This cheat sheet provides a comparative overview of four practical headcount strategies—lead, lag, match, and adjust—to help HR and business leaders align workforce capacity with demand. It supports informed decision-making by outlining when and how to apply each approach based on organizational context and market conditions.
Included in this resource:
- A side-by-side comparison of lead, lag, match, and adjust headcount strategies
- Clear descriptions outlining how each strategy manages capacity relative to demand
- Summarized pros and cons for each approach to support informed trade-off decisions
- Guidance on when to use each strategy based on demand predictability, cost focus, and organizational maturity
- Practical examples showing how organizations can blend strategies in real-world scenarios
