What Is Position Control?

Position control is a method of workforce management where organizations track positions rather than people. Each position is a defined slot with its own number, job code, FTE value, wage rate, and department assignment. Employees are assigned to positions, and when someone leaves, the position stays on record, whether it gets refilled, modified, or eliminated.

This approach gives HR, Finance, and department managers a shared, accurate view of staffing at all times, including vacancies, costs, and where headcount is allocated.

Why Position Control Matters

Without position control, staffing data tends to fragment. HR tracks employees in one system, Finance tracks costs in another, and department managers maintain their own spreadsheets. When someone asks a straightforward question like "how many funded positions do we have and what do they cost?" it takes days to get an answer, and the answer depends on who you ask.

Position control solves this by making the position (not the person) the unit of record. Every position carries its budget, classification, and history, regardless of whether it is currently filled.

How FTE Tree Works

FTE Tree is a position control platform where every position is tracked in one place. Each position carries a unique number, FTE value, job code, wage rate, and customizable attributes. Employees are assigned to positions, not the other way around.

Key features include:

• Vacancy tracking. When an employee leaves, the position remains on record with its budget and classification intact. You can see exactly which roles are open and what they cost.
• Budget alignment. Compare the approved budget for a position against the incumbent's actual wage rate and FTE.
• Approval workflows. Creating, modifying, or filling a position can require formal approval before the change takes effect.
• Audit trail. Every action on a position is logged with who made the change, when, and why.

Why Choose FTE Tree?

FTE Tree is designed to be simple enough that department managers actually use it, rather than working around it with their own spreadsheets. HR, Finance, and line managers all work from the same data, so there is no reconciliation step and no version conflicts.

If your organization is ready to move from scattered staffing data to a single system of record, sign up for FTE Tree to see how it works.