Plan workforce scenarios with clean, instant totals today. Adjust salaries, benefits, hiring, and overhead quickly. Compare monthly budgets and keep leadership decisions confident always.
Enter your scenario assumptions, then calculate expected monthly costs and totals. Use exports to share the plan.
These sample inputs can help you validate your expectations.
| Scenario | Start HC | Hires | Attrition % | Base / Month | Benefits % | Overhead % | One-time / Hire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Plan | 50 | 6 | 8.00 | 2,200.00 | 20.00 | 12.00 | 1,050.00 |
| Growth | 50 | 18 | 10.00 | 2,350.00 | 22.00 | 14.00 | 1,250.00 |
| Efficiency | 50 | 0 | 7.00 | 2,150.00 | 18.00 | 10.00 | 900.00 |
Monthly attrition rate is derived from annual attrition:
Monthly raise rate is derived from annual raise:
Expected headcount evolves each month:
Fully-loaded monthly cost per employee is:
Monthly budget combines recurring and one-time costs:
Define the planning horizon, starting headcount, and total hires as a single scenario. Keep assumptions consistent: the same role mix, compensation basis, and currency. If you need multiple populations, run separate scenarios and combine totals in a spreadsheet. Use a short scenario name so exports remain readable in reviews and audits.
Monthly headcount is modeled as a simple stock-and-flow system. Annual attrition is converted into an equivalent monthly rate, then separations are estimated from the starting headcount each month. Hiring adds people, attrition removes people, and the model reports both ending headcount and average headcount. Average headcount drives recurring spend and smooths mid‑month changes. Because separations compound, small attrition changes matter in longer scenarios.
Budgeting works best when base pay is not the only input. The loaded monthly rate adds bonus, benefits, payroll taxes, and overhead as percentages of base pay. Overhead can represent tools, office, insurance, management time, and shared services. One‑time per‑hire costs capture equipment, recruiting fees, and onboarding training that usually spike when hiring ramps. If base pay is 2,200 per month with 20% benefits and 12% overhead, the loaded rate becomes materially higher than base alone.
The results section summarizes total hires, total separations, average headcount, and cumulative spend across the scenario duration. The monthly table shows headcount start, hires, separations, headcount end, and average headcount alongside recurring, one‑time, and total costs. Look for step‑ups in one‑time spend during hiring months, and for rising loaded cost when annual raises are applied. Validate that monthly hires align with capacity constraints such as recruiter throughput and manager onboarding bandwidth.
Compare scenarios by changing a small set of levers: hires, attrition, base pay, and overhead. For example, raising attrition from 8% to 12% can increase recruiting and training costs even if ending headcount is unchanged. Use the exports to share assumptions with Finance and People Ops, document approvals, and track variance against actuals each month. When actuals deviate, adjust the next scenario rather than forcing the current plan to fit.
1) What does “fully loaded cost” mean here?
It is the monthly base pay plus percentage add‑ons for bonus, benefits, payroll taxes, and overhead. It represents a planning proxy for total employer cost per employee.
2) How is attrition applied across months?
The tool converts annual attrition into an equivalent monthly rate, then estimates separations from the starting headcount each month. This creates compounding effects over longer durations.
3) Why use average headcount instead of ending headcount?
Recurring costs are driven by people employed during the month, not only at month‑end. Using the average of starting and ending headcount approximates mid‑month hires and exits.
4) How should I estimate one‑time costs per hire?
Include items that occur once per new employee, such as laptop and setup, recruiting fees, background checks, and initial training. If costs vary by role, run separate scenarios and sum results.
5) Can I model salary growth during the scenario?
Yes. Enter an annual raise rate and the calculator will apply an equivalent monthly growth factor to base pay, which then lifts the fully loaded rate and recurring costs.
6) How can Finance validate this model quickly?
Export the CSV, review assumptions, and spot‑check a single month: compute separations, average headcount, loaded rate, and one‑time costs. Matching that month typically confirms the remaining schedule.
Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.