When Should Your Bring on New Employees? | Change Recruitment

As your company grows, you’ll probably that your number of employees does too. Imagine this demand as balancing act aimed at getting the right number of employees and overall stability.

Many companies boost their onboarding activity through two essential time frames. January and September are often considered the most popular times of the year to make a new hire, at least according to job search trends, with 8 out of 10 busiest job search days landing in January.

But, how do you know when it’s the right time to hire employees?

Finding the answer isn’t easy as you’ll need to onboard new employees when it’s truly right for your company and budget. Hiring the wrong person due to rushed or ineffective decisions can cost companies on average 3x more than salary forecasts.

Join us as we explore the main signs that it’s time to onboard new employees, along with creative ways to prepare your workforce.

Why Onboard New Employees If You’re Experiencing Growth?

So far, you may have followed a start-up structure with each member of your team wearing multiple hats. Think back to Instagram’s early days when they only had 13 employees yet achieved a $100million turnover.

Lean teams aren’t always the answer and you’ll need to measure whether your current team can manage this workload. Consider taking stock of your productivity levels and employee KPIs.

Once Instagram was bought by Facebook, they naturally needed to take on new employees and get more hands on deck.

With this in mind and depending on size, sector and growth stage, the ideal number of employees will vary for each company and industry.

Signs that it’s Time to Add New Employees to the Team

If you’re unsure whether it’s the right time to hire, consider some of these telltale signs.

1. Your team is experiencing burnout

Did you know that 44% of full-time employees in Gallup’s recent study admit to experiencing burnout?

Burnout usually happens when too much pressure or work is placed on a single employee.

It can impact your company’s ability to operate as normal, maintain the same productivity levels and allow your employees to stay happy and healthy. If you’re witnessing any signs of burnout, like a drop in standards, poor time management or increased stress, it’s time to rethink your current workforce structure.

Hiring a new employee might allow you to re-distribute the workload so you can avoid burnout and boost employee job satisfaction.

2. Your service and standards are slipping

A decline in service or work standards is a common sign that employees are struggling with the workload. Many companies pinpoint this as one of the first visible signs that it’s time to hire new employees.

Decline in service standards can harm your company and bottom line as it could cause you to lose your valuable customers or stop attracting new customers. If you’re noticing unusual declines in your sales or positive customer reviews, it may be time to hire.

3. Your job responsibilities are blurred

Blurred job responsibilities are likely in new or start-up companies. So far, you may have had your hand in each pot, juggling multiple roles on a daily basis.

Yet, it’s important to establish clear roles and responsibilities to supercharge your growth and build a sustainable business.

As such, it’s essential to determine whether you want to hire generalists or specialists. Hiring specialists will allow you to establish clear roles, which can increase productivity, satisfaction and provide positive returns.

You can also achieve these results without adding to the team by taking stock of the different roles and responsibilities in your organisation and then placing clearer boundaries in place. Create a new internal structure that works for you, placing enough resources behind each department.

4. You’re turning down new business

Do you have to turn down new business?

New customers are vital to growing a company.

While you’ll always face some restrictions in capacity, you also don’t want to close your doors or turn away valuable customers. Your employees should be able to manage potential as well as current customers in a way that promotes relationships, loyalty and conversions.

It’s essential to have a manageable amount of business. You can achieve this by onboarding valued employees who will maintain your current standards.

5. You want to achieve sustainable growth

Has your company recently grown? Maybe you’ve taken on new customers, perhaps you’re now offering a new service, or possibly you’ve entered a new market.

Scalability will naturally require more resources like new employees.

Onboarding new employees during this growth stage could allow you to access the skills and experience you need to manage this growth. It might even allow you to have a better chance of maintaining and motivating growth in the long-run.

How to Prepare for New Employees

If you’ve noticed any of the above alarm bells, and believe it’s time to hire, there are some practical ways to prepare your current employees.

Step 1) Determine Which Departments Need New Employees

It’s important to determine which departments need new employees. For example, if you’ve recently added a new service, it may be wise to source employees with corresponding experience. Otherwise, you may waste time and money creating unnecessary roles.

Step 2) Consider the Costs

Before sending out job adverts, it’s vital to understand whether hiring new full-time employees is possible.

Consider the costs of holidays, salaries and benefits attached to onboarding extra team members, and whether this will carry future benefits. Remember, a short-term investment may lead to long-term gain.

Step 3) Think About the Impact on Workplace Dynamics

Thirdly, it’s vital to consider your current workplace culture and how new employees may impact it’s dynamic. Do you require a specific type of person for this role? Will you need new HR measures to support the new employees?

Step 4) Is Your Recruitment Strategy Up-to-Scratch?

Do you need to change your current recruitment strategy? Will your current employer brand image stand up to the competition? Will your existing HR team be able to cope with the influx of applications? You might need to think about these aspects before advertising your upcoming role.

Recruit with Change Recruitment

If you’re looking to find new employees to support your growth, we can help you create a winning recruitment strategy and source the right candidates. Speak to one of our recruitment specialists to get started today.

When Should You Bring on New Employees?