Introducing Headcount Planning

Headcount Planning is a crucial feature in Keka that helps organizations forecast and manage their workforce needs efficiently. This tool allows you to create a comprehensive headcount plan, track its progress, and make adjustments as needed. By using this feature, you can ensure your organization meets staffing requirements, avoids overstaffing or understaffing, and optimizes resource allocation.

Let’s go through how to set up and manage your headcount plans in Keka.

Creating a Headcount Plan

To create a new headcount plan:

1. Navigate to the Org section.

2. Select Planning.

3. This will lead you to the Headcount Planning tab. Click the +New Plan button to begin.

A new window titled "Create New Plan" will open, where you’ll need to:

• Select the business unit (if you manage multiple units).

• Provide the Plan Name, Plan Start Date, and Plan End Date.

Once you've entered the necessary details, click Create Plan to save your new plan.

After the plan is created, Keka will automatically fetch all the departments, locations, and job titles from the system.

Your headcount plan will display the following columns:

• Planned Count: The number of employees required.

• Active Count: The current number of employees.

• Pre-Joining: Employees who have accepted offers but haven’t joined yet.

• Exit: Employees currently in the exit process.

• Hiring: Positions that are currently being hired for.

Next, enter the relevant values in the Planned Count field for each category.

Once all values are entered, you can choose to:

• Save: Keep the plan in the Saved section for later review.

• Activate: Make the plan active, which will impact various touchpoints in Keka, such as:

  • Adding candidates to preboarding

  • Adding new employees

  • Importing employee details in bulk

  • Creating job requisitions in Keka Hire.

    
     

Points to be Noted

• Job Title Disabled in Settings: If the job title is disabled, the Add New Row option will not include that job title.

• Version History: You can view the version history of your plan, including changes made and who made them. To access this:

  1. Click the three dots on the top-right corner.

  2. Select Version History.
     You can also download the previous version of the plan if needed.

• Keka Hire Integration: If Keka Hire is unavailable, the Hiring Count will not be displayed. If both Keka Hire and Preboarding are inaccessible, neither the Hiring Count nor the Preboarding Count will be visible or considered in your headcount planning.

Managing the Plan

1. Deleting a Row: To delete a row, change the planned value to zero, then click on the three dots under the actions tab and select Delete Row.

2. Adding a New Row: To add a new row, click +Add New Row. This can only be done when the plan is in the Unlocked or Saved state.

   • Existing attributes will be displayed in a dropdown with possible values. If a combination already exists, you will receive a message saying "Combination already exists."

   • After selecting the details, click Create to add the new row.

   

3. Activating Changes: After making updates, click Activate to apply the changes across the product.

   

4. Modifying an Active Plan: Unlock the plan to make changes. If you leave the screen without activating the changes, they will be lost.

5. Saving a Plan: To save the plan without applying changes, click the Save Plan button. The effects won’t take place until the plan is activated.

   

Changing Settings

To modify the settings of the plan:

1. Click the Settings icon at the top of the page.

2. Changes made in the settings will only apply to new plans; existing plans will remain unaffected.

By default, the selected Department, Sub Department, and Job Title will be displayed. The Department cannot be deselected, but you can modify other settings by checking or unchecking the corresponding boxes next to them.

Once you've made the necessary changes, click Save settings to apply the modifications.

Roles and Permissions

To manage permissions for specific roles:

• You can set permissions for two key roles:

  • View Workforce Plan

  • Manage Workforce Plan

Both permissions are enabled by default for Global Admin and HR Manager roles. Note that these permissions are global and cannot be scoped to specific areas.

By following these steps and understanding the features, Keka's Headcount Planning tool allows you to efficiently manage and optimize your workforce, ensuring your organization is always prepared to meet its staffing needs.

Please let us know if you found this article helpful.