Library › Finance AI › FP&A and financial analysts

Compare actual headcount with plan by department and flag overages

  • For FP&A and financial analysts
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

You're reporting headcount against plan. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Dept | Plan | Actual | Variance | Flag, one row per department and a Total row. Variance = actual minus plan with a sign. Flag is "Over plan" only when actual is above plan. Don't mention the hiring managers' explanations. No commentary. Under 80 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Flagging Engineering. The AI flags any variance, including the negative one. Try: Say: "Flag Over plan only when the variance is positive."
  • Reversed variance. The AI subtracts actual from plan. Try: Add: "Variance = actual minus plan."
  • Adding explanations. The AI mentions pending offers and the pulled-forward hire. Try: Add: "Do not mention the managers' comments."
  • Missing the total row. The AI drops it. Try: Say: "Rows Engineering, Sales, Support and Total."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits. Try: Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the columns
  • Gives the formula
  • Defines the flag
  • Bans comments
  • Limits output

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises