19 Examples of Engineering OKRs & How to Implement Them Effectively

There’s no shortage of engineering metrics and KPIs in software development. But without context and purpose, tracking lead time or throughput won’t tell you much about the efficiency or quality of engineering work.

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) is a collaborative Agile goal-setting framework that adds meaning to metrics. OKRs combine high-level, more business-oriented goals that explain why work is being done with quantifiable results.

The goal of OKRs is to provide engineering teams with alignment and focus, so they’re not churning out code without direction. In this guide, you’ll learn why OKRs are important, how to implement them, and 19 examples to get you started.

What Are Engineering OKRs?

When used correctly, OKRs provide a framework for engineers to understand the “why” behind their work while measuring their progress and impact.

OKRs are made up of two parts:

• Objectives: A clear, high-level, qualitative statement of what you want to achieve.
• Key Results: Quantifiable, measurable outcomes that indicate progress toward the objective.

Often, teams will identify a handful of key results to ladder up to each objective. For example, an engineering team might set an OKR to “improve system reliability” with key results around reducing incident frequency, shortening recovery time, and increasing test coverage.

Many teams will set OKRs based on different focus areas, such as OKRs for quality assurance or security. OKRs for your team – and who defines them – will likely depend on the size and structure of your organization.

For example, startups might prioritize product development OKRs while enterprises with more mature software engineering programs may hone in on process-oriented goals.

Tips for Writing Effective Engineering OKRs

If you’re struggling to draft OKRs for your teams, take a structured approach. Here’s how to get started with setting OKRs that drive results:

1. Start with business impact: Ask what the engineering team is ultimately trying to influence – customer satisfaction, revenue growth, reduced risk? Anchor objectives in outcomes that matter to the company.
2. Define a clear objective: Your objective should be qualitative, inspirational, and easy to understand. It’s the direction you’re heading – think of it as the “what” and “why.”
3. Craft measurable key results: Each objective should have two to four key results that define success. Focus on outcomes, not tasks. Use metrics you can track regularly and consistently.
4. Test and refine: Share draft OKRs with your team or leadership for feedback. Make sure the key results are realistic, aligned with your timelines, and actually measure what matters.

19 OKR Examples for Engineering Teams (By Type & Role)

You can tailor OKRs to match your team’s focus area – whether that’s product (e.g., improve product retention), performance (e.g., optimize app load times), quality (e.g., improve automated test coverage), security (e.g., improve incident response time), or UX (e.g., streamline user onboarding).

Typically, OKRs are meant to serve as collaborative goals for an entire team to work toward. However, you may choose to create OKRs by department or role as well. For example, OKRs for engineering managers might focus on team productivity, process optimization, reducing technical debt, and people development. On the other hand, product manager OKRs are distinct from engineering goals but deeply connected to product outcomes. They typically focus on user adoption, market growth, and cross-functional alignment.

1. Objective: Increase User Engagement with New Feature Launch

• Key Result 1: Increase daily active users (DAU) of Feature X by 25%.
• Key Result 2: Achieve a 4.5-star average rating for Feature X in user feedback surveys.
• Key Result 3: Increase the number of completed user tutorials for Feature X by 50%.

2. Objective: Improve Product Retention

• Key Result 1: Increase 30-day user retention rate from 20% to 30%.
• Key Result 2: Reduce the churn rate of paying subscribers by 15%.
• Key Result 3: Increase the average session duration by 10%.

3. Objective: Optimize Application Load Times

• Key Result 1: Reduce the average time to first byte (TTFB) for critical pages by 30%.
• Key Result 2: Decrease average page load time from 5 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Key Result 3: Increase the number of concurrent users supported without performance degradation by 50%.

4. Objective: Enhance Database Query Performance

• Key Result 1: Reduce average query execution time for key reports by 40%.
• Key Result 2: Increase database transaction throughput by 25%.
• Key Result 3: Reduce database lock contention by 30%.

5. Objective: Improve Automated Test Coverage

• Key Result 1: Increase automated test coverage to 85% of critical workflows.
• Key Result 2: Reduce the number of regression bugs found in production by 20%.
• Key Result 3: Increase the frequency of automated test runs.

6. Objective: Enhance Defect Detection Efficiency

• Key Result 1: Reduce the average time to detect critical defects from 3 days to 1 day.
• Key Result 2: Increase the percentage of defects found pre-production to 90%.
• Key Result 3: Implement a standardized critical bug reporting and tracking system.

7. Objective: Strengthen Application Security Posture

• Key Result 1: Reduce the number of critical security vulnerabilities to zero.
• Key Result 2: Implement and enforce a strict access control policy for sensitive data.
• Key Result 3: Achieve successful completion of a third-party security audit.

8. Objective: Improve Incident Response Time

• Key Result 1: Reduce the average time to detect security incidents to 15 minutes.
• Key Result 2: Reduce the average time to respond to security incidents to 1 hour.
• Key Result 3: Establish a comprehensive incident response plan and conduct quarterly drills.

9. Objective: Streamline the User Onboarding Experience

• Key Result 1: Increase the completion rate of the onboarding process from 60% to 80%.
• Key Result 2: Reduce the time to complete the onboarding process by 25%.
• Key Result 3: Reduce the number of support tickets related to onboarding by 40%.

10. Objective: Improve Product Navigation and Usability

• Key Result 1: Reduce the average time to complete key user tasks by 20%.
• Key Result 2: Increase the number of users successfully completing critical workflows by 30%.
• Key Result 3: Reduce the number of user-reported usability issues by 40%.

11. Objective: Enhance Application Stability

• Key Result 1: Reduce the number of production errors by 30%.
• Key Result 2: Decrease the average time to resolve critical incidents to 1 hour.
• Key Result 3: Increase the number of successful automated recovery events by 40%

12. Objective: Accelerate Feature Delivery

• Key Result 1: Reduce average feature development cycle time from 12 days to 8 days.
• Key Result 2: Increase the number of successful deployments per sprint by 2.
• Key Result 3: Improve sprint velocity by 25%.

13. Objective: Improve API Latency

• Key Result 1: Reduce average API response time for critical endpoints from 400ms to 200ms.
• Key Result 2: Decrease the 95th percentile latency to under 500ms.
• Key Result 3: Increase API uptime to 99.99%.

14.  Objective: Improve Team Velocity and Predictability

• Key Result 1: Increase team sprint velocity by 20%.
• Key Result 2: Reduce the variance in sprint completion rates to within 10%.
• Key Result 3: Achieve a team satisfaction score of 4.5 out of 5 in internal surveys.

15.  Objective: Enhance Development Team Growth

• Key Result 1: 100% of team members have documented individual development plans.
• Key Result 2: 80% of team members complete at least one relevant training or certification.
• Key Result 3: Increase the number of internal knowledge-sharing sessions conducted by team members by 50%.

16. Objective: Improve Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Key Result 1: Increase the frequency of collaborative planning sessions with Product Management by 50%.
• Key Result 2: Achieve a 4 out of 5 average satisfaction rating from Product and QA on engineering communication.
• Key Result 3: 100% of engineering documentation is up to date and accessible to relevant teams.

17.  Objective: Increase User Acquisition for New Product Feature

• Key Result 1: Increase the number of new feature sign-ups by 40%.
• Key Result 2: Achieve a 20% increase in user activation rate for the new feature.
• Key Result 3: Increase positive social media mentions of the new feature by 25%.

18. Objective: Expand Market Reach

• Key Result 1: Launch the product in 2 new international markets.
• Key Result 2: Increase website traffic from target demographics by 30%.
• Key result 3: Increase the number of new partnerships by 3.

19. Objective: Improve User Retention

• Key Result 1: Increase 30-day user retention by 20%.
• Key Result 2: Reduce user churn rate by 15%.
• Key Result 3: Increase average user session duration by 15%.

How to Properly Implement Engineering OKRs

A successful OKR program isn’t just about writing good goals – it’s about putting the right systems in place to support them. From planning to tracking, here’s how to make implementation stick.

Don’t Skip Preparation and Planning

To set teams up for success, first establish your infrastructure – how will you measure metrics for each objective? Who will measure? Loop in teams and stakeholders early, too, so they know what to expect and feel comfortable providing feedback as needed. For example, consider the following steps:

• Define timelines: Set a clear timeline for each stage of the implementation, including goal setting, reviews, and evaluations. Determine the cadence of OKR cycles (e.g., quarterly, annually).
• Choose a tool: Tools like Google Sheets, Excel, Jira, or Asana can be used to track progress on key results. Another option is to use a specialized OKR software or engineering management platform. Platforms like Jellyfish offer dedicated features for tracking engineering OKRs, KPIs, and metrics in real time, including progress dashboards, automation, and reporting capabilities.
• Educate the organization: Ensure everyone understands the OKR framework, its benefits, and how it works. Provide training sessions and resources to clarify any confusion.
• Establish a champion: Designate an OKR champion or team to guide the implementation process. This champion will be responsible for facilitating workshops, tracking progress, and providing support.

Make Goal Setting a Team Effort

OKRs shouldn’t be a one-person project. Work with different stakeholders to think critically about business priorities and translate them thoughtfully into key results. Here are some tips on crafting successful OKRs:

• Start at the top: Begin with company-wide OKRs that align with the overall strategic vision. These high-level OKRs will guide the development of team OKRs.
• Bring in others: Encourage teams and individuals to participate in the goal-setting This fosters ownership and alignment.
• Focus on outcomes, not outputs: Ensure that OKRs focus on measurable outcomes rather than just tasks. Key results should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Limit the number of OKRs: Focus on a few key objectives and key results to maintain clarity and focus.

Monitor and Communicate Regularly

OKRs are not a “set it and forget it” type of project. Keep OKRs alive with consistent tracking and communication around what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve the process moving forward. For example:

• Communicate clearly: Communicate OKRs clearly to all stakeholders and ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. Make OKRs visible and accessible to the entire organization.
• Hold regular check-ins: Conduct regular check-ins (weekly or bi-weekly) to review progress and identify any roadblocks. Encourage teams to update their progress and share any challenges.
• Schedule mid-cycle reviews: Conduct a mid-cycle review to assess progress and make any necessary adjustments. This allows for course correction and ensures that OKRs remain relevant.
• Hold end-of-cycle reviews. Conduct a thorough end-of-cycle review to evaluate performance and identify lessons learned. Analyze which objectives were achieved and which were not, and discuss the reasons why (you can do this via retrospectives).

Look Beyond the Numbers

Successful, healthy engineering teams prioritize team wellbeing and growth, not just sheer productivity. Make sure to look beyond metrics and numbers when evaluating OKRs. Here’s how:

• Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate achievements to reinforce positive behavior and motivate the engineering department.
• Learn from failures: Treat failures as learning opportunities and use them to improve future OKR cycles. Encourage open and honest feedback.
• Iterate and improve: Continuously improve the OKR process based on feedback and lessons learned. Adapt the framework to fit the organization’s unique needs and culture.

Launch Successful Engineering OKRs with Jellyfish

Engineering management platforms like Jellyfish help engineering teams easily track progress toward their OKRs, so teams stay on track and aligned with business priorities.

Here’s how Jellyfish can help you launch successful OKRs:

• Show how daily work maps to the bigger picture: Jellyfish connects engineering activity, like pull requests, commits, and tickets, to business objectives. This visibility helps engineers see how their efforts support broader company goals and OKRs.
• Automatically track progress toward key results: No more chasing down updates. Jellyfish integrates with tools like Jira, GitHub, and Bitbucket to surface real-time progress on OKRs in easy-to-read dashboards and reports.
• Keep teams aligned and focused: With shared views of what’s getting done and where teams are blocked, Jellyfish helps everyone stay on the same page. Engineering leaders can quickly spot misalignments and course-correct before goals go off track.
• Spot bottlenecks and improve efficiency: Jellyfish highlights where time is being spent and where work is getting stuck, helping teams identify improvement opportunities that can directly impact key results.
• Make OKRs part of your engineering culture: Instead of OKRs being a quarterly scramble, Jellyfish makes them part of how your team works every day—so they stay relevant, visible, and achievable.

Want to see how Jellyfish can help your engineering team hit its OKRs with less guesswork and more clarity? Request a demo today.

FAQs

Why are OKRs important for engineering teams?

It can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day of shipping code. Goal-setting frameworks like OKRs provide a north star (or two) for engineering teams, so they know they’re working on the right things. Here are a few more reasons why you might consider implementing OKRs for your teams:

• Informed decision making: With clear objectives and key results, teams can make data-driven decisions around work and whether it aligns with overarching business goals.
• Improved focus and productivity: OKRs can help engineers work toward ambitious goals by helping them prioritize their work throughout the development process and avoid the distraction of lower-priority projects
• Enhanced transparency and accountability: OKRs promote transparency by making goals and progress visible to the entire team and organization. This fosters a culture of accountability, where everyone is responsible for their contributions.
• Better collaboration: OKRs encourage collaboration by aligning teams around common goals. Engineers can work together more effectively to achieve shared objectives.

How can engineering OKRs improve the end user experience?

OKRs focused on user experience might target performance, accessibility, and usability improvements, which help align engineering efforts with end-user satisfaction.

Should code review practices be included in engineering OKRs?

Generally, yes. If you’re focusing on delivery pace and engineering quality of life improvement you can reap by moving quickly, you can set OKRs around improving code review turnaround time, increasing participation, or adopting new code review tools to ensure better code quality and collaboration.

How do engineering OKRs support data security initiatives?

Engineering teams can set OKRs to implement specific security measures, complete vulnerability assessments, or achieve compliance standards (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001).

Should teams create OKRs around code coverage?

This depends on your stage! If you’re still finding product-market fit in a domain where quality concerns are not life-threatening, you may not prioritize code coverage yet. If your teams are constantly battling urgent defects in legacy code, making a push makes much more sense. A common OKR might be to increase unit test coverage across key components or to reduce the number of untested modules in the codebase.

How should we align engineering OKRs with our development methodology (e.g., Agile, Scrum)?

Engineering OKRs should complement your development methodology by focusing on measurable outcomes that improve process efficiency, sprint predictability, or deployment frequency.

How should engineering OKRs evolve from quarter to quarter?

Each quarter, OKRs should evolve to address business goals, past performance, and retrospective insights. For example, for the next quarter, your focus areas might shift toward scalability, tech debt reduction, or new feature rollouts.

How should engineering OKRs connect to the company’s roadmap?

Engineering OKRs should support and reflect the technical milestones needed to deliver on the company’s product roadmap, including infrastructure, feature readiness, and scalability planning.

How do we set OKRs for future scalability?

Scalability-focused OKRs might include objectives like: “Prepare infrastructure for 2x user growth,” or “Improve system performance under peak load by 30%.”