OKR template: How to set objectives and key results for your team

OKR template: How to set objectives and key results for your team

Every successful business has one thing in common. They have a set of clearly defined, ambitious goals that guide their every decision. 

The last thing you want to have happen is having your goals written on your office whiteboard and glanced at once every so often. You need a system that will make everyone accountable, tracking the entire process to achieving them. 

This is where the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework comes in. It’s a powerful goal-setting framework for aligning your entire team around measurable outcomes, driving focus and accelerating growth to reach your company goals. Using an OKR template like this can help you implement the structure needed to effectively implement this framework.

Download your OKR template today by filling out the form on the right.

What are OKRs?

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) is an ambitious goal-setting framework used by companies to execute strategy. The methodology breaks down ambitious goals into manageable, measurable steps.

• Objectives are the ambitious, qualitative goals you want to achieve. They answer the question, “Where do we want to go?”
• Key Results are the quantitative, measurable outcomes that show you’ve achieved your objective. They answer the question, “How will we know we’re there?”

The OKR framework helps organisations bridge the gap between strategy and execution. It creates a clear line of sight from the company’s highest-level priorities down to the daily work of each employee, making sure that everyone is working in the same direction.

Why use an OKR template?

While the OKR concept is straightforward, putting it into practice can be challenging. An OKR template can help simplify the process, providing a structured format that saves time and prevents common mistakes.

Provides structure

A template gives you a ready-made framework, so you don’t have to start from scratch. It guides you through defining objectives and setting each crucial key result. 

Provides consistency

Using a consistent template across all departments ensures everyone sets and tracks goals in the same way. This makes it easier to align efforts and measure progress across the organisation.

Saves time

Instead of designing your own tracking system, you can get straight to the important work of setting impactful goals. 

Avoids common pitfalls

Newcomers to OKRs often make mistakes, like setting vague objectives or key results that aren’t measurable. A good OKR framework template prompts you to create well-defined, actionable goals from the start.

How to use your free OKR template

We’ve made the OKR template easy for you to get started.

1. Download the template: Choose the format that works best for your team (e.g. quarterly or annual).
2. Familiarise Your team: Hold a brief session to explain the OKR methodology and walk through the template.
3. Start the planning process: Use the template in your OKR planning session to collaboratively define objectives and key results.
4. Track and review: Update the template regularly to track progress and use it as a focal point during weekly 1:1s and quarterly reviews.

We’ve used an HR Manager example throughout to show how it all fits together, however every section is fully editable and customisable. You can adjust objectives, targets and timelines to align with your business’s unique priorities, whether that’s for your people and culture team, marketing team or support team. The structure gives you a clear, flexible framework to align your team strategy with your wider business goals.

Download your OKR template today by filling out the form on the right.

The difference between objectives and key results

Understanding the distinction between objectives and key results is critical to using the OKR framework correctly. They work alongside one another, but serve different purposes.

What are objectives in OKRs?

Objectives are memorable, qualitative descriptions of what you want to achieve. They should be ambitious, inspiring and aligned with your broader company strategy.  

Examples of good objectives:

• Create a world-class customer onboarding experience.
• Become the recognised market leader in our industry.
• Build a high-performance sales culture.

What are key results in OKRs?

Key results are the measurable outcomes that prove you’ve met your objective. Each objective should have 3–5 key results. A key result must be specific, time-bound and measurable. If it doesn’t have a number, it’s not a key result.

We’ve included some examples of key results for the objective above, “Create a world-class customer onboarding experience”:

• Key result 1: Increase customer satisfaction (CSAT) score for onboarding from 80% to 95% by the end of Q3.
• Key result 2: Reduce time-to-value for new customers from 14 days to 7 days by the end of Q3.
• Key result 3: Achieve a 98% completion rate for the new in-app onboarding tutorial by the end of Q3.

Benefits of using OKRs for your team

Implementing OKRs can transform how your team works, leading to significant improvements in performance and engagement.

• Improved alignment: OKRs ensure that every team and team member understands how their own work contributes to the company goals.
• Enhanced focus: By limiting the number of objectives, the framework forces teams to prioritise what truly matters, eliminating any distractions along the way.
• Increased motivation: Ambitious, “stretch” goals challenge the entire team and foster a culture of achievement. Seeing measurable progress on a key result is a powerful motivator.
• Better performance: The combination of focus, alignment and transparency drives better results. It shifts the focus from outputs (tasks completed) to outcomes (impact delivered).

When should you use OKRs at work?

The best thing about OKRs is that they are extremely versatile. They’re particularly effective for:

• Quarterly and annual planning: Use an OKR planning template to set clear priorities for the upcoming quarter or year.
• New product launches: Align marketing, sales and product teams around a successful launch by defining shared objectives and measurable key results.
• Performance cycles: Integrate OKRs into your performance management process to set clear expectations and measure employee contributions. This pairs well with a robust performance management software system.
• Driving strategic initiatives: When embarking on a major company change, like entering a new market or overhauling a process, OKRs keep everyone focused on the outcomes.

How to set OKRs: step-by-step guide

Follow this guide to run an effective OKR planning session and set your team up for success.

Step 1: Prepare for your OKR planning session

Before you start writing OKRs, you need to prepare. Review the company’s high-level strategic goals. The best OKRs are brainstormed collaboratively, so involve managers and key team members in the process. You also need to make sure that your OKRs ladder up to the broader company goals. 

Step 2: Define your objectives

Start by brainstorming potential objectives. What are the most important things your team needs to accomplish in the next quarter? Remember to keep them ambitious and inspiring. Aim to define objectives that are clear, concise and motivational.

Step 3: Set key results for each objective

For each objective, define 3-5 key results that will measure its achievement. A key result must be a measurable outcome, not a task. Ask yourself: “What numbers will change if we are successful?” This is the most critical part of setting a good key result. You don’t want to fall into the trap of creating a ‘laundry list’. 

Step 4: Assign ownership of key results

While the team shares ownership of the objective, each key result should have a single owner. This person is responsible for tracking progress and reporting on that specific metric. This creates accountability without creating silos.

Step 5: Track and score your OKRs

Setting OKRs is not a “set it and forget it” exercise. You must track progress regularly (ideally weekly). At the end of the cycle, score each key result to see how you performed.  You can find how to track your OKRs effectively in our OKR template. 

How many OKRs should you set?

When it comes to OKRs, less is more. A common mistake is setting too many OKRs, which dilutes focus. The best practice is to set 3 to 5 objectives per team, per quarter. Each objective should have no more than 5 key results. This forces you to prioritise and focus on what will have the biggest impact.

OKR template examples for different teams

Here are some examples of what OKRs might look like for different departments. Notice how each key result is a specific, measurable outcome.

Sales team OKR example

Objective: Accelerate revenue growth in the enterprise segment.

• Key result 1: Increase new enterprise bookings from $500k to $750k.
• Key result 2: Grow the enterprise sales pipeline from $2M to $4M.
• Key result 3: Shorten the average sales cycle for enterprise deals from 90 to 75 days.

HR team OKR example

Objective: Create an amazing employee experience.

• Key result 1: Improve employee satisfaction (eNPS) score from +20 to +40.
• Key result 2: Reduce voluntary employee turnover from 15% to 10%.
• Key result 3: Increase participation in professional development programs by 30%. Implementing a professional development plan template can help achieve this.

Marketing team OKR example

Objective: Become the leading voice in our industry.

• Key result 1: Increase organic website traffic by 50%.
• Key result 2: Double the number of marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) from 1,000 to 2,000 per month.
• Key result 3: Secure 20 media placements in top-tier industry publications.

Common OKR mistakes to avoid

To make your OKR implementation a success, it’s important to steer clear of a few common mistakes. One of the biggest pitfalls is setting too many OKRs. This can quickly dilute focus and make it harder for your team to prioritise. You’ll want to aim for three to five clear, impactful objectives. 

Another frequent issue is writing vague key results. For example, “Improve customer engagement” doesn’t tell your team what success looks like, whereas “Increase daily active users by 15%” gives them a measurable goal to aim for. 

It’s also crucial not to confuse key results with tasks. Remember, a key result is an outcome, not an activity. “Launch new feature” is a task, while “Achieve 20% adoption of the new feature” reflects the impact you’re aiming for. 

Finally, don’t fall into the “set and forget” trap. OKRs need consistent attention — regular check-ins and progress tracking are what keep them effective. Use an OKR tracking template to stay aligned and on course throughout the quarter.

The OKR scoring system explained

At the end of your cycle (usually a quarter), you should score each key result to reflect on performance. The most common scoring system uses a scale from 0.0 to 1.0.

• 0.7 – 1.0: Green (Goal achieved). A score of 1.0 means you fully hit your ambitious target. Hitting 0.7 is considered a success.
• 0.4 – 0.6: Yellow (Made progress, but fell short). This is a valuable learning opportunity.
• 0.0 – 0.3: Red (Failed to make significant progress). This requires a deep analysis of what went wrong.

The goal isn’t to hit 1.0 on every key result. If you are, your goals probably aren’t ambitious enough. The sweet spot for good “stretch” goals is around 0.6 to 0.7.

How to track OKR progress monthly

Consistent tracking of your OKRs is the key for success. Set aside time for monthly or even weekly check-ins where the team updates their progress. Use a shared simple OKR template or the one in Employment Hero. These check-ins can help you identify roadblocks and adapt tactics. They’re a powerful supplement to your regular performance conversations, like those set out in our  1-on-1s bundle.

How to align OKRs across the business

True alignment happens when OKRs cascade and connect throughout the business.

1. Company-level OKRs: The leadership team sets 3-5 ambitious annual OKRs that define success for the business.
2. Team-level OKRs: Each department or team then creates its quarterly OKRs that directly contribute to the company’s OKRs.
3. Transparency is key: Everyone in the company should be able to see everyone else’s OKRs. This transparency fosters collaboration and ensures everyone is working towards the same outcomes.

Company-level OKRs vs team-level OKRs

Let’s take a look at how company-level OKRs differ from team-level OKRs. 

OKR Level	Description	Example Objective	Example Key Result
Company-level OKRs	Broad, high-level goals that reflect the company’s biggest strategic priorities. Typically set for the year, they define the overarching direction and success measures for the business.	Dominate the Australian market.	Achieve 50% market share in our primary vertical.
Team-level OKRs	More tactical and focused, team-level OKRs outline how each department contributes to achieving the company-level objectives. They turn strategy into actionable goals.	Marketing team example: Generate a huge pipeline of qualified leads.	Deliver 5,000 sales-qualified leads to support the company revenue goal.

Individual OKRs: when and how to use them

While company and team OKRs are essential, individual OKRs can be more complex. 

They can sometimes feel like micromanagement or a disguised to-do list. However, they can be useful in performance management when tied to personal growth and development, separate from compensation. 

Instead of rigid OKRs, consider using them in tools like as part of a performance review to give employees clear, measurable goals for their role. A 360-degree review template can also provide feedback that informs personal objectives.

OKR software and tools

While a simple OKR template in a spreadsheet is a great starting point, dedicated software like Employment Hero becomes invaluable as you scale. OKR software automates tracking, improves visibility and makes it easier to link OKRs across teams.  

Download your OKR template

Ready to drive focus, alignment and performance in your business? Stop talking about goals and start achieving them with our free OKR template.

Download your OKR template today by filling out the form on the right.

Disclaimer: The information in this guide is current as of 27 October 2025, and has been prepared by Employment Hero Pty Ltd (ABN 11 160 047 709) and its related bodies corporate (Employment Hero). The views expressed in this guide are general information only, are provided in good faith to assist employers and their employees, and should not be relied on as professional advice. The Information is based on data supplied by third parties. While such data is believed to be accurate, it has not been independently verified and no warranties are given that it is complete, accurate, up to date or fit for the purpose for which it is required. Employment Hero does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy in such data and is not liable for any loss or damages arising either directly or indirectly as a result of reliance on, use of or inability to use any information provided in this article. You should undertake your own research and to seek professional advice before making any decisions or relying on the information in this guide.