# Multi-Year Planning

Project workforce headcount and costs up to 5 years into the future using Agentnoon's Forecast module.

## Setting Up a Multi-Year Scenario

Create a scenario and add positions with hire dates spread across future years:

1. Name descriptively: "2026-2028 Growth Plan"
2. Add Year 1 positions with hire dates in 2026
3. Add Year 2 positions with hire dates in 2027
4. Add Year 3 positions with hire dates in 2028

**Example:** Adding 50 positions in 2026, 75 in 2027, and 100 in 2028 produces phased growth from 200 → 250 → 325 → 425 employees.

## Viewing in Forecast

1. Open your scenario > switch to **Forecast** view
2. Set Time Period = **Yearly**, Aggregator = Department
3. Toggle between **Headcount** (growth trajectory) and **Cost** (budget implications)

The table shows 5 columns (up to 5 years forward). Positions appear in the year their hire date falls.

## Handling Uncertainty

Create 3 scenarios with different growth assumptions (Conservative: 10%/year, Moderate: 20%/year, Aggressive: 35%/year) and compare in Forecast. Export to CSV to place side-by-side for leadership.

Use ranges when presenting, not exact numbers: "We expect 300–350 employees in 2028" rather than "We'll have 347 employees."

**Plan in phases:**

* **Year 1 (2026):** High detail — specific positions, titles, salaries, hire dates
* **Year 2 (2027):** Moderate detail — position counts by department, budget ranges
* **Year 3+ (2028+):** Directional — headcount targets, rough estimates, acknowledged as preliminary

## Modeling Salary Inflation

Salaries increase over time due to COLA, raises, and promotions. To model this:

1. Use effective dates to apply salary increases in future years (e.g., +3% on Jan 1, 2027)
2. Forecast shows cost increasing even without new hires

Note: Agentnoon does not auto-calculate annual raises — salary updates require manual edits or bulk operations.

## Geographic Cost Planning

Use location-specific rate cards to accurately reflect cost differences (e.g., US engineer at $150K vs. India engineer at $50K). Aggregate Forecast by Location to compare cost efficiency across geographies.

## Rolling Forecasts

Update your multi-year plan quarterly rather than annually:

1. Refresh Main Org with actual hire data
2. Create a new scenario version (e.g., "2026-2028 Plan - Q2 2026 Update")
3. Adjust future hire dates based on actual hiring pace
4. Re-export and share updated projections

Name versions with dates to track changes over time.

## Related Resources

* [Forecast Overview](https://docs.agentnoon.com/forecast/overview)
* [Building Headcount Forecasts](https://docs.agentnoon.com/forecast/building-headcount-forecasts)