Devising an adequate staffing plan involves more than determining whether your current number of employees equates to the current number of job openings. If there’s a noticeable shortage of employees due to high turnover rate or some other reason, that points to the need for increased staffing pretty clearly.
However, there are some other factors which you should evaluate as a hiring manager or as a business owner, to make sure that you are adequately staffed for the coming year. Given the fact that talented employees for skilled positions are difficult to find, this can be an essential process for you to go through.
When you’re reviewing your overall staffing situation for an upcoming period, here are some factors you should take into account to make sure you have the right number of people and the right skills to accomplish your business objectives.
Obvious Employee Shortage
If it’s apparent that you lack adequate staffing, or that you require skilled personnel to fill specific positions, you should take steps to find that talent as soon as possible. It’s reasonably well-known that the talent pool which is currently available for skill positions in this country is not adequate to meet demand, so there may be many other companies competing for that talent.
That makes it crucial that you devise a plan for how you’re going to attract skilled employees and how you’re going to find them in the first place. One of the first things you need to do is have a meeting of the minds among all managers and executives in the company to discuss employment needs, compensation packages, and specific time frames for hiring. If you can develop a consensus on the main points about needed talent and benefits to be offered, it will save a lot of time in the future.
Obstacles to Hiring
You should make it your business to be aware of any obstacles that might get in the way of hiring the staff that you need. For instance, if you’re aware of a similar talent search from other employers in the local area, this is going to intensify the competition for any available skilled workers.
Although it might be difficult, you should attempt to find out the depth of the talent pool in your area, perhaps by consulting with employment agencies and by researching university graduations in your field.
If one of the obstacles to hiring necessary talent is on your end, e.g., lower salary offers than your competitors, you’re going to have to consider some other benefit you can provide to offset that disadvantage. If necessary, you may need to consider deferring other high-budget items to a future business quarter, so that you can have a better chance of securing adequate staffing to meet business objectives.
The Numbers are Right, but not the Skill Sets
One of the traps you should avoid as a hiring manager is to think that you have adequate staffing just because all positions are currently filled. Numbers don’t always tell the whole story, and this is a case where that is very definitely true.
For instance, all positions might be well accounted for, but the performance level from two or three key areas is not what you need it to be. Then too, there is the possibility that your business priorities will be changing for the coming period, and your staffing level needs to change with it, either numerically or in terms of talent.
You should also consider the possibility that one or more of your most valuable employees will unexpectedly leave the company. After all, if you think they’re talented, it’s likely that other companies will see them the same way, and those other companies may be trying to entice them away from you. Your staffing plan should not focus entirely on the number of people you have working for you, nor on the number of skilled positions which need to be adequately manned. It should also include some consideration of personnel changes, both expected and unexpected.
Your Staffing Plan for Upcoming Projects
Another significant component of a good staffing plan is to have an understanding of what the business objectives for the coming year are, and what kind of projects will be worked on during that time. You should look at whether or not you have adequate staffing to accomplish those projects planned for the coming period, and whether you can solve any shortages by a reallocation of personnel. It may not be necessary to take on new staff if you can accomplish upcoming projects by reorganizing departments or project teams.
If it’s at all possible, you should try to set aside sufficient budget for hiring additional personnel, should that become necessary. Given the fact that business objectives can change very quickly, and there can always be an unexpected exit of valuable employees, you should be prepared for such eventualities.
Of course, it may be a tough sell trying to convince upper management that budget should be set aside for the uncertainties of business, but adequate staffing is a critical area that justifies a little strain on the budget. Without the right staffing plan to help achieve your company’s business objectives, it’s going to be very difficult to accomplish them.