How to Write an HR Report

Preparing a human resources report requires knowledge of all the disciplines in the HR field, as well as an understanding of workplace needs, accomplishments and business strategy. Human resources reports may serve the same purpose as an HR audit. In an HR audit, employment records, projections, trends and management are major sections in determining the return on investment in human resources department activities.

Instructions

1. Discuss with your human resources director or company chief executive officer the purpose of an HR report. Determine if the report should address one specific area , some or all of the human resources department functions. Ask who will receive the report, because that may determine what type of confidential information should be disclosed.

2. Request employee census data from your human resources information systems staff or IT manager. Based on what your HR report covers, you may need the data to be sorted according to different variables, such as tenure and performance, department or division, and salary. If you are constructing a report for purposes of examining your equal opportunity employment policy, additional sorting based on race, sex, age, veteran status and disability will be necessary.

3. Review the employee data for accuracy and completeness. Make corrections and, if necessary, request a corrected version of the employee census report. Information such as employee position, tenure, race, sex, department assignments, attendance and performance must be accurate to produce a comprehensive report.

4. Gather copies of employment forms. A comprehensive HR report addresses policies and processes, therefore, review forms used for every type of employment action. Assemble applications, recruiter evaluation forms, performance appraisal documents, disciplinary and grievance reports, employee confidential information forms and a copy of your employee handbook.

5. Compose an outline of focus areas. Suggested areas include: legislation affecting changes to employee benefits; employment trends pertaining to the multigenerational work force; training and development for succession planning; promotional and professional development opportunities proven effective within your workplace; and, analysis of company turnover compared with other industries and businesses.

6. Conduct research about the areas you intend to analyze. Read articles, statistics, data and trade journals for information about human resources best practices for each focus area. Prepare a file for each topic, and place your research and relevant information about your workplace in each file. Organizing your research and data in this manner makes it easier to focus on one topic at a time.

7. Construct a written analysis for each focus area -- one area at a time. Ideally, your analysis will contain an explanation of the workplace data, a comparison of the data with past practices and current employment trends and a recommendation for improvement in each area of human resources and employment functions.

8. Draft an introduction to your HR report. Explain the purpose of the report, to whom the report is distributed and desired outcomes. Compose your draft with as much detail as possible, but keep the entire introduction to roughly three pages. A well-constructed executive summary is generally prepared after completing the report, much like the executive summary of a business plan. The reader should be able to read your introduction and understand the topic of every section in the report.

References

• Town of Normal, Illinois: 2005 Annual Report, Human Resources
• Ohio Administrative Code: 109-1-05 Human Resources Audit Committee
• The Institute of Internal Auditors: Human Resources: Auditing Your HR Function
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Strategic Human Resources Management

Resources

• National Labor Relations Board
• Society for Human Resource Management
• National Human Resources Association
• U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission