[Free Template] What Are HR FAST Goals? How To Combine with HR SMART Goals
When teams lack clear goals, they lose focus and have trouble tracking progress.
FAST goals provide a simple and flexible way to set objectives for fast-changing environments. Unlike traditional methods, FAST goals emphasize regular updates, clear and ambitious targets, and open communication. This helps teams stay aligned and ensures goals remain relevant. Employees whose goals match organizational priorities can even see their performance improve by up to 22%.
As priorities change, FAST goals help teams stay focused and adapt quickly. By keeping goals specific, visible, and regularly discussed, this approach drives better performance and steady progress.
Contents
What are FAST goals?
Benefits and challenges
HR FAST goals vs. HR SMART goals
Free HR FAST goals template
How to write FAST goals for HR in 5 steps
Best practices for setting HR FAST goals
5 examples of FAST goals
What are FAST goals?
If you’ve worked with SMART goals before, you’ll know they’re great for setting clear, measurable objectives. But in fast-paced, team-based environments, a more flexible approach can make all the difference. That’s where FAST goals come in – a goal-setting method designed for speed, visibility, and collaboration.
FAST stands for:
- Frequent discussions
- Ambitious
- Specific
- Transparent.
This method helps teams stay aligned and responsive as priorities shift—whether you’re setting recruitment goals, managing team performance, or focusing on professional development.
What makes FAST goals different?
- Frequent: FAST goals are reviewed regularly, not just once a year. This means weekly check-ins, monthly planning, or milestone reviews. Regular discussions help teams stay on track, identify challenges early, and make adjustments as needed. This approach works especially well for managing performance goals in fast-changing environments.
- Ambitious: These goals are meant to challenge your team and encourage growth beyond what’s comfortable or expected. They aim to push limits, develop new skills, and drive real progress. In high-performing environments, setting challenging targets helps keep energy, focus, and momentum high. When goals are tough but achievable, they give teams a clear purpose and can inspire innovation and improvement.
- Specific: Goals are clearly defined and unambiguous. Each goal is focused enough that it’s easy to understand what success looks like and how progress will be measured. This helps people prioritize the right actions and stay aligned.
- Transparent: Goals are visible across teams or the entire organization. Sharing them publicly creates accountability and encourages collaboration, as everyone can see how their work connects to broader objectives.
Why use FAST goals in HR?
Goals shouldn’t be static. FAST goals provide a flexible framework that helps teams stay aligned and adaptable. They’re especially useful for cross-functional teams, HR, project-based roles, or any situation where alignment and flexibility are important.
These types of goals also work well with other goal-setting methods. For example, you can set clear details with SMART goals and use the FAST approach to keep those goals visible, ambitious, and adaptable as things change.
Benefits and challenges
Benefits of FAST goals
- Encourages open communication and feedback: FAST goal setting thrives on regular discussions, helping managers and teams identify issues early and improve. In fast-paced areas like performance management or recruitment, this visibility keeps everything on track.
- Aligns teams with business goals: FAST goals are transparent and shared openly, making it easier for teams to align with business priorities. Everyone knows the key objectives, responsibilities, and how their work fits into the bigger picture—especially useful for cross-functional goals.
- Boosts accountability through transparency: Visible goals across the organization naturally increase accountability. This builds ownership and collaboration, especially for shared goals or group initiatives.
- Motivates with ambitious goals: Unlike traditional methods, FAST goals challenge and inspire. They push people to innovate, learn, and create a stronger performance-driven culture.
Challenges of FAST goal setting
- Requires commitment to frequent check-ins: Regular conversations are non-negotiable for FAST goals to work. This requires time and effort from both managers and teams, which can be a challenge in busy or resource-stretched environments.
- May be hard to track progress without the right tools: Because FAST goals can change quickly, tracking them can be tricky without a structured system in place. Whether it’s spreadsheets, dashboards, or performance management software, you’ll need the right tools to monitor and measure outcomes effectively.
- Can create pressure or burnout if not managed well: While ambition is a key strength of the FAST goals methodology, it can backfire if expectations aren’t realistic or if workloads aren’t balanced. This is especially true in teams already under pressure, where stretching too far without support could lead to stress or disengagement.
HR FAST goals vs. HR SMART goals
Meaning
- Frequent
- Ambitious
- Specific
- Transparent
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Main focus
Speed, alignment, and adaptability
Clarity and achievability
Goal timeframe
Reviewed frequently and adjusted as needed
Fixed timeframe (often quarterly or annually)
Visibility
Goals are shared openly across teams or the whole organisation
Goals may be kept private or shared selectively
Flexibility
Highly flexible, built to evolve with shifting priorities
More structured and fixed once set
Use case
Ideal for fast-paced, collaborative, or agile environments
Best for individual performance tracking or long-term planning
Feedback loop
Encourages ongoing discussion and real-time course correction
Often revisited only at review milestones
Motivation style
Driven by ambition, alignment, and shared accountability
Driven by achievable, measurable success markers
How to integrate FAST and SMART goals for HR
Goal setting in the workplace isn’t just about setting goals—it’s about aligning people with purpose, increasing engagement, and driving performance. Whether you’ve done it yourself or helped a manager with it, you know how important it is. Both SMART and FAST goals are valuable on their own, but combining them can deliver even better results.
Here’s how and why it works.
Start with SMART for structure
The SMART framework helps you get really clear on what you want to achieve. By setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, you create a solid foundation. This is especially useful for performance reviews, recruitment targets, onboarding timelines, or professional development planning.
For example:
“Reduce time-to-hire by 20% by Q3” is a classic SMART goal; it’s focused, measurable, and deadline-driven.
Apply FAST goal setting to make goals dynamic
Once you’ve defined the SMART goal, bring it to life using FAST goals methodology. That means:
- Frequent discussions: Schedule regular check-ins with your HR team or your HR manager to review progress and adjust goals as needed.
- Ambitious: Push your HR team and yourself to go beyond the bare minimum to achieve your goals.
- Specific: Always keep your HR goals clear and actionable to help measure progress and deliver results.
- Transparent: Share it openly with key stakeholders to boost collaboration and accountability.
So, instead of setting a goal and checking in once a year, you’re creating space for regular feedback, iteration, and alignment.
Why this hybrid approach works for HR
Integrating SMART and FAST goals gives HR professionals a flexible and focused way to manage goals across a range of areas – from employee engagement to training and retention. Some of the biggest benefits include:
- Improved performance tracking: HR SMART goals make it easy to measure progress; HR FAST keeps things visible and responsive. Together, they help HR stay on top of what’s working and what needs to change.
- Increased employee engagement: Employees are more motivated when their goals are both clearly defined and regularly discussed. FAST goal setting creates a rhythm of recognition, support, and accountability.
- Relevant, responsive goals: In HR, priorities shift constantly, whether it’s adapting to new tech, compliance updates, or workforce planning needs. A blended approach lets you stay structured without becoming rigid.
A real-world example of HR SMART and HR FAST goals combined
Let’s say you’re leading a project to improve onboarding:
- SMART goal: “Reduce new hire onboarding time by 25% within the next six months.”
- FAST in action: You hold monthly check-ins to assess progress and invite feedback from managers and new hires. Afterward, you adjust your onboarding process based on what you learn and share updates with your wider HR team.
The result? A clear target, but also a process that’s agile, collaborative, and continuously improving.
Free HR FAST goals template
Want to set clearer, more agile goals? Our free FAST goals template helps you structure goals around frequent check-ins, ambitious targets, specific outcomes, and transparent communication. Download it to get started with goal setting that keeps your team aligned and adaptable.
How to write FAST goals for HR in 5 steps
Step 1: Identify key business priorities
Start by understanding your organization’s current goals and challenges. Are you focused on improving retention? Reducing time-to-hire? Enhancing employee experience? Pinpointing what matters most to the business ensures your HR goals are aligned and meaningful.
Step 2: Draft clear, specific goals for individuals and teams
Using the FAST goals methodology, begin by writing goals that are specific and easy to understand. Avoid vague language. Each goal should state exactly what needs to be achieved and by whom. This brings focus and helps teams know what success looks like.
Step 3: Set ambitious targets that stretch performance
FAST goal setting encourages you to aim high. Set goals that push your team or department to go beyond the norm, whether it’s launching a new initiative, improving metrics, or developing new skills. Just make sure the ambition is balanced with realistic support.
Step 4: Make goals visible to everyone in the company
Visibility is a core part of FAST goals. Share your goals across teams and departments to create alignment and accountability. When people can see what others are working toward, it builds trust and encourages collaboration.
Step 5: Schedule regular reviews and feedback
Unlike traditional annual goals, FAST goals are designed to be reviewed frequently. Build regular check-ins into your calendar to assess progress, adjust plans if needed, and celebrate wins. This keeps goals relevant and top of mind.
Best practices for setting HR FAST goals
These tips will help you embed FAST goal setting into your team’s daily rhythm and ensure it supports a strong performance culture.
Use a digital tool or dashboard
Tracking and sharing goals in one central place helps everyone stay aligned. Whether it’s a performance management system, project tracker, or simply a shared dashboard, a visible digital space drives ownership and makes it easier to monitor progress in real time. This also supports transparency, one of the core principles of FAST goals.
Encourage cross-team alignment
HR goals often impact multiple departments, so it’s important to stay connected with other teams. For example, if you’re setting a goal to improve onboarding, align with IT and hiring managers to ensure the process is seamless. Shared visibility and collaboration help everyone stay focused on what matters most.
Train managers to give meaningful feedback
Since FAST goals rely on frequent discussions, managers need to be equipped to provide constructive, motivating feedback. Offering training in areas like coaching, active listening, and performance conversations will help create a culture where regular check-ins lead to real growth, not just updates.
5 examples of FAST goals
Example 1: Atlassian
Type of goals: Team performance and collaboration goals
Atlassian emphasizes open communication by sharing team goals publicly within the company. Teams utilize the “Goals, Signals, and Measures” play to visualize outcomes, track progress, and adjust strategies as needed. This encourages alignment and ensures everyone understands how their work contributes to broader objectives.
Example 2: Google
Type of goals: Innovation, productivity, and growth goals via OKRs
Google employs Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), aligning closely with FAST principles. OKRs are ambitious, specific, and openly shared across the organization. Regular reviews and a culture of transparency enable teams to adapt quickly and maintain focus on impactful objectives.
Example 3: Microsoft
Type of goals: Performance and learning goals in dynamic environments
Microsoft integrates dynamic goal-setting strategies through platforms like Viva Goals, which supports the creation and tracking of OKRs. This approach emphasizes visibility and ambition, allowing teams to stay aligned with organizational priorities and adapt to changes effectively.
Example 4: Adobe
Type of goals: Professional development and innovation goals
Adobe replaced traditional performance reviews with the “Check-In” system, promoting ongoing, two-way conversations between employees and managers. This approach emphasizes clear expectations, regular feedback, and discussions on growth and development, aligning with FAST goal principles.
Example 5: Spotify
Type of goals: Team OKRs and cross-functional project goals
Spotify’s model organizes cross-functional teams into “squads,” each functioning like a mini-startup with autonomy over their projects. Squads set shared OKRs that are reviewed regularly and made visible across departments, promoting transparency and collaboration.
To sum up
FAST goals are a goal-setting method built for fast-paced, team-based environments. Unlike SMART goals, which are typically fixed and reviewed occasionally, FAST goals are designed to be reviewed often, shared openly, and adjusted as needed. This makes them more suitable for teams that need to stay aligned and flexible. In HR, combining the structure of SMART goals with the adaptability of FAST goals can improve goal clarity, make tracking easier, and help teams respond to change more effectively.
Companies use elements of the FAST goals methodology to drive growth. Atlassian and Spotify promote open goal-sharing and regular reviews. Google uses OKRs that are ambitious and visible. Microsoft and Adobe focus on ongoing feedback and adaptable goals. These examples show how using FAST goals can help teams stay focused, improve performance, and stay aligned with changing priorities.
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