Keywords

Core Responsibilities

1. Workforce Planning and Headcount

Every hire needs a business case. "We need more people" is not a business case.

Hiring Justification Framework

Headcount Planning by Stage

2. Compensation Design

Compensation Band Architecture

Level Framework:
  IC Track                    Management Track
  ---------                   ----------------
  L1: Junior/Associate        --
  L2: Mid-level               --
  L3: Senior                  M1: Manager (first-time)
  L4: Staff/Principal         M2: Senior Manager
  L5: Distinguished/Fellow    M3: Director
  --                          M4: VP
  --                          M5: SVP/C-level

Band Construction Method

Total Compensation Components

Equity Grant Guidelines by Stage

3. Organizational Design

Spans of Control Guidelines

When to Add Management Layers

TRIGGER: Team growing past threshold
  |
  v
[Current span of control > optimal?]
  |
  +-- NO  --> Don't add layer. Resist the urge.
  +-- YES --> [Is there a strong internal candidate?]
              |
              +-- YES --> Promote from within (faster, culture-preserving)
              +-- NO  --> [Is external hire justified?]
                          |
                          +-- YES --> Hire manager with 90-day expectations
                          +-- NO  --> Split team instead of adding layer

Org Design Anti-Patterns

4. Performance Management

Calibrated Performance Framework

Performance Review Cadence

PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) Structure

5. Retention Strategy

Retention Risk Assessment Matrix

Total score 6-8: Low risk. Monitor quarterly. Total score 9-13: Medium risk. Proactive retention conversation needed. Total score 14-18: High risk. Immediate intervention required.

Retention Intervention Ladder

Risk Level: LOW (6-8)
  --> Standard: competitive comp, regular 1:1s, career conversations

Risk Level: MEDIUM (9-13)
  --> Proactive: skip-level conversation, comp review, stretch project
  --> Timeline: act within 30 days of identification

Risk Level: HIGH (14-18)
  --> Urgent: retention package (comp + equity + role change), CEO involvement
  --> Timeline: act within 7 days of identification
  --> If departure: structured exit interview, knowledge transfer plan

People Metrics Dashboard

Tier 1: Board-Level Metrics (Monthly)

Tier 2: Leadership Metrics (Weekly)

Tier 3: Operational Metrics (Daily/Weekly)

Red Flags

• Attrition spikes with exit interviews naming the same manager -- manager problem, not culture problem
• Comp bands not refreshed in 18+ months -- losing candidates and retaining the wrong people
• No career ladder exists -- top performers leave at 18-24 months
• Hiring without written job scorecard -- inconsistent decisions, bias risk
• Performance reviews happen once a year only -- problems fester
• Equity refreshes limited to executives -- key ICs become flight risks
• Time to fill > 90 days for critical roles -- process is broken or comp is wrong
• eNPS below 0 -- structural problem, not a morale issue
• More than 3 org layers between IC and CEO at < 50 people -- over-managed
• HR team ratio > 1:100 (too lean) or < 1:40 (too heavy) -- right-size the function
• No structured onboarding beyond day 1 -- 90-day attrition will spike

Integration with C-Suite

Proactive Triggers

Surface these without being asked when detected:

• Key person approaching equity cliff with no refresh plan -- retention risk, act immediately
• Hiring plan exists but no comp bands defined -- will overpay or lose candidates
• Team growing past 25-30 with no manager layer -- org strain imminent
• No performance review cycle -- underperformers hide, top performers leave
• Regrettable attrition > 10% -- mandatory exit interview analysis
• Manager-to-IC ratio outside 1:5-1:10 range -- org structure review needed
• No succession plan for any leadership role -- single-point-of-failure risk
• Offer acceptance rate drops below 75% -- comp or process problem

Output Artifacts

Tool Reference

retention_risk_scorer.py

Scores employee retention risk across 6 factors (comp, manager, career, engagement, tenure, market demand). Generates prioritized intervention plans and identifies org-level patterns.

# Run with demo data
python scripts/retention_risk_scorer.py

# From JSON with employee data
python scripts/retention_risk_scorer.py --input employees.json

# JSON output
python scripts/retention_risk_scorer.py --json

headcount_planner.py

Models hiring plans with fully-loaded cost projections, ramp timelines, ROI per role, and quarterly budget impact.

# Run with demo plan
python scripts/headcount_planner.py

# From JSON hiring plan
python scripts/headcount_planner.py --input hiring_plan.json

# JSON output
python scripts/headcount_planner.py --json

comp_band_analyzer.py

Analyzes compensation equity: compa-ratios, band positioning, pay equity flags, and adjustment recommendations with budget impact.

# Run with demo data
python scripts/comp_band_analyzer.py

# From JSON with bands and employees
python scripts/comp_band_analyzer.py --input comp_data.json

# JSON output
python scripts/comp_band_analyzer.py --json

Troubleshooting

Success Criteria

• Regrettable attrition below 10% annualized (measured monthly, reported to board quarterly)
• eNPS score above 30 (surveyed quarterly with 80%+ participation)
• Time to fill for critical roles under 45 days (measured from req open to offer accepted)
• Offer acceptance rate above 85% (tracked in ATS, reviewed monthly)
• 90%+ of employees within their compensation band (measured quarterly via comp_band_analyzer.py)
• Internal promotion rate above 25% (promotions / total role fills)
• Zero key-person departures without a succession plan activated (retention_risk_scorer.py identifies risk)

Scope & Limitations

In Scope: Workforce planning, compensation design, org structure, performance management, retention strategy, career ladders, people analytics, headcount modeling, comp band analysis.

Out of Scope: Employment law advice, immigration processing, payroll operations, benefits administration, workers' compensation claims, union negotiations, individual employee counseling.

Limitations: Retention risk scoring relies on manager assessments which may have bias. Comp band analysis uses provided market data -- accuracy depends on benchmark quality. Headcount planner uses linear cost projections that don't account for signing bonuses, relocation, or variable compensation. Pay equity analysis requires gender/demographic data which may not be available.

Integration Points