The HR Metric Trap: Why Asking Better Questions Leads to Smarter Decisions

How often do we get asked for a metric - attrition, headcount, time to hire - and rush to pull the data without stopping to ask why it matters?

We’ve all been there. But sometimes, the real challenge isn’t finding the answer, it’s making sure we’re asking the right question in the first place.

“What’s our attrition rate?”

“How many open roles do we have?”

“What’s our average time to hire?”

All important questions, but stopping there often leads to reactive decision-making.

What if, instead of just answering, we pushed back with better questions?

Here are 5 common people questions + the deeper questions to ask instead:

1️⃣ When asked: “What’s our turnover rate?”Ask: “Who are we losing, and why? Are we losing top performers, high-potential employees, or regrettable exits?”

2️⃣ When asked: “What’s our average time to hire?”Ask: “Are we hiring the right people faster or just filling roles? How does time to hire correlate with retention?”

3️⃣ When asked: “How engaged are our employees?”Ask: “Which teams are thriving, and which are struggling? What factors drive engagement differences across teams?”

4️⃣ When asked: “What’s our pay gap?”Ask: “Are there systemic patterns in pay disparities? How does compensation align with performance and promotions?”

5️⃣ When asked: “What’s our headcount?”Ask: “How does headcount align with business goals? Are we growing the right functions at the right pace?”

HR shouldn’t just be a source of answers, it should be the function that challenges assumptions and shifts conversations from reporting to strategy.