For customers of our Headcount Planning module.
Built’s headcount planning solutions align HR, Finance, and Talent teams, helping your organization optimize collaborative processes, plan strategically, minimize waste, and ensure the necessary agility to support your teams’ evolving needs. This guide will help you get the most from Built’s headcount planning tools, whether you’re building plans, managing approvals, or improving budget alignment.
Headcount Plans to Support Your Planning Processes
Create unlimited plans in Built to align with your teams’ planning cycles (annual, quarterly, continuous, etc.). Once created, you can conveniently monitor plan statuses and metrics and implement changes directly from the active plan.
Notes about headcount planning permissions:
Only Company Admins and HR Admins can create headcount plans. Once a plan is created, assigned plan Admins can edit plan settings. Learn more about headcount planning permissions.
When referring to assigned user roles and headcount plan roles throughout this guide, “Admins” encompasses all Company Admins, HR Admins, as well as Admins and Admin + Planners assigned to the plan. Likewise, “Planners” encompasses all assigned Planners and Admin + Planners.
Configuring Plan Details
When creating a headcount plan in Built, you will be prompted to configure the plan details settings for the current planning cycle, assign participants, and optionally, set budget targets. Admins can later adjust plan settings as needed.
Time Span
Define the dates for your current planning cycle by choosing a default option or entering a custom range.
Notes about plan time spans:
Time spans cannot be edited once the plan is created.
Inactive/archived plans can have overlapping time spans. Learn more about active, inactive, and archived plans.
New Position ID Prefix
Utilize the default prefix or enter your own prefix to be added to the temporary position ID for all newly proposed positions in the plan, differentiating them from existing positions in Built. Once the plan is approved, a permanent, unique position ID will be automatically assigned to each new position. Learn about the importance of position IDs.
Budget Targets
Enable this option to set budget targets in the plan once participants have been assigned, for the entire organization and/or individual Planners. Proposals exceeding budget targets will be flagged for the Planner and the reviewer. Admins can adjust budget targets as needed throughout the planning process.
Data Columns
Choose which data columns will be included in the plan’s datasheets by selecting or deselecting the checkboxes provided. Required and recommended data are selected by default. While recommended data can be deselected, required data is necessary to inform your organization’s reporting structure and cannot be deselected. Locate and select additional data columns via the search field provided.
Required Data Columns | Recommended Data Columns |
|---|---|
Title Reports To | Filled By (Employee ID) Filled By (Name) Employee Type Full Time Equivalent Justification Location Department (Code-Name) |
Including Compensation and Budgeting Data in the Plan
If you enabled the plan’s budget targets setting in the previous step, the Position Budgets column will be automatically included in the plan; if Compensation is also selected, budget target calculations will automatically factor in compensation records for filled positions and budgets for open positions, taking into account planned start and end dates and terminations.
The Position Budget column displays current budgeted annual base pay plus all budgeted variable pay for each position. The plan’s Compensation column displays current compensation totals, which include individuals’ annualized base pay rate plus all variable pay. Hover over a value to display a tooltip with a detailed breakdown.
Position Cost for Time Span
When the plan includes the Position Budget or Compensation column, the Position Cost for Time Span column is automatically included. This column displays a prorated calculation of compensation and/or budgets based on the duration a position is filled during the plan’s time span. If both compensation and position budget data are included in the plan, calculations will reflect compensation records for filled positions and budgets for open positions, accounting for planned start and end dates and terminations. Hovering over the value displays additional details, including time periods when the position was filled and who filled it. For positions with a future hire date (including those with planned terminations), “Future Hire” will also be indicated.
Real-Time Plan Updates
Once the plan is created, its data will remain current, reflecting changes on your official chart. This includes changes entered in Built and those imported via a supported integration. Once planning begins, changes on the official chart will be reflected in the plan.
Notes about selecting data columns for the plan’s datasheets:
Assigned planning participants can access all data included in the plan regardless of their role in Built. Company Admins and HR Admins can access all data across all headcount plans. Plan Admins can access all data across their assigned plans only. Planners and Collaborators can access data within their assigned planning environments only. While Planners’ own position data is included in their planning environment to ensure accurate totals, Planners can only plan changes for their subordinate positions. Once the plan is approved, Planners can view approved changes to their position made by other plan participants.
When editing plan settings after the plan is initially created, Admins can reorder selected fields and select additional fields on the plan datasheet but cannot deselect fields that have already been enabled.
The following position data cannot be edited: Filled By (Name), Filled By (Employee ID), Job Level, Open/Filled, Pay Grade, Position ID, Status, Submitted By, and Type. Compensation values can only be edited for an individual's primary position, ensuring values are counted only once. When managing shared position data, only compensation for the first individual listed can be edited. However, the Position Cost for Time Span column calculates compensation for all individuals sharing the position (as their primary position) and displays the combined cost.
Adding Plan Participants
Any individual with an active position on your organization’s official chart can be added to the plan and assigned one of the following roles:
Role | Plan Privileges |
|---|---|
Admin | Edit plan data for the entire organization; manage plan settings and participants |
Planner | Access their assigned planning environment only, which includes their own position and subordinate positions |
Admin + Planner | Granted both Admin and Planner privileges |
Once the plan is created, assigned participants will be invited to access their assigned planning environment and begin planning. Admins can add and edit participants as needed throughout the plan’s time span.
Notes about managing plan participants:
If a Planner holds multiple positions on the official chart, a planning environment will only be created for their primary position. Planning environments are nested in the plan based on the official org chart hierarchy.
If reporting relationships change on the official chart during the plan’s time span, positions within the plan will be moved to the appropriate planning environment.
A Planner cannot be removed once their datasheet has been edited or their proposal has been submitted.
Once a proposal is submitted, the Planner’s subordinates cannot be assigned as Planners.
Setting Budgets
You can assign Budget targets for the entire organization, as well as for each assigned Planner. Budgets can later be adjusted as needed throughout the plan’s time span. After assigning budget targets, click Start Planning to send an email to all Admins and Planners, inviting them to begin planning.
Notes about setting budget targets:
The sum of Planner budgets cannot exceed the plan budget total. Likewise, the sum of a Planner’s subordinate proposals is included in their budget target, to help ensure budget control as proposals roll up through the plan hierarchy.
Proposals exceeding budget targets will be highlighted in red, alerting submitters and their reviewers. Optionally, Planners can include justifications for position requests or add notes to their proposals to provide additional context for the reviewer, for example, why their proposal exceeds their assigned budget target.
When planning environments have assigned budget targets, the plan must include budgeted base pay data for all active positions, with the exception of the Planner’s own position.
Understanding the Headcount Plan Approval Flow
Assigned Admins and Planners can begin planning as soon as they receive their plan invite via email. Within each planning environment, Collaborators can also be invited to assist the assigned Planner in reviewing position data and proposing changes to positions and headcount. When a Planner submits their proposal, the reviewer will be notified via email and invited to review the proposal. Once a Planner’s proposal is submitted, the Planner cannot make additional changes. After the reviewer has received and reviewed all subordinate proposals, they can submit their proposal. Planning will continue upwards throughout the organization until all Planners have submitted their proposals. Once all proposals are submitted, one or more Admins can review the plan for the entire organization, make any needed adjustments, and approve the plan for the entire organization. Assigned planning participants will be notified via email when the plan is approved. Once the approved plan is activated, participants can begin implementing changes by creating positions and requisitions directly from the plan.
Notes about the headcount planning approval flow:
Once the plan is approved, the original proposal can be referenced by clicking the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and then View Original Proposal. The original proposal includes all plan data submitted by Planners before any additional adjustments made by Admins.
Once approved, the plan is locked; if the approved plan later requires further adjustments, an Admin can create a new draft version of the plan for editing and reapproval.
Monitoring Your Organization’s Headcount Plans
Active vs. Inactive Plans
Your organization’s plans can be accessed on the Headcount Planning page and are organized based on whether they’re active, inactive, or archived. Plans must be manually activated once approved, allowing participants to implement changes by creating positions and requisitions from the plan. Active plans cannot have overlapping time spans.
Active plans are displayed at the top of the Headcount Planning page; inactive plans are in the Additional Plans table below active plans; and archived plans are at the bottom. If hidden, archived plans can be accessed by clicking Show Archived Plan(s). Learn more about activating, deactivating, archiving, and unarchiving a plan.
Plan and Proposal Statuses
Your plan list includes a summary of statuses (In Progress, All Plans Submitted, Approved) and specifies total and new positions. Click a plan name to navigate to its overview page, which displays information about each planning environment, including its proposal statuses (Invited, Submitted) and, once submitted, the amount proposed. If assigned, budget targets will also be displayed, allowing you to compare proposed values. Once the plan is approved, you can also track planned vs. actual values for positions and budgets on the plan’s overview page:
Tracking Position and Budget Control
The number of planned positions for each planning environment will be displayed in the Positions column. When the plan’s time span begins, a progress bar will appear, comparing the number of planned positions to the planning environment’s current number of positions on the official chart. If compensation and/or position budget data are included in the plan, a Cost column will also appear, displaying the approved amounts for each planning environment. When the plan’s time span begins, the actual cost to date will also be displayed. Actual position costs will be updated based on role assignments and compensation values throughout the plan’s time span. If there are missing compensation records in Built, this will also be indicated, helping you ensure complete, reliable data. Hover over a displayed ratio value in the Positions or Cost column to view the total variance of planned vs. actuals and additional details. Values exceeding approved amounts will appear in red, alerting the planning team to overages.
Planning Tools and Metrics
Utilize configurable tools and metrics within each planning environment (including the entire organization) to:
Group, filter, and share position data and metrics
View column statistics in the datasheet, such as averages, median, minimum, and maximum values
Visualize and apply structural changes within the Org Chart view
View actuals and variances for specified metrics and time intervals
Track requisitions for planned positions
Track hires and terminations across the plan’s time span
Editing an Approved Headcount Plan
If an approved headcount plan requires adjustments, an Admin can open a new draft version of the plan where changes can be made and then approved. All plan versions will be maintained for reference and can be accessed by Company Admins and HR Admins. When the draft version is initially created, access to the new draft version can also be granted to assigned plan Admins only or all plan Admins and Planners, allowing them to view the draft and contribute to planning within the scope of the plan’s permissions. Optionally, participants can be notified directly and invited to edit the plan.
When editing an active plan, actions on the currently approved version, such as creating positions and requisitions, will not be interrupted. Drafted edits conflicting with already implemented changes can be approved, but they will not be reversed automatically (e.g., an elimination is newly proposed after the position is created in Built).
Monitoring Draft Progress and Accessing Plan Versions
On the Headcount Planning page, plans with an open draft version are identified by an indicator badge (Unchanged, Changes in Progress, and Submitted) displayed in the plan list. Indicator badges are also displayed within the plan’s overview page. Badge visibility is available to individuals with access to the current draft. For example, if only plan Admins have editing permissions in the draft, Planners will not be able to view the indicator badges. However, once approved, updated indicators are visible to all assigned participants of the originally approved plan. When viewing a plan with an open draft version, individuals can navigate different versions of the plan by clicking the version badge in the upper-left corner. Only one draft version of a plan can exist at a time.
Notes about editing an approved plan:
Within their assigned planning environments, participants with access to the draft version have the same editing options as they did in the original plan, plus two additional options: Revert All Changes (replaces planned changes with current values, informed by official chart data) or Revert New Changes (restores values from the originally approved plan).
Admins can also edit plan settings for the draft version by clicking the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of any page within the plan and then clicking Edit Plan Settings. The updated configurations will also apply to future versions of this plan.
Changes made to a position in any planning environment are automatically applied in all planning environments that contain the position.
Admins can permanently delete a draft version of an approved plan by clicking the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the plan, clicking Delete Draft, and then clicking the Delete Draft button to confirm the action. Deleted drafts cannot be restored.
If you need to delete a headcount plan, please contact our Customer Success Team for assistance.
Proactive Planning Tools
Get more from Built by leveraging these proactive planning tools:
Inform planning strategies with up-to-date position management insights.
Visualize structural changes and key metrics’ impacts using scenario charts.
Secure succession plans for critical roles and monitor succession planning insights to prioritize planning.
Compare talent across the org and promote internal mobility opportunities.
FAQ
How can I propose a promotion?
When editing your assigned plan datasheet, you can promote an individual by proposing a title and/or compensation change. First, locate the individual by scrolling the datasheet. If applicable, click inside their Title data cell to update their title. If the person’s compensation should also be updated, ensure that the Compensation column is enabled in the plan. Click inside their Compensation data cell to display the Base Pay Rate and Variable Pay Rate columns, then enter the appropriate values. Setting effective dates for your proposed changes allows you to specify when each change should be made within the plan’s time span.
Can I plan changes such as merit increases across the organization or specific departments?
Yes, you can open the datasheet for the entire organization and grant merit increases in bulk. To do this, ensure that the appropriate columns are displayed. If the Base Pay Rate and Variable Pay Rate columns are hidden, click the expand icon in the Compensation column to display them. Then, hover over the column header, click the checkbox at the top of the desired column, click the edit icon in the upper-left corner of the table, and apply the appropriate amount or percentage before clicking Save. To propose a change for only certain departments, titles, etc., you can filter your datasheet before making the changes. Likewise, you can click the expand icon in the Position Budget column to display the Budgeted Base Pay Rate and Budgeted Variable Pay Rate columns and make the necessary changes.
When budgeting compensation for open positions, how can our planning team reference data to inform salary recommendations?
We recommend managing pay grades for your organization’s job definitions so your planning team can easily reference this data within the headcount planning datasheet when budgeting for positions.
Can changes in compensation (merit increases, bonuses, etc.) be scheduled at different times in a headcount plan?
Yes, you can schedule compensation changes by applying an effective date for the planned changes. However, you can only plan one change per data point within a single plan. For example, you can plan a change to an individual’s base pay rate (e.g., merit raise) and another change to variable pay rate (e.g., bonus), but multiple changes cannot be planned for either their base pay rate or the same variable pay rate. Planned effective dates are for planning and reference only and are not implemented automatically.
How is cost data for secondary (dotted line) positions represented in a headcount plan?
While you can visualize dotted line positions for individuals whose primary positions are included in the plan, calculated costs only include their primary position.
Can I visualize data for individuals on leave?
Currently, employee leave statuses cannot be visualized in headcount plans and do not inform planning metrics, compensation, or budgets. However, planning participants can note details such as planned leave within their datasheet’s Justification column. While current employee statuses can be managed and visualized on your official chart datasheet, compensation and position budgets will not automatically reflect employee leave. However, for customers of our ADP integration importing actual pay data, cost values on the plan’s overview page will be updated accordingly.
What is the best way to postpone position creation or represent temporary positions in a headcount plan?
Since activating an approved headcount plan allows participants to create positions and requisitions directly from the plan, temporarily deactivating the plan is recommended when you want to delay position or requisition creation within the plan. Because positions and requisitions can also be created in Built independently of the plan by individuals with granted permissions, we also recommend monitoring the position forecast and planned vs. actual metrics to ensure necessary position control. Additionally, you can represent temporary positions by specifying start and end dates.
Approved, active plans with a current draft version open for additional editing cannot be deactivated.
What is the difference between eliminating, excluding, and deleting a position in a headcount plan?
Eliminating a position proposes the removal of the currently active position on the specified effective date. Excluding a position maintains a line item for the newly proposed position in the current planning environment but prevents it from being included in other reviewers’ planning environments as proposals roll up through the plan’s hierarchy. Deleting a position permanently removes a new position that may have been added to the planning environment by mistake. Learn more about planning position changes.
Do Built’s headcount plans support long-term forecasting (e.g.,10 years)?
Yes, you can create and monitor plans for any time span. Each plan is updated in real time based on changes to your official chart data, even after the plan is approved, ensuring it remains up-to-date.
When an approved, active plan is automatically updated via changes to our official chart, how are planned vs. actual values impacted?
Your official chart represents the current state of your organization; changes made to your official chart are reflected in the plan’s actual values and can be compared to the planned values, ensuring current plan metrics. While actual values will continue to update in the approved plan based on your official chart data, planned values remain unchanged unless a new draft version is created for editing purposes.
Can I prevent an approved plan from being edited?
By default, approved plans are locked to prevent further editing without creating a new draft version of the plan, which requires Admin permissions. There is not currently a way to prevent Admins from creating new draft versions of the plan.
Please contact our Customer Success Team to learn more about configuring your solutions to best meet your organization’s needs.