Concepts

Requisition | Recruiting Sprint | Done | Headcount Points | Obstacle

HEADCOUNT
POINTS

XS SM
2 3 5
L XL
8 13

Overview
A headcount point is a unit for measuring the relative complexity of filling a
requisition within a recruiting sprint. Velocity is the average total number of
headcount points a Talent Acquisition Scrum Team can deliver from sprint to
sprint. There are several benefits to using headcount points and velocity. For one,
it gives teams a technique for building a consensus understanding of how much
effort goes into fulfilling each requisition. Second, a team learns over time how
many requisitions it can realistically commit to delivering in a recruiting sprint.

Before a requisition is ready to be worked on, it needs to be given a headcount

point estimate by the Talent Acquisition Scrum Team, typically in a refinement
session. Importantly, estimation is a collaborative exercise carried out by the
people closest to the work.

Keep in mind that complexity is a relative term and considers numerous factors
including, but not limited to:
1. Salary Band
2. Job role (marketing / sales / developer)
3. Location (to include Remote vs. Office)
4. Travel %
5. Skillset
6. Shift (evening, weekend)

Therefore, what a headcount point represents is unique to each team.

© 2018 IBM Corporation AgileTA IBM Confidential

Details
Participants:
• Talent Acquisition Scrum Team
• Talent Acquisition Scrum Master
• Headcount Owner

Steps
How we do this:

The team agrees in advance what technique will be used for estimation:

1 Fist-to-Five (see explanation below), Planning Poker, Fibonacci, T-shirt

sizes, or something else. It is recommended that teams pick one
technique and stick with it for all their sprints for consistency in tracking.

The team agrees on how much time to discuss each requisition

(suggested: 3 mins per requisition). 2
3 Each member provides their view on the sizing in a way others can
see (i.e. holding up fingers, showing numbers on a card, etc.).

The team discusses the outliers and tries to converge on a

number or size. 4
5 The estimate is based on the information the team
has at that time.

6
Remember compromise (meeting half-way) is key and the sizing
of each requisition is relative to (smaller than, equal to, larger
than) the other requisitions.

7
Once agreement is reached, the Talent Acquisition
Scrum Master documents the sizing.

8
The aggregated headcount points from all requisitions
completed in a sprint becomes the actual team velocity for
that sprint. Teams average their velocity over multiple sprints.

9 Velocity is used to plan future sprints and forecast how long

future requisitions will take.
Value
• Enables a team to build a consensus understanding over time of how much
effort goes into fulfilling each requisition.
• Enables a team to discover and establish how many requisitions it can
realistically fulfill each recruiting sprint, helping to set expectations.

Fist-to-Five Technique
• The team members review each requisition in the headcount backlog and ask: “On
a scale of one to five, how complex is this requisition?”
• A one is the least complex, and five is the most complex.
• Fist is reserved for “impossible” or “infinite complexity.” The team member is
saying they think the requisition cannot be easily fulfilled in the next sprint.
• The team members keep in mind all the factors (see list above) that affect
complexity.
• Ask one person with the highest estimate and one person with the lowest
estimate to explain their perspectives, and then have everyone revote.
• Repeat until there is a consensus.
• Once a consensus agreement is reached on the estimated headcount points for a
requisition, move on.

Other Estimation Techniques

• Team Estimation Game: http://www.agilelearninglabs.com/2012/05/how-to-
play-the-team-estimation-game/
• Planning Poker: https://www.planningpoker.com/
• T-shirt sizing: https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/estimating-with-tee-
shirt-sizes

Hints & Tips

• Make obstacles visible to the people doing the work.
• Obstacles are a natural part of getting things done. If a team keeps facing the same
obstacle, look at the root cause and find another way around.
• Estimation helps get the headcount backlog ready to be worked on, and it usually takes
place at a refinement session.
• The number of headcount points is influenced by factors like how complex the
requisition is and how many headcount are on the requisition.
• If a requisition has multiple headcount, size each headcount separately.
• Estimation discussion sometimes can provide additional clarity to the sourcing strategy
for a requisition.
• Use common sense when you time-box your estimation.
• Headcount point estimation is a team view of the size of a requisition; it is not that of an
individual.