A Guide to Headcount Reforecasting
To materially participate in the headcount reforecasting process, Recruiting Leaders need objective measurement of recruiting performance & the levers that impact it, compiled into a story easily understood by an executive audience. On top of that, you need to speak their language, so they can factor your interests in their planning. They want a dependable recruiting services with predictable outputs and clear expectations of what’s needed for them to ensure their team is giving you what you need to deliver hires.
Download the Headcount Reforecasting Checklist
Unicorn’s Headcount Reforecasting Checklist is a step-by-step guide designed to help recruiting leaders enter executive conversations with credibility. Success means setting clear expectations for what your team can deliver—and clearly communicating what’s needed from each stakeholder to make that possible. When every team understands their role, recruiting gets the support it needs to drive results.
1. Understand Why You’re Reforecasting Headcount
Every reforecast needs a clear rationale. Without context, a revised headcount plan just looks like a reaction—rather than a strategic response. Whether driven by missed sales targets, delayed product milestones, or new funding realities, articulating the why helps unify stakeholders around the need to change course. It also protects Recruiting and Finance teams from being held accountable for a plan that no longer reflects reality.
Start with the "Driving Factors" section. You’ll see checkboxes and descriptions to help articulate the why behind the reforecast:
Did sales underperform or overperform?
Did product timelines shift?
Did hiring execution miss the mark?
Was there a shift in financial runway or investment?
Understanding why the reforecast is happening will help build a more credible action plan to meet reforecasted demand.
2.Communicate Historic Recruiting Capability & Performance
Objectively measure recruiting performance as a way to deliver context about what’s possible. (Use our QBR to guide you through this process). Capacity/Demand performance gives a general idea of what’s possible— but encumbrance from hiring teams, backfills, and other blockers give context to what’s realistic. Not only does assessing this information help paint a picture of what’s possible, it provides action items to maximize productivity.
Use the Context & Missed Target Analysis section to answer the following questions
Did Recruiting Meet Demand? If not, was it funnel conversion rates? Hiring Manager blockers? Recruiter Performance?
If Recruiting met demand, was it predictible? Are the start dates on the new forecast actually possible to hit?
Whats the cost? Do you need more recruiters? Should we supplement with Agencies?
For Executives to understand what’s possible in the future, they need to understand previous performance. Not just the output, but the context to that output. If you hired 3 per month and thats great, you should be able to explain why.
3. Build A New Recruiting Forecast & Set Expectations
Build a new capacity/demand forecast ( Use our capacity/demand forecasting template here). Use demand spike to ask for more recruiters or agency budget. Use the data from previous steps to set expectations around hiring managers participation in the hiring process. The reforecast process usually pairs well with a sense of urgency from executives to get S#!T done. Provide them metrics on how they can help unblock your process and guarantee hires on time
Know your metrics
Use these metrics to make clear asks to recruiting process partners
Use capacity vs demand to manage expectations about whats possible
Use Prioritization to unlock constraints
The Best Recruiting Leaders Know How To Reforecast
The reforecasting process is where the entire Unicorn playbook comes together. Recruiting leaders to have a meaningful seat at the table, bringing together a deep understanding of the service of recruiting and the objective metrics that impact production and predictability. It enables recruiting leaders to interact with executives and build a plan that’s attainable for future goals.