Before I tell you how to do this I need to be honest. I did over promise on dad jokes. TBH, my dad proofed this so if you don’t like it, lmk and I will blame him 😉

DRUM ROLLLLLLLLLL

Why did the HRIS analyst break up with their laptop?

Because every time they tried to connect
it said, “integration failed.” 🤣

Now back to business. Let’s talk about how you can dodge some bullets when it comes to delivering HR headcount data.

Too many times to count, I’ve been questioned on the data I deliver.

One company I supported was going through heavy turnover.
To keep up, HR started entering 1/1/1900 as placeholder service dates.

You can imagine what happened next.

401(k) eligibility broke.
Absence eligibility broke.
And every report tied to tenure? Completely unreliable.

The CFO caught it before HR did.

It’s not that HR doesn’t care about accuracy.
It’s that we define it differently than Finance does.

For instance, Finance tracks headcount by cost centers (what hits the ledger).
HR sums it by roles and hierarchies (people, not numbers).

Both are valid.
They’re just not the same in reporting

That’s how two teams looking at the same people data end up with different totals.
And suddenly, HR is on defense.

Worst part? It diminishes credibility.

Finance managed cost centers in NetSuite.
HR had an “informal” structure in Excel.

We started with Finance’s foundation, then translated it into HR’s view inside Workday by creating multiple hierarchies satisfying both teams reporting requirements.

We built the cost-center hierarchy from Finance.
Then we added HR’s language “People Team,” “Revenue,” “Operations” through custom organizations and the cost center hierarchy.

Finance recognized the numbers.
HR recognized the teams.
Mission accomplished!!

Departments should follow Finance.
Not because HR is wrong, but because Finance owns how the company allocates dollars.

When your structure matches the ledger, your data earns automatic credibility.

Stay tuned for more tips on saving HR tech 😉