Formula
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Goals fully achieved | Goals that met their target by the end of the cycle, as confirmed by the manager. |
| Total goals set | All goals agreed at the start of the cycle, excluding goals formally dropped with a written reason. |
| Goal weight | The share of the employee's total goals that one goal represents, with all weights adding up to 100. |
| Percent achieved | How far the goal got against its target, capped at 100 unless your policy rewards over-achievement. |
Worked example
A sales team of 12 in Delhi NCR had 5 goals each for the April to September 2026 cycle, 60 goals in all, and 42 were fully achieved. Neha's five goals carried weights of 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10, and she achieved 100, 60, 100, 50 and 80 percent of them.
- Team goal completion rate = 42 / 60 x 100 = 70%
- Neha's goals fully achieved = 2 of 5, so her completion rate = 2 / 5 x 100 = 40%
- Neha's weighted achievement = (30 x 100 + 25 x 60 + 20 x 100 + 15 x 50 + 10 x 80) / 100
- = (3,000 + 1,500 + 2,000 + 750 + 800) / 100 = 8,050 / 100 = 80.5%
Completion rate or weighted achievement
The simple completion rate counts goals as done or not done, which is clear but harsh: a goal reached 95 percent counts the same as one never started. Weighted achievement gives credit for partial progress and for the importance of each goal, which suits individual reviews. Use the completion rate to judge whether goal setting is realistic across teams, and weighted achievement to discuss an individual's contribution.
What the rate says about goal setting
A completion rate close to 100 percent every cycle often means goals are too easy, while a very low rate every cycle means they are unrealistic or keep changing. Compare each team with its own previous cycles, and look at why goals were missed: lack of resources, changed priorities or performance. Record goals dropped during the cycle with a reason instead of quietly deleting them, so the rate stays honest.
- Completion rate by team and goal type: KPI, OKR, KRA, competency, task.
- Share of goals changed or dropped mid-cycle.
- Spread of weighted achievement across employees.
Pitfalls when measuring goals
Goals without a measurable target cannot be marked achieved fairly, so write each goal with a number, a date or a clear finished state. Mixing goal types distorts comparisons, because a sales target and a competency goal are judged differently. Be careful with over-achievement too: capping at 100 percent keeps weighted scores comparable, while allowing more rewards exceptional results but needs a written rule.
How to improve it
- Write every goal with a measurable target and a deadline.
- Limit each employee to a small number of weighted goals that add up to 100.
- Review progress with managers at least monthly, not only at the end of the cycle.
- Record any goal changed or dropped mid-cycle with a written reason.
- Calibrate goals across teams so similar roles carry similar stretch.
Tracking it in ZeniaHR
ZeniaHR's Performance module holds review cycles, whether annual, quarterly, monthly, probation or ad hoc, with a rating scale, and goals for each employee typed as KPI, OKR, KRA, competency or task, each with a weight. The cycle summary shows reviews by status. Actual results are reviewed against these weighted goals in the review meeting and recorded outside ZeniaHR, so take the goals and weights from Performance and calculate both rates in a spreadsheet.
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How do you calculate goal completion rate?
Divide the number of goals fully achieved in the review cycle by the total goals set for that cycle, then multiply by 100. Leave out goals formally dropped with a reason. For example, a team that fully achieved 42 of its 60 goals has a goal completion rate of 70 percent.
What is weighted goal achievement?
Weighted achievement multiplies each goal's weight by the percentage achieved, adds the results and divides by 100. With weights of 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 and achievement of 100, 60, 100, 50 and 80 percent, the weighted achievement is 8,050 / 100 = 80.5 percent. It rewards progress on important goals.
Should partially achieved goals count as completed?
Not in the simple completion rate, which counts only goals that fully met their target. Partial progress is captured by weighted achievement instead. Using both avoids two problems: counting half-done goals as done, and ignoring real progress on hard goals that fell just short.