← HR Metrics·Workforce Planning
Planned vs Actual Headcount
Variance between planned and actual headcount
How it’s computed
actual_hc / planned_hc
What the evidence shows
Evidence (effect sizes, priors, validity) is syncing from Principia.
What this metric can show you
Planned vs Actual Headcount can tell roughly 25 pre-built stories — each a designed scene the data either confirms or it doesn’t. Bring your numbers and the Story Finder runs every one of these shapes against them.
specific to workforce planning
{mover} is becoming a bigger share of who you are
workforce-composition · T1
{mover} is fading from the mix
workforce-composition · T1
One unit is over-managed
workforce-composition · T1
Retention is working
retention · T1
Spans are stretched thin in one corner
workforce-composition · T1
The mix is holding steady
workforce-composition · T1
The organization you have isn't the one you had
workforce-composition · T1
universal shapes — any single metric can take these
A few large values are doing the talking
any focus · T1
A one-time event, not a trend
any focus · T1
It doesn't track — the premise is false
any focus · T1
It's concentrated — one group stands apart
any focus · T1
Scenes are pre-built; your data is the toggle. Browse the full deck or watch one play end-to-end in The Quiet Exodus.
Run it on your data
This metric is computed in the People Analytics Toolbox on your own numbers. See pricing — posted, no quotes.
sources: toolbox:metrics-catalog
What the literature says
The measurement literature behind this signal — sourced, so you can defend it.
“To evaluate how successful you are at talent acquisition, you should understand that companies have different head count growth needs and targets and that your own company’s growth needs and targets will change over time. Successfully hiring 100 people sounds good, but if you…”
— People Analytics For Dummiesmatch 48%
“HiresA hire is, by definition, someone who was not an employee that became an employee. To calculate the number of hires, you extract a list of all active and terminated employees and count the employees within a given segment with a start date squarely within the period you're…”
— People Analytics For Dummiesmatch 46%
“Sample Measures for Line Jobs Cost-effectiveness Actual/budget (by category and/or time period) Net income/net sales Forecasted/actual (by month/quarter) Gross margin or gross operating profit (by profit center, product line, etc.) Return on capital/risk Breakeven point as a…”
— The Compensation Handbook (6th ed.)match 46%
Resources: People Analytics For Dummies · The Compensation Handbook (6th ed.)