic and racial minorities.
• Gender-diverse organizations are 15% more likely to outperform the industry median in terms of financial returns.
• 54% of employees say their company pays the right amount of attention to increasing DEI at the workplace.
• Women make up only 19.7% of employees on corporate or organizational boards.
• Accessing venture capital with success is far more difficult for ethnic minority entrepreneurs than for white entrepreneurs.
• Six in ten employees say that they have company policies to ensure fairness in hiring, pay, or promotions.
• 52% of employees share that their workplace has training or meetings on DEI.
• 61% of women say focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing, whereas only 50% of men agree with the same.
• The under-30 group of employees is the most likely to say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing.

HR onboarding statistics

It’s a no-brainer that employers can win the hearts and minds of new employees during the onboarding process. Businesses must understand the positive impact this can have on the employee experience and the company's overall performance. Giving new hires a positive onboarding experience increases hire retention and influences their decision to stay with a company. 

• 88% of organizations struggle with their onboarding process.
• 46% of candidates say that a compatible company culture is essential when applying for a company. 
• Exceptional onboarding processes can retain more employees by 82%. 
• 12% of employees believe that their organization has a good onboarding infrastructure. 
• 36% of businesses experience a lack of technology that automates and organizes onboarding processes.
• 54% of organizations with onboarding processes saw increased employee engagement. 
• There are over 238 onboarding software providers. 
• A strong onboarding experience improves employee retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. 

Employee retention statistics

Employee retention has always been a significant concern in the workplace. It's not just about keeping staff satisfied – it's also about retaining talent and employing the best people for as long as possible.

• 79% of employees believe in work-life balance.
• 57% of individuals are willing to look for a new job within the following year. 
• 76% of respondents are satisfied with their jobs. 
• 61% of employers say they are struggling with employee retention, while 73% have difficulty attracting new employees.
• Companies prioritizing positive workplace culture get up to a 19% increase in sales, a 29% higher profit, and a 72% decrease in attrition rate.
• Employees in their first job have a turnover rate of 33%. 
• The total expenses put into replacing highly-trained employees can exceed about 200% of their annual salary.
• 76% of employees want flexibility at work. 
• 46% of workers feel connected to their companies and managers. 
• 63.3% of workers leave jobs for preventable reasons. 
• 87% of workers report that they are productive at work.
• More than 50% of employees feel confident about finding a better position with better pay.

Employee burnout statistics

Prior to COVID-19, a workplace pandemic was already spreading: employee burnout. The World Health Organization (WHO) referred to burnout as a "syndrome" caused by "chronic workplace stress" in 2019. Burnout is known to be an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition, but it can lead to severe physical and mental health concerns.

• 67% of employees felt the pandemic had aggravated burnout. 
• 27% of employees are unable to disconnect from work.
• 16% of individuals have been unable to take a break from work during the pandemic. 
• 37% of workers say they are working longer hours than usual since the pandemic.
• 74% of workers have burnout in their current jobs. 
• 36% of workers say that organizations have no employee retention infrastructure in place. 
• 42% of working parents have experienced burnout at work. 
• 57% of employees feel that they need to be accessible to their employers 24/7. 
• Experiencing unreasonable time constraints has led to 70% more burnout. 
• 75% of senior HR leaders say that offering flexible working hours to employees is one of the most successful ways to overcome burnout. 
• Only 51% of workers believe they have the required emotional support at work to manage their stress.

Corporate wellness statistics

Every organization strives to increase employee productivity. There have been several studies in the past few years on how employees' mental and physical health affects their work. The business world has discovered that happy and healthy workers are better workers. 

• 38% of employees in a wellness program revealed that it helps them take fewer sick leaves. 
• Employees who don't exercise are 50% more likely to have poor productivity than those who do. 
• 53% of small businesses and 81% of large companies have a formal wellness program in place. 
• 63% of health-conscious individuals want wearable fitness devices to help maintain a healthy weight, and 62% want to lower their health insurance premiums. 
• There are 130 primary corporate wellness software tools on the market. 
• Mental well-being, stress, and burnout are topmost priorities for 86% of employers. 
• Only 25% of employees in the U.S. feel that their organization cares about their well-being.
• 33% of employees working for U.S. organizations report that their job somewhat negatively impacts their mental health.
• 16% of employees state their reason for leaving a firm is to get access to or switch to better health insurance.

Employee engagement statistics

Employee engagement is imperative to the success of any business. If an organization wants to stay competitive in the industry, it has to develop an effective employee strategic plan.

One of the key drivers of employee engagement is an organization's internal communication strategy. Employees feel more informed, secure, and motivated when their companies have an excellent internal communications strategy.

• There are over 525 employee engagement software tools and apps. 
• 90% of managers reveal that their teams’ productivity and attitudes drive their company’s earnings. 
• Only 36% of workers are actively engaged at work. 
• 13% of employees in the US are disengaged at work. 
• Only 32% of U.S. employees were engaged in 2022. However, there are several organizations that have more than doubled this percentage.
• Only 21% of employees in remote-ready jobs are working fully on-site.
• Highly engaged employees bring an average of 20% more sales.
• Nearly 80% of employees worldwide are disengaged at work, despite more effort from companies.

HR technology statistics

When it comes to recruiting, businesses must consider costs beyond the salary and benefits of a new hire. Human resources departments and teams have begun turning to new technologies and data to streamline their processes and realize efficiencies to reduce these costs and better utilize their time. Here are some facts that demonstrate the growing importance of technology in HR.

• 95% of HR professionals are either using or planning to use technology to manage work.
• 53% of organizations are using technology to streamline their employee training processes.
• According to 23% of HR leaders, technology implementation cost is the top reason that prevents them from using disruptive technologies. 
• There are 86 different HCM software providers. 
• Only 16% of businesses use technology to track the progress and engagement of their employees. 
• 21% of HR leaders state concerns about the security of critical data stored on the cloud as a top HR tech challenge.
• 51% of organizations have reported that recruitment and retention have seen improvements with HR tech solutions.
• 47% of organizations are embracing mobile-first technology for HR functions.

More than just numbers

These statistics give HR managers an insight into the best and worst ways to recruit, hire, and develop top talent. When combined with HR software, the HR department is sure to improve its people-related processes.

The business of creating HR solutions is booming, and HR managers can access just about any solution they need to overcome personnel obstacles, from hiring to retention.