Session
Which Headcount Is Real?
Building the workforce baseline that productivity, skills and AI-investment decisions actually need.
PAWorld26 NYC · 4–5 November 2026 · New York City
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– · Workforce Planning & Skills
About this session
HR, Finance and Technology can report different workforce numbers for legitimate reasons. Pratima Patil examines how to define the population relevant to a specific choice, reconcile employees and deployed capacity, make assumptions explicit and build a decision-grade workforce baseline rather than merely a cleaner headcount dashboard.
Learning outcomes
- Explain why two workforce counts may differ legitimately.
- Define a baseline around a specific business decision.
- Identify the assumptions that need agreement before comparing capacity or investment.
This session will explore
- Compare the purposes behind HR, Finance and Technology workforce counts.
- Define the relevant population and distinguish employees from deployed capacity.
- Make reconciliation rules and assumptions visible in a decision-grade baseline.
Context
Different workforce counts can all be legitimate when they answer different questions. The challenge is to define the population and deployed capacity relevant to the decision, rather than merely force every report to match.
Speakers and contributors
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Pratima PatilPresenterDirector - Tech Business Enablement, Tech Workforce StrategyAmerican Express