{"id":"fpa-revenue-per-employee-average-headcount","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"constraints","level":"beginner","title":"Compute revenue per employee on average headcount","free":false,"task":"You're computing a productivity metric for the board deck. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting \"Average headcount:\" and \"Revenue per employee:\", each with the math. Policy uses average headcount (start plus end divided by 2), not ending headcount. Round revenue per employee to the nearest dollar. Don't mention ending headcount or any peer comparison. Under 50 words. No bullets or numbering.","materialLabel":"Revenue and headcount figures (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"REVENUE PER EMPLOYEE INPUTS - FY26, Pinecrest Software\n\nRevenue: $12,000,000\nHeadcount at Jan 1, 2026: 36\nHeadcount at Dec 31, 2026: 40\n\nKPI glossary: revenue per employee = revenue / average headcount, where average headcount = (start + end) / 2.\n\nNotes: the CEO quoted '$300,000 per employee' in a recent interview using the year-end headcount of 40, and a board member asked how that compares with peers. Peer data isn't part of this calculation.\n\nBackground: headcount counts full-time employees only; contractors are excluded under the glossary. Eight people joined during the year and four left. Revenue is recognized revenue for fiscal 2026. The metric appears on the KPI page of the board deck with last year's figure of $288,000 shown beside it.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":50},{"type":"maxBullets","max":0}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the two lines","patterns":["average headcount","revenue per employee"]},{"label":"Gives the formula","patterns":["\\(start \\+ end\\) / 2","average headcount"]},{"label":"Asks to round","patterns":["nearest dollar"]},{"label":"Bans side topics","patterns":["(do not|don'?t).*(ending headcount|peers|ceo)"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","plain"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Using ending headcount","why":"The AI divides by 40 and gets $300,000.","fix":"Say: \"Use average headcount: (start + end) / 2.\"","checks":["r1","r2"]},{"title":"Comparing to the CEO's figure","why":"The AI notes the difference from $300,000 or peers.","fix":"Add: \"Do not mention ending headcount, the CEO's figure or peers.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"No rounding","why":"The AI shows cents or $315.8K.","fix":"Add: \"Round to the nearest dollar.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for.\"","checks":["plainText","maxBullets","r0"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"A productivity ratio depends on the headcount basis. State the basis and bans.","rubricLabels":["The line starting \"Average headcount:\" shows (36 + 40) / 2 = 38","The line starting \"Revenue per employee:\" shows $12,000,000 / 38 = $315,789","The output never mentions the year-end headcount basis, the CEO's $300,000 figure or peers"]}