How many people do you need?

Set your volume, handle time, and shrinkage — get the required headcount instantly.

Required headcount

0FTE
0%
target occupancy
Total workload0 hrs/wk
Productive hrs / agent0 hrs/wk
Paid hrs / agent0 hrs/wk
Shrinkage0%

Where the hours go

Productive work0h
Occupancy buffer0h
Shrinkage0h

Headcount vs. occupancy target

Holding volume, AHT, schedule, and shrinkage fixed — only the occupancy target changes.

TAT recovery

Fill in the TAT recovery inputs to see an estimate.

Volume & handle time

Calls, tickets, or tasks arriving per week.

8.5 min

Enter in seconds, minutes, or hours — pick whatever fits the task.

Agent schedule

Hours / day

Scheduled days

Shrinkage

24%

One number covering vacation, sick time, training, and breaks combined — use this if you don't want to enter each separately.

Target occupancy

85%

Share of available time actually spent handling work. Above ~90% risks burnout; below ~75% under-utilizes staff.

TAT recovery

Model how long it takes to clear a TAT breach, using the volume and FTEs actually available for recovery.

Items currently outside TAT target, waiting to be processed.

Synced to weekly volume ÷ scheduled days.

Synced to the calculated headcount above.

Business days you want the backlog cleared within — leave blank to just see the current-pace estimate.

How this calculator works

Required headcount comes down to one comparison: how many hours of work are arriving each week, versus how many productive hours one agent actually delivers once you account for shrinkage and a realistic occupancy target. This tool runs that math live in your browser as you adjust volume, average handle time, schedule, and shrinkage — nothing is sent to a server. For the full formulas and the reasoning behind each input, see the methodology page, or check the FAQ for quick answers on terms like AHT, shrinkage, and occupancy.