Average tenure of employees of the organization as of the end of the reporting period.
Organizations should footnote all assumptions used. See usage guidance for further information.
This metric is intended to capture the average length of time individuals in permanent employment are employed by the organization. Organizations should exclude Temporary Employees (OI9028) from this calculation. To calculate tenure, subtract an employee’s (employment) start date from the earlier of the end date of the reporting period or their termination date during the reporting period. Sum the total number of days across all employees and then average as shown in the calculation. Where applicable, footnote the type of date used as an employment start date in the tenure calculation, such as “immediately upon employment” or “upon satisfactory completion of a probationary period.”
In addition to calculation assumptions, organizations are encouraged to footnote any narrative regarding average employee tenure.
In some contexts, this metric can be used to measure the duration that a specific outcome lasts for. In those cases, this metric may serve as an indicator for the HOW MUCH Duration dimension of impact. For more on the alignment of IRIS metrics to the five dimensions of impact, see IRIS+ and the Five Dimensions of Impact (https://iris.thegiin.org/document/iris-and-the-five-dimensions/). No single metric is sufficient to understand an impact; rather, metrics are selected as a set across all dimensions of impact. When possible, the selection of metrics to measure and describe the five dimensions should be based on best practice and evidence.
Metrics identified as "cross-category" are those that are relevant to any IRIS+ Impact Category or Impact Theme (i.e., these metrics are not specific to any particular industry/category or theme).
June 2022 - IRIS v5.3 Released (current version)
Immaterial change. Minor revision to usage guidance for clarity.
January 2020 - IRIS v5.1 Released
No change.
May 2019 - IRIS v5.0 Released
No change.
March 2016 - IRIS v4.0 Released
New metric. Average Employee Tenure (OI2248) was developed via the IRIS Taxonomy Group.
IRIS Metrics Work Better in Sets
To use IRIS metrics—and the resulting data—to understand impact performance, IRIS metrics should be used and analyzed in generally accepted sets and according to well-defined objectives. IRIS+ gives you access to generally accepted Core Metrics Sets aligned to common Impact Themes and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).