Knowing when to hire a new employee for your company can be a balancing act. Not every industry has a steady demand for goods and services, which can make staffing challenging. You don’t want such a small staff that you struggle to keep up, but you also don’t want so many employees that you’re spending more money on salaries than you’re investing in your business. So how do you time your hiring? Here are some tips:
Don’t wait to hire until you’re overwhelmed.
Often when a manager feels like he could use extra hands, he doesn’t act right away. He delays hiring an employee until the need feels more urgent. The problem with this strategy is that you don’t start looking for help until deadlines are being missed and your employees are exhausted, or worse, burned out. Instead, when you start to feel like you could do better with another employee or two, sit down and find a way get more help as soon as you can.
Hire just before a great demand.
Forecasting demand can be tricky, but it’s possible to make an educated guess if you track data like sales numbers or foot traffic over a period of time. It’s important to hire employees in the period right before a spike in demand to give you time to train them, and to give them time to gain confidence in their jobs so they can perform well. Having new employees in place just before demand spikes puts you in the best possible position for success.
Make sure you’re ready for a new employee.
Before hiring an employee, make sure that taking on a new worker doesn’t make it harder to support your current staff. Consider that you’ll need to pay for not only salary and benefits for a new worker, but that you’ll also be legally responsible for things like workers’ comp and other taxes. It also takes time and money to attract and evaluate new employees, so be sure that your company is in a strong position before you start recruiting.
Find ways to make your staffing levels flexible.
If you determine that it’s not time to bring on another full-time employee, there are other options available. Temporary placement is a great way to handle a temporary increase in demand. You can bring in someone for a day, a week, or several months without facing the same financial responsibilities that you would with a full-time employee. This is a great way to keep your full-time staff stress-free when demand goes up.
Looking for more help with hiring? Get in touch with one of our specialists at Burnett’s Staffing and we can sit down with you to discuss your company’s needs. Whether you’re interested in temporary placement or direct hire, we can find a solution perfect for your situation. Contact us today to learn more about our Dallas-Fort Worth staffing solutions. We look forward to hearing from you!