Headcount planning
View how to plan hiring and people costs, keep your plan in sync with HR data and share it with department heads.
How headcount planning works in Drivetrain
Start with your employee roster, synced from your HR system or uploaded from a spreadsheet. Then build the model, plan hires and share it with your team.
Build the headcount and payroll model
Go beyond base salaries and include complex payroll costs like bonuses, benefits, 401(k) contributions and employer taxes such as Medicare, SUTA and FUTA.
Roll forward the headcount walk
- Plan new hires and attrition your way, as fixed numbers each month or as a percentage of opening headcount.
- Mix actuals and forecasted data in the same walk.
Add to-be-hired roles to the employee list
Keep current employees and planned hires in one list, with each planned role’s title, department, start date, and salary.
Plan by department, role or employee
Slice and plan by the dimensions that matter to your business, such as new hires by job type, department or employee, and attrition by department or employee.
Share role-based reports and approve hires
Give each department head a report on their team’s headcount and metrics. Drivetrain shows each head only their own team’s data, based on their role.
Reconcile roster changes from your HRIS
Review every change from your HR system, such as new hires, leavers, promotions and moves, and approve it before it updates your plan.
How Drivetrain simplifies headcount planning
Match every new hire to the role you planned, so no one is counted twice.
Forecast the full cost of every employee, from salary to taxes, benefits and merit.
Keep your headcount plan connected to your HR system and financial reports.
FAQs
How do new hires get matched in Drivetrain to the roles we planned?
When a new employee appears in your HR system, Drivetrain flags them for review. You map them to the planned role they're filling, and the employee replaces that role in your plan. Each hire is counted once, not as both a planned role and an employee.
Which HR systems does Drivetrain connect to?
Drivetrain connects to HR systems such as Gusto, BambooHR and ADP. You can also upload employee data from a spreadsheet.
When new data comes in from our HR system, does it overwrite our plan?
No. Drivetrain lists each change, such as a new hire, a leaver or a title change, for you to review. Your plan updates only after you accept a change.
Does Drivetrain account for taxes, benefits and mid-month starts and exits?
Yes. Each employee's cost includes salary, bonus, benefits, 401(k) and employer taxes such as Medicare, SUTA and FUTA. Employees who join or leave mid-month are costed only for the part of the month they're employed.
Can each department head see just their own team's data?
Yes. Share a single report, and each department head sees only their own team's headcount and metrics, based on their access role.
See Drivetrain in action
Fewer spreadsheets, faster planning, better decisions.
