Departments
Definition
Field-array of per-department rows — department name, leader status (resolved against `hr.leader_status`), and headcount metrics with stable-count auto-calc — rendered as a drag-sortable table grouped by department. Common pitfall: department boundaries drift over time (Eng+R&D merging, GTM splitting into Sales/Marketing/CS) — when boundaries change, prior-period comparisons need an explicit reconciliation note. This KPI is structural, not numeric — no formula applies.
Why it matters
Shows the org map at a glance — where capacity is allocated, which departments are short-staffed, where leader-vacancies are concentrated. Boards use this to validate the strategy-vs-investment alignment ("we say we are product-led but R&D is 20% of headcount").
How to interpret it
Read with `hr.leader_status` alongside — a department with strong leader and on-plan headcount tells a very different story from one with interim/vacant leader and growing headcount. Material department-shape changes should be called out in `hr.talent_highlights` or `hr.talent_challenges` narrative.
Source
imboard Editorial
Stage relevance
Typically owned by
Related KPIs
Tri-state leader status (permanent / interim / vacant) for each board-tracked department. Permanent shows name+title; interim shows the covering person; vacant shows the gap explicitly. The single most board-relevant org-design signal — an extended interim or vacant status in a strategic function is almost always a board-level concern. Common pitfall: leaving "interim" indefinitely as a way to avoid the search-and-hire conversation — boards should set a maximum interim duration and treat overruns as board-action items. Structural KPI; no formula.
Total number of employees (W-2 / direct-employment equivalents) across all departments at period end. The base denominator for nearly every other HR ratio — turnover rate, revenue per FTE, payroll as % of burn — so getting the snapshot date and the FTE-vs-headcount convention right matters. Common pitfall: mixing headcount (people) with FTE (capacity) — they diverge whenever part-time, contractor, or shared-services arrangements exist. Document the convention (typically "FTE-equivalent, employees only, end-of-period") at the board level once and apply consistently.
Field-array of notable individual hires that warrant board-level visibility — typically C-1 executives, director-level functional leaders, and strategic specialist hires. Per-item shape: name, level, role, start status, days-to-fill. Rendered via the T2 collapsible-card gallery pattern. Structural, not numeric — formula does not apply. Common pitfall: listing every hire instead of the strategic few — boards lose signal quickly when this section turns into a directory.
Field-array of priority open roles the board should be aware of and may be able to accelerate — typically C-1 executives, hard-to-fill specialists, and any role open >60 days. Per-item shape: title, department, level, urgency, owner. Rendered via the T2 collapsible-card gallery pattern. Structural, not numeric. Common pitfall: padding the list with every open req — boards add the most value on the 3–8 strategic openings, not on backfilling the next IC.
Stacked commentary editor with per-section icon and live word count, hosting the four canonical HR narrative slots (talent highlights, talent challenges, hiring plan, retention initiatives) under a single base path — each section persists under `<basePath>.<sectionKey>`. The composite container for the narrative side of the HR scorecard, paired with `hr.departments` and `hr.risk_items` for the structured side. Common pitfall: writing each section in isolation — strong commentary cross-references the numbers ("voluntary turnover up 4 points QoQ, here is what we are doing").
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