New Hires
Count of employees whose first day fell within the reporting period. The growth-input side of the headcount equation, paired with `hr.voluntary_exits` and `hr.terminations` on the loss side. Common pitfall: counting accepted offers vs actual start dates — these can diverge by weeks (notice period) or fall through entirely (offer rescind, candidate ghosting). The board number should be actual starts, not signed offers; pipeline movement belongs in `hr.hiring_plan` narrative. — HR KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier)
No public third-party standard anchors this KPI yet, so I'mBoard authors and maintains the definition — transparently labeled as editorial tier. See the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system and the back-attribution workstream.
Rogue ID: hr.new_hires
Type: Number
Domain: HR
Definition
Count of employees whose first day fell within the reporting period. The growth-input side of the headcount equation, paired with hr.voluntary_exits and hr.terminations on the loss side. Common pitfall: counting accepted offers vs actual start dates — these can diverge by weeks (notice period) or fall through entirely (offer rescind, candidate ghosting). The board number should be actual starts, not signed offers; pipeline movement belongs in hr.hiring_plan narrative.
Formula
Count of employees whose official start date is within the reporting period. Exclude rehires within 90 days (boomerangs) from this count if the board has adopted that convention; otherwise include and note in `hr.talent_highlights`.Why it matters
Directly drives hr.headcount_change and validates execution against hr.hiring_plan. Persistent gaps between hiring-plan targets and actual new hires usually indicate either a pipeline problem or compensation-market mismatch — both board-action triggers.
How to interpret
Reconcile against hr.open_positions closed in period and against hr.hiring_plan targets. A new-hire count materially below plan (e.g. <70% of target for two consecutive periods) typically warrants a board conversation about recruiting capacity, comp band competitiveness, or scope realism (industry folk-wisdom, not citation-grade).
Related KPIs
hr.open_positionshr.hiring_planhr.headcount_changehr.avg_days_to_fillhr.key_hireshr.total_headcount
Source
I'mBoard editorial — authored and maintained by I'mBoard, first published 2026-04-01. No third-party standard is cited for this KPI; when one emerges, the definition is back-attributed and promoted to the published tier (a minor version bump). Read the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system, attribution rules, and dispute process.
Stage relevance
| Company stage | Priority |
|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | Recommended |
| Seed | Core |
| Series A | Core |
| Series B | Core |
| Series C+ | Recommended |
| Public | Recommended |
Suggested for stages: Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C+, Public.
Default owning functions
- HR
Machine-readable
- This KPI as JSON:
/api/ontology/hr/new_hires.json - All HR KPIs:
/api/ontology/hr.json - Full catalog:
/api/ontology/index.json
Leader Status
Tri-state leader status (permanent / interim / vacant) for each board-tracked department. Permanent shows name+title; interim shows the covering person; vacant shows the gap explicitly. The single most board-relevant org-design signal — an extended interim or vacant status in a strategic function is almost always a board-level concern. Common pitfall: leaving "interim" indefinitely as a way to avoid the search-and-hire conversation — boards should set a maximum interim duration and treat overruns as board-action items. Structural KPI; no formula. — HR KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
Open Positions
Count of board-approved roles that are currently posted and unfilled (requisition open, offer not yet accepted). The leading-edge indicator for upcoming hiring capacity demand. Common pitfall: "approved" drift — roles that were verbally green-lit but never went through the approval gate get counted here, inflating the number. The board number should match the approved headcount budget; everything else belongs in narrative as "pipeline ideas." — HR KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).