The perfect Headcount Planning Process in Workday Adaptive for FP&A

FP&A: The Perfect Headcount Planning Process in Workday Adaptive for non Platform customers: Streamlining integration, reconciliation and budgeting


This article is for companies that are not on the Workday Platform (HCM, FINS, Adaptive) and are missing out on the integrated cycle of hiring, planning, reconciliation, and system-wide alignment that Workday offers.

I sometimes hear complaints (luckily not too much) about Workday HCM, Adaptive or FINS... but the truth is, no other tool on the market currently offers a complete solution that spans the entire hiring process—from budgeting and requesting to hiring, reconciling, and publishing plans across systems. Workday is the only one with this capability right now! 

And in case you wonder... no, I’m not paid by Workday to write this… But after working with several HRIS, ATS, and ERP systems, I can confidently say that Workday stands out for its customizable workflows, overall ease of use, and seamless communication across all three systems -- assuming you also have the right consultants or in-house knowledge for setting these up, of course ๐Ÿ˜›. 

While Adaptive can integrate with HCM (Workday's HRIS), it also offers flexibility with Custom Cloud Data Sources (CCDS) to connect to other ATS or HR Systems leveraging their APIs, giving you even options to build your ideal workflow.

BTW: If you're on the lookout for such consultants, I highly recommend Intecrowd, not just because I work there, but because I've seen firsthand the expertise and passion of their teams. They bring a high level of knowledge to implementing the full Workday suite (I work on the Adaptive side and its related integrations).

Anyway! 
Back to one of my favorite topics: headcount (HC) which did give me many headaches in the past!

Headcount planning is a critical aspect of FP&A, ensuring that your organization’s workforce is efficiently managed, forecasted and aligned with your financial goals. A well-structured headcount planning process allows FP&A teams to track hiring, manage budgets, and easily reconcile the differences between planned versus actuals. With Workday Adaptive and integrated HRIS tools (eg. WorkforceOne, Rippling, Bamboo...) and integrated ATS (e.g., Greenhouse, Bamboo, Jobvite...), along with project management systems (like Jira), companies can create a seamless workflow for headcount planning, improving accuracy, speed, data integrity and ease a little the dreaded variance analysis!

In this article, I’ll explore the ideal headcount planning process, from budgeting to reconciliation, and how Workday Adaptive can be the central tool for streamlined reporting and analysis.

Here is a visual summary if you don't want to read. Click on the image.


1. Originating the Headcount: FP&A as the Starting Point

The ideal headcount planning process begins with FP&A, ensuring their organization is aligned on headcount goals. FP&A should originate the headcount plan, starting with budgeted requirements (number of employees needed per cost center, role etc.) The FP&A team will assign a unique identifier, referred to as the FP&A ID, to each budgeted position. The position can be totally new, or a replacement for a termination, promotion or transfer. 

How It Works:

  • Step 1: FP&A works with department leaders and HR to gather the necessary headcount data (future needs, growth plans, anticipating turnover). All of that data will be integrated into Adaptive: your existing HC, hired, open reqs and budgeted.
  • Step 2: Each budgeted position receives a unique FP&A ID in Adaptive. This ID acts as a key reference point throughout the entire hiring and reconciliation process.

This step ensures that there’s a consistent tracking mechanism across various tools used by the organization, enabling seamless integration between the financial models in Adaptive and the recruitment/human resource systems.


2. Integrating the Headcount Plan with Jira (or a Project Management Tool). Google Sheets or Excel can work too!

In modern organizations, it’s crucial to tie headcount hiring to ongoing projects and business initiatives. This is where a tool like Jira comes into play. FP&A can link the FP&A ID to specific projects, allowing for a more granular understanding of workforce requirements and establish an approval chain!

How It Works:

  • Step 3: The FP&A ID is used within Jira or your project management tool to track which positions are being worked on and the status of the approval and the hiring process. As new headcount requirements arise or projects evolve, the FP&A ID is updated to reflect any changes.

By linking the headcount planning process to project management, FP&A can ensure that hiring aligns with business priorities, minimizing wasted resources, overstaffing, or opening non approved reqs (trust me I saw it happening!)


3. Transmitting the FP&A ID to the ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

Once the positions are identified, budgeted (Adaptive) and approved (Jira), they need to be opened in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), such as Greenhouse, BambooHR, or Workday HCM. The FP&A ID will be passed on to the ATS, ensuring a direct connection between the planned & approved headcount and the recruitment process.

How It Works:

  • Step 4: The FP&A ID is transmitted to the ATS, where HR can start the recruitment process.
  • Step 5: HR tracks candidate progress, interviews, offers, and hiring status all while associating candidates with their respective FP&A ID.

This ensures that HR and FP&A are in sync: both are working off the same data, and any changes or adjustments can be tracked through the FP&A ID, which will flow through the entire process.


4. Hires, Placeholders, and the HRIS

Once candidates are hired, the FP&A ID or Open Req ID should be linked in the HRIS (like ADP or Workday HCM), which serves as the system of record for employee data. This step ensures that once an employee joins, all necessary information (headcount, role, department, compensation range etc.) is captured and accessible.

How It Works:

  • Step 6: Once a candidate is hired, the FP&A ID is transferred to the HRIS system. The employee is officially onboarded, and their data is reflected in the HRIS system. HR and FP&A can now track the employee’s journey: new hires, placeholders for replacements, or turnover scenarios.

Having that FP&A ID that is tied to the FP&A process is a critical way of maintaining transparency and ensuring that headcount remains in sync with the original financial plan.


5. Reconciliation and Variance Analysis in Workday Adaptive

Once the hiring process is complete and employee data is in the HRIS, the real-time data can flow back into Workday Adaptive. Here, FP&A can run reconciliation reports to compare budgeted headcount versus actual headcount, and the common point: this FP&A ID!

How It Works:

  • Step 7: Workday Adaptive pulls headcount data from the HRIS, allowing FP&A teams to aggregate and reconcile the data.
  • Step 8: FP&A performs variance analysis between budgeted and actual headcount: reviewing discrepancies in employee compensation, hiring timing (delays or advances), headcount changes, turnover rates, and more. With a unified FP&A ID, the reconciliation process becomes much more efficient. FP&A can immediately identify discrepancies and resolve them swiftly.

Additionally, you can create automated integrations and reporting that allow for monthly or quarterly updates on headcount progress. These reports provide visibility into hiring vs. attrition and ensure that the business is on track with the original plan and how much under or over spend is happening!3


6. Continuous Improvements and Feedback Loops

The ideal headcount planning process should also have a feedback loop for continuous improvement. As FP&A reconciles and reviews variance reports, it should identify areas of improvement in the process. This could include:

  • Adjustments in budget assumptions (e.g., hiring timelines or compensation adjustments).
  • Optimization of data flow between systems (ensuring that FP&A IDs are always accurately passed from one tool to the next: required, no typos etc.)
  • Enhancing forecasting techniques (eg. automatic placeholders for terminated employees, compensation ranges by role, Machine Learning available in Adaptive, etc.)

FP&A should constantly review and refine the headcount planning process to ensure it remains aligned with the company’s changing needs.


Conclusion: A Seamless Headcount Planning Process with Workday Adaptive


  • Automation of Data Flow: Automating the transfer of FP&A ID between systems (Jira, ATS, HRIS, and Adaptive Planning) reduces manual work and ensures data accuracy.
  • Integration with Predictive Analytics: Leveraging AI and predictive analytics in Workday Adaptive (via Machine Learning) can help identify trends in hiring, turnover, and employee costs, providing actionable insights for future headcount planning.
  • Workforce Analytics Dashboards: Building visual dashboards in Adaptive that track headcount metrics and provide a clear view of how headcount aligns with business goals.


    • By following this structured, integrated approach to headcount planning, FP&A teams can ensure accuracy, improve data flow across systems, and reconcile budget vs. actuals with more ease. The combination of Workday Adaptive, HRIS, ATS, and project management tools creates a transparent and efficient process for tracking headcount, managing variance, and providing strategic insights.

    The FP&A ID acts as the central key that connects each part of the process—from budget planning to hiring and reconciliation, ensuring smooth operations and a clearer view of workforce planning and its financial impact.

    This streamlined, data-driven approach will enable FP&A teams to optimize headcount planning, improve financial reporting, and support informed business decision-making.

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