> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/budgets-and-forecasts/workforce-planning/take-a-tour-of-workforce-planning.md).
# Take a tour of Workforce Planning
Learn how to access the Workforce Planning page, explore the key elements of a plan and get familiar with the planning process.
{% hint style="info" %}
User permissions: Manage Budgets & Forecasts to access Workforce Planning and create a plan. To access or edit a plan created by another user, you need to be an administrator of that plan.
{% endhint %}
Open the Budgets & Forecasts homepage, then click **Workforce plans**. The **Workforce Planning** page opens.
The **Workforce Planning** homepage is where you create and manage your workforce plans. When you first open the page, it might be empty. After you create a workforce plan, the plan displays in the list.
Click **Create plan** to [create your first plan](/budgets-and-forecasts/workforce-planning/create-a-workforce-plan.md), or click a plan in the list to open it.
### Explore the plan
A workforce plan contains the following elements:
1. **Action menus**: Return to the Workforce Planning page or open the plan menu to manage the plan. From the plan menu, you can:
* Edit the plan setup.
* Duplicate the plan.
* Import employee data.
* Export the plan to Excel.
* Delete the plan.
2. **Grid options**: Control how employee information displays in the grid.
* [Columns view](#show-or-hide-columns): Select which columns display in the grid.
* Filter by keyword: Search for employee rows in the grid.
* Undo and redo: Undo or redo recent changes.
* Row count: View the number of rows in the plan.
* [Add employee](/budgets-and-forecasts/workforce-planning/create-a-workforce-plan/add-employees.md): Add an employee row manually.
3. **Grid**: View and edit employee information. Employee information is organized into [columns](#workforce-plan-columns). Each employee displays in a separate row.
4. **As at date**: Select the point in time at which you want to view or edit employee information.
5. **Publish**: Publish the workforce plan for use in Budgets & Forecasts or Flex Modes.
### Get familiar with the columns
A workforce plan (grid or template file) contains columns for core employee and remuneration information. Other columns might exist, depending on how the plan was set up.
#### Core employee information
The **Employee** column group contains the core employee information included in every plan.
* **Unique ID**: The employee's unique identifier, such as an employee code.
* **Name**: The employee's name. If you're planning to recruit for a role during the planning period, enter a placeholder name, such as *New hire*, so the expected cost is included in the plan.
* **Start date** and **End date**: The employee's start and end dates. Leave the end date blank unless you know the employee will leave.
* **Status**: The employee's status at the selected As at date. This read-only value is determined automatically from the employee's start date and end date. The **Status** can be one of the following:
* **Active**: The employee's start date is on or before the As at date. Their end date is on or after the As at date, or blank.
* **Pre-hire**: The employee's start date is after the As at date. Use this status to focus on employees you're forecasting for future hire.
* **Terminated**: The employee's end date is before the As at date. An employee is still active on their termination date; the **Terminated** status applies from the day after their end date.
* **Benefit Plan**: The applicable benefit plan. This is not present in the Basic template, but you can add it in later.
#### Employee's remuneration information
The **Remuneration** column group contains the revenue-related information included in every plan.
* **Salary** (measure)
* **Bonus** (measure)
* **Commission** (measure)
* **FTE** (property)
#### Additional employee information
Additional columns, organized into groups, might be available, depending on how the plan was set up. Each column behaves according to its type content type.
See the table in [Set up the columns](/budgets-and-forecasts/workforce-planning/create-a-workforce-plan.md#set-up-the-columns) for information on each type of column and what type of information to enter into each one.
### Customize your view
Determine which columns and rows that display in the grid to help you manage employee information more efficiently.
#### Show or hide columns
Use the **Columns view** drop-down to show or hide column groups in the grid. Select or clear each column group checkbox as required.
The **Employee** column group is always visible. It has its own collapse button that hides the start date, end date, status, and benefit plan columns while keeping the unique ID and name visible.
Expanded and collapsed views of the Employee column group
#### Change the column width
You can't manually resize columns. Each column automatically adjusts to the narrowest width that still displays its data.
To make a column narrower, shorten the column header, for example by using an abbreviation. When the header is shorter than the longest value in the column, that value controls the width instead.
#### Sort and filter employees
Most columns in the plan support standard sorting and filtering, so you can quickly find or focus on a subset of employees:
* **Unique ID** and **Name**: Sortable.
* **Start date**, **End date**, and **Status**: Sortable and filterable.
* **Dimension columns**, including custom dimensions: sortable and filterable.
Click a column header to sort by that column or use the column's filter to narrow the rows shown in the grid.
For example filtering by status is useful for common planning tasks:
* To work on forecast hires only, filter to **Pre-hire**.
* To focus on your current workforce, filter out **Pre-hire** and **Terminated**.
* To see everyone who was active or planned to start during a reporting period, set the **As at date** to the period start and filter out **Terminated**.
You can also filter directly on the start date and end date columns for further flexibility.
---
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