Workforce management is a perpetual balancing act. There are many sides to it – recruiting, onboarding, training, performance appraisals and of course staffing for growth. Around this time of year, when planning for 2019 is in full swing, there’s an increased focus on whether or not you might need more employees for the new year. Here are 7 signs that you might need to increase your CT employee staffing in the new year.
Work Quality Is Suffering
A decline in the quality of work your organization is producing could be a sign that you might be understaffed and in need of more employees. Are you missing deadlines? Is your customer service team experiencing an influx of complaints? Are billing errors happening? Is the quality output of your product or service suffering? If so, then it might be time to increase your hiring activity.
You’re Losing Business
Your organization might be losing business in different ways. You could be losing existing customers because of declining product quality, service issues, etc. Or, if your staff is overextended and barely keeping up with the current workload, then chances are good your organization isn’t taking advantage of new business opportunities. Either way, bringing additional staff on board could help you maintain current business and increase future growth.
Current Staff is Overwhelmed
Assess the current mood of your staff. There could be red flags pointing to them being overwhelmed. Maybe they’re struggling to keep up with their daily work responsibilities. Or they’re making mistakes and missing deadlines. Do they appear unusually stressed? Don’t ignore the signs of an unhappy or frustrated employee. Consider adding more hires to help avoid staff burnout.
There’s Lots of Overtime Happening
Take a look at your staff’s workload. If there is a significant amount of overtime on the books, then your current employees may have too much on their work plate. Over time, you’ll incur added expenses from overtime hours. To avoid this, consider expanding your team with more hires.
Your Organization is Experiencing Growth
If your organization recently experienced growth or is anticipating growth for the new year, be prepared by expanding your workforce with the adequate amount of staff. This will help you more effectively manage the increased workload and also help you maintain the same level of product and service quality that your customers have come to expect from your organization.
You Need New Skill Sets
There are often times when new work roles and responsibilities are added to an organization – especially during times of growth. If your current employees don’t have the skills needed to take on these new roles, it might be best to hire additional employees who do have the required skills. This can often save time and money over training current staff to take on the new work.
Your Alternative Plans Haven’t Worked
Perhaps you’ve already tried other strategies to avoid hiring – like reorganizing a department, changing work hours, or revamping your training tactics. If you’ve done all this and crunched the numbers and nothing seems to be working, then it’s likely time to staff up.
If your organization is looking to increase your permanent hire count, but you’re having trouble finding qualified talent, A.R. Mazzotta can help! As a locally based CT employee staffing expert with direct hire recruiting services, our team will help you find the best talent to grow your company. Learn more.