Has your team had too much to do lately? Are people increasingly overworked and stressed, because of the volume of tasks they must complete? How do you know when to hire new workers? This is not easy to decide. There’s much more to consider than just your current staff’s protests that they have too much to do.

 

When NOT to Create a New Role

 

Hiring a team member at the wrong time or for the wrong reasons can cost you time, and waste money. There are several factors that do not justify a permanent addition to your team:

 

• Seasonal increases in workload – If your team is overworked at specific times of the year, then hire temporary help to relieve the workload.
• One-time or unusual projects – If your people are responsible for delivering an unusually large project that’s outside either the type or volume of “business as usual” work, then consider using contractors to meet this temporary change in staffing requirements. You can use contractors to do the project work itself, or you can use them to do the regular work of your permanent staff, whose expertise you need to deliver the project.
• Sick or vacationing team members – Again, temporary staffing can help fill these gaps.
• Complaining staff members – If people on your team complain about their workload, then make sure they’re managing their time well. You can fix poor time management much more easily than hiring someone new to do some of their work.
• Before you decide to hire a permanent addition to your team, make sure your team members are managing their time effectively, are properly resourced, and are working as efficiently as possible. Also, make sure that their heavy workload isn’t just temporary.

 

When to Consider a New Role

 

So, what does justify creating a new job in your organization?

 

• Consistent work overload – The main indicator that your people need extra help is that they’re consistently overloaded with tasks and projects. If they work hard and manage their time effectively, then adding a role will increase your team’s productivity as well as reduce stress.
• Regular use of contractors – Do you already use a lot of temporary workers, contractors or freelancers? If you regularly hire outside help, this could mean that you need a permanent person. Contractors often cost more per hour than your permanent staff, and they generally don’t know your organization as well. Analyzing the hidden costs as well as the more obvious costs will help you decide whether to use contractors or create new, permanent roles to get the best overall value for money.
• Improvements in the economy – If a role was eliminated, there might be laws that determine when it can be reactivated, so talk to your HR department early in your decision-making process. They’ll be able to advise you on whether you can create a new permanent role, and what the scope of the role can and cannot be.
• Time spent on tasks that don’t need your expertise – Your own schedule and tasks can determine if you need additional help. If you spend most of your day performing tasks that could easily be done by someone less skilled (and therefore cheaper), then creating a new role could actually help you increase revenue or productivity. This would free some of your time to focus on more profitable tasks and strategies.

 

When and How to Structure Team Growth

 

• Option 1: Hire in advance – Proactively hire someone before your team gets really busy. Hiring in advance allows you to train new people before workloads increase, so that you can maintain turnaround times and quality levels.
• Option 2: Wait until the need is obvious – If you wait until work volumes increase to a level where people are over-stretched, then you’ll have to recruit and train during a very busy time. And by the time your new worker is trained enough to be effective, you’ll have risked upsetting existing staff because they’re overworked and stressed.

 

Both options have benefits and risks, and it’s important to choose a path that’s right for you, your team, and your organization.

 

Key Points

 

Creating a new role takes time and careful thought. Start by identifying why you or your team needs help. If you have a temporary increase in workload, or if several workers are out sick or on vacation, then hire temporary help. If business forecasts show a big increase in the near future, then carefully consider your two main options: hiring now to train the new team member, or waiting until business has already increased.

 

If your organization requires HR approval, then make sure you have the budget for a new role, write a detailed job description, and learn about other HR requirements for the approval process.

 

Compliments of:

 

JANIS STRATHEARN

Direct | 604.731.2073

Cell: | 604.313.4866

 

Finding Exceptionally Talented IT Professionals for Outstanding Career Opportunities.

 

 

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