Workforce Analytics
Headcount, turnover, cost and capability reporting drawn from the HR system of record.
Workflow
- 01Data Consolidation
- 02Measure Definition
- 03Reporting
- 04Workforce Planning
If you change this
It implies 10 topics across 2 modules, including Security & Identity which you might not expect.
See the path ahead →Why it matters
Workforce numbers are quoted constantly and defined rarely. Headcount, FTE, active employees, paid employees and people on the roster are five different numbers, and most organisations use them interchangeably.
- Definitions drive decisions: A vacancy rate means nothing without an agreed establishment.
- It is the most sensitive data set: Pay and person data, aggregated, with real privacy obligations.
- It is where compound problems surface: Turnover concentrated in one area, or leave liability growing quietly.
The workflow
- 01
Definition
Agree the measures — headcount, FTE, turnover basis, vacancy — in writing.
- 02
Extraction
Data pulled from HR, payroll, time and rostering on a defined cycle.
- 03
Reconciliation
Measures reconciled against the source, particularly cost against the ledger.
- 04
Analysis
Trends, concentrations and outliers identified.
- 05
Distribution
Reported at the level each audience can act on, with access controlled.
- 06
Action
Findings owned by someone with the ability to change them.
If workforce cost in the analytics does not reconcile to labour cost in the ledger, both numbers will be used and one of them is wrong. Reconcile first, analyse second.
What you need in place
- Agreed definitions: Written, dated and owned.
- A consistent cycle: Point-in-time versus period-average decided and applied consistently.
- Reconciliation to finance: Workforce cost matching the ledger.
- Access control: Aggregate widely, individual narrowly, with small-cohort suppression.
- Trend history: Retained, so a change has something to be compared against.
Questions to ask
01Definitions
What exactly is a headcount here, and who agreed it?
Expect several answers, which is the finding.
02Reconciliation
Does workforce cost match the ledger?
If not, which one goes to the board?
03Privacy
Can a small team's report identify individuals?
Suppression thresholds are needed, not optional.
04Turnover basis
Which denominator, and does it include internal moves?
Small choices, very different numbers.
05Action
Who owns each measure?
Unowned measures get reported forever and change nothing.
Metrics and KPIs to track
Headcount and FTE
Against establishment, by area.
Turnover
Voluntary and involuntary, with tenure breakdown.
Workforce cost
Against budget, reconciled to the ledger.
Leave liability
Value and trend.
Span of control
Distribution across managers.
Alongside this