Workflow 2
Workforce Planning
Annual plan, quarterly reforecast, with Finance in the room
Illustrative current-practice design
This is one worked example of how the process is commonly run, not a standard and not advice. Timings, thresholds and percentages are illustrative. Verify anything legally sensitive against local law and your own counsel.
Use it as a complete starting point, then adjust it for your company's strategy, culture, workforce, jurisdiction, collective agreements, technology, risk appetite and future-of-work direction.
Content last reviewed 28 July 2026.
Philosophy
Headcount is an investment case, not a request queue. The plan is built with Finance from the start so the envelope is a constraint, not a surprise.
Cadence
Annual cycle September to December; quarterly reforecast thereafter
The steps
- 01
September: baseline
Weeks 1-2
- HRBPs pull current headcount from HRIS by business unit, level, and location
- Add open roles, attrition, and contractor counts to create the baseline snapshot
- 02
September / October: demand
- HRBP meets each BU leader using a standard intake form: growth plans, skill gaps, succession risks
- Categorise each need as hire, upskill, redeploy, restructure, or automate
- 03
October: envelope and prioritisation
- Finance supplies the approved headcount budget envelope
- CHRO leads a prioritisation workshop: score roles on strategic importance, time-to-fill, market conditions, and risk of leaving unfilled
- Produce a quarterly hiring sequence separating backfills, net new, and transformation hires
- 04
November: approval
- CHRO presents the plan to the executive as a talent investment case: ROI and risk mitigation, not raw headcount
- 05
December: load and communicate
- Plan loaded into HRIS and ATS
- Plan communicated to managers with the sequence and the criteria
- 06
Quarterly: reforecast
- Actual vs planned headcount, attrition captured, new approvals added
- Rolling forecast refreshed so reallocation is fast when the envelope moves
Who does what (RACI)
| Step | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline data | HRBP | CHRO | HR Ops | BU Leader |
| Demand intake | BU Leader | HRBP | Finance | TA |
| Prioritisation | HRBP | CHRO | Finance, BU Leaders | TA |
| Executive approval | CHRO | CEO | CFO | All HR |
Stress tests
Mid-year budget cut
Quarterly reforecast is the reallocation mechanism; prioritisation scores decide what falls out first.
Unrealistic BU request
Finance envelope plus published prioritisation criteria are the guardrail; the conversation is about sequence, not refusal.
Future-of-work considerations
- Planning in skills and capabilities as well as roles
- Shorter reforecast cycles as priorities move
- Contingent, project and internal-marketplace supply alongside hiring
- AI-assisted scenario modelling with human-owned assumptions