Report decisions, not decorative numbers
Course overview · 4 min reading + 12 min practice, estimated
Principles and method
A useful report names the question, definitions, observations, uncertainty and proposed action. Show counts alongside percentages and make exclusions visible. Compare similar cohorts and note changes in market conditions or role mix. Do not call a correlation causal without an appropriate design. Include candidate experience, evidence quality and workload guardrails. Give each action an owner and a review date. Retire metrics that encourage harmful behaviour, such as maximising interviews regardless of relevance. The report should help the team choose a next step, including gathering more evidence when needed.
Worked example
A weekly report recommends fixing brief approval because repeated rework explains most observed delay. It includes the affected case count, an alternative explanation and a two-week pilot, rather than merely colouring a time metric red.
Put it into practice
Write a one-page dashboard specification with five metrics and two decision rules.
Use fictional information and keep your work in your own notes.
Compare your approach: self-review guidance
For every metric, identify the action it can inform and its limitation. Include at least one quality guardrail and one measure of unfinished work.
Sources and further reading
Original Academy teaching and fictional examples. These references provide context, not endorsement. Edition 2026.09; updated 2026-09-24.
- CIPD: Recruitment
Professional context for the recruitment lifecycle.
- MIT: Little's formula and queueing systems
Technical background for interpreting work in progress, throughput and flow time.