5 Signs It's Time to Hire
By Robert Half International, 2011 Salary Guide
Beyond an intuitive sense their teams may need additional support, how can employers determine when it’s time to hire? Here are five telltale signs:
- Overtime is becoming the norm. If working overtime is the only way your team can avoid falling behind, this is a clear sign you need to add staff. Asking team members to continually burn the midnight oil can deplete morale and lead to turnover.
- Service levels and work quality are deteriorating. Perhaps your company has experienced an unusual number of complaints about late payments, or internal customers are unhappy about the way they are treated by your staff. Your workers may be overloaded and feel rushed to complete projects. Be careful, because poor service can quickly hurt your reputation.
- ‘Non-urgent’ projects are repeatedly deferred. When workloads spike or critical deadlines loom, lower-priority tasks often get pushed to the back burner. If deliverables are chronically postponed, due dates constantly revised or projects completely thrown off schedule, your organization is likely short-staffed.
- Managers are stepping in regularly to handle day-to-day tasks. If the absence of a staff member due to illness or other work commitments negatively impacts the entire team and forces you to take on routine tasks, this is another warning sign it’s time to hire.
- Your organization can’t capitalize on new opportunities or take on more clients. Is your organization turning away new business? Is it unable to act on strategic initiatives that could create a competitive advantage? If so, you may be staring at the biggest red flag of all. The company’s future success may be at risk.
Robert Half
May 25, 2015
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