Position Management in Practice: Getting HR and Finance Aligned

For years, HR and Finance have often worked from different versions of the same plan.

HR thinks in roles, people, and org structure. Finance thinks in budget, cost, and forecast. The gap between the two usually gets filled with spreadsheets, meetings, approvals, and a lot of manual reconciliation.

In our latest webinar, Chad Atwell, Head of Customer Success & Advisory at CandorIQ, sat down with Andrew Bartlow, Theresa Cortese, and Michelle MacDougall from People Leader Accelerator to unpack how companies can actually get these two functions working together.

Below is a recap of the conversation, but you can watch the full webinar HERE.

HR has to move upstream

One of the strongest themes was that HR creates the most value when it gets involved before the hiring request lands.

Andrew put it simply:

“One of the highest and best ways that a human resources pro can contribute to their org is around org design and workforce planning.”

Instead of acting like an order taker, HR has an opportunity to help business leaders think through what work needs to get done, what resources are actually needed, and whether hiring is even the best answer.

And Finance needs to be part of that conversation from the beginning.

Misalignment creates more meetings, not better decisions

When HR and Finance aren’t aligned, companies often compensate by adding process.

Michelle shared that she has seen companies hold headcount meetings twice a week just to reconcile spreadsheets and approve requisitions live.

Finance spends hours figuring out what changed. HR chases business leaders for answers. More approval layers get added.

And all of that slows hiring down.

The problem usually isn’t a lack of effort. It’s that everyone is working from different information.

Start with shared definitions

Good position management starts before the technology.

Theresa emphasized two foundational pieces:

Trust and shared definitions.

If HR and Finance don’t agree on what roles, levels, approved positions, or target start dates actually mean, even the best system won’t fix the underlying problem.

As Theresa put it:

“A collaborative and positive working relationship with finance is essential to actually being a strategic HR partner.”

Once both teams are speaking the same language, everything from approvals to budgeting becomes easier.

One source of truth changes the relationship

Andrew compared good collaboration to “kids playing together in the same sandbox.”

HR and Finance don’t necessarily need the exact same tools, but they do need shared information.

That means the same roster, titles, compensation data, hiring assumptions, and workforce plan.

When that foundation exists, teams can spend less time reconciling information and more time discussing the actual business decisions behind it.

Workforce planning has to stay flexible

Position management isn’t something companies should do once a year and forget.

Hiring plans change. Business priorities shift. AI changes how work gets done. Budgets move.

Michelle highlighted the importance of moving away from annual planning toward a more agile model where teams can review and adjust plans quarterly or even monthly.

The question becomes less “What did we approve last year?” and more “What does the business actually need now?”

AI doesn’t automatically mean fewer people

The conversation also explored how AI should factor into workforce planning.

Theresa offered a useful way to think about it: imagine the organization as a net.

Gaps in the weave are bandwidth problems — places where automation or AI might help.

A torn strand is different. That’s a missing capability or skill, and technology alone may not solve it.

The takeaway: don’t default to hire or automate. Start by understanding the work that actually needs to get done.

Scenario planning brings everyone into the conversation

One of the most practical parts of the discussion was scenario planning.

What happens if hiring accelerates by three months? What if revenue slows? What if certain roles are automated? What if promotions change the shape of the org?

Instead of HR and Finance trying to answer those questions alone, position management can bring business leaders directly into the planning process.

Chad shared how scenario planning helps teams model different futures and understand the cost, headcount, and organizational impact before making the decision.

Final Takeaway

The biggest lesson from the conversation was simple:

Position management is less about the system and more about how people work together.

Build the relationship first. Agree on definitions. Use one shared source of truth. Bring Finance in early. And keep the plan flexible enough to change with the business.

As Michelle summarized:

“Start socializing early.”

Because the best position management process isn’t the one with the most approvals or the most sophisticated spreadsheet.

It’s the one where HR, Finance, and the business are actually working from the same plan.

Watch the full webinar HERE.

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