Net Headcount Change

Count of employees whose first day fell within the reporting period. The growth-input side of the headcount equation, paired with `hr.voluntary_exits` and `hr.terminations` on the loss side. Common pitfall: counting accepted offers vs actual start dates — these can diverge by weeks (notice period) or fall through entirely (offer rescind, candidate ghosting). The board number should be actual starts, not signed offers; pipeline movement belongs in `hr.hiring_plan` narrative.

Count of employees who resigned during the period (initiated by employee, not the company). The numerator of the `hr.voluntary_turnover_rate` calculation and the headline "are we losing people" number boards anchor on. Common pitfall: ambiguous "mutually agreed" exits — companies sometimes log managed-out exits as voluntary to keep the visible number low. Define the test: if the employee initiated the conversation and there was no formal performance trigger, it is voluntary; otherwise log as termination.

Count of company-initiated employee separations during the period — performance-management exits, layoffs, redundancies, and for-cause terminations. The numerator of `hr.involuntary_turnover_rate` and the inverse of `hr.voluntary_exits` on the attrition page. Common pitfall: bundling layoff events (often one-time, board-known) with normal performance-management churn (steady-state, manager-driven). Best practice is to break out layoffs in `hr.talent_challenges` narrative and reserve this number for the recurring stream.

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.

Board-approved end-of-period headcount target. The contractual reference point against which `hr.total_headcount` and `hr.open_positions` are read — drift means either hiring under plan (typically a growth concern) or over plan (typically a burn-discipline concern). Common pitfall: silent in-year adjustments — boards approve a number, the CEO informally expands or contracts to it, and the variance never gets reconciled. Best practice is to treat changes to this number as board-action items, recorded in `hr.board_actions`.