How do you know when the time is right to add either temporary work teams or permanent staffers to your organization? These are some of the biggest decisions that leaders make — and they should be made on an informed basis, not just on guesswork.
Here are 3 things to consider when adding temporary work teams or permanent staffers to your workforce:
1. Determine Need
Far and away the biggest question when deciding to grow your workforce is how much pressure is on existing staff to fulfill the needs of the business.
If the existing team isn’t really being maximized, the business might not need any new people at all, just some re-organization. On the other hand, if the existing personnel-hours are stretched to the maximum, new staff may be critically important to maintain or expand the business.
The key is that you need to have information in hand. Managers may use surveys or field operations to see for themselves whether or not there is pressure on business processes, and actual need for additional sets of hands or eyes, just to keep core processes going smoothly.
2. Determine Budget
There’s also the question of how well the business can absorb the additional costs.
Think about what would happen if the new staff was added, and business demand dropped. Is there adequate cash on hand or credit to continue processes? Or is the business fundamentally strapped for cash? In the latter case, adding new people could be dangerous. However, if the business is thriving and naturally growing, adding temporary or permanent staff may be a logical strategy and something that couldn’t hurt, if it expands productivity.
3. Determine Benefits and Other Issues
In many cases, employers can time hiring based on changes to healthcare reform and other considerations involving benefits. Group health insurance is a particular market, and its rules and regulations can affect employers in a big way. Hiring decisions often focus on not just the cost of salary, but the cost of benefits. This factors into a decision to either add temporary workers to fill in the gap, or invest in full-time staff that are going to be around for the long haul.
For more, take a look at what Employment Solutions offers in your area, and how we help our clients make choices that keep them viable in the long run.
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