Company Recruiting and Staffing Plans for Remainder of 2014

I just returned from an industry conference that I attended last week. I always get a little anxious about being away from my business while attending these events but once I’m there, I’m always reminded of the value in being part of the conference. There are so many things the attendees take away from these conferences, and similar events, such as this one; the renewed connections with people that you can gain value from. Very much like the value of the job seeker networking that I've talked about in past blogs. 

Simply reconnecting with people adds great value. It also re-energizes me about how I go about my business and always creates a desire for me to re-exam how I approach what I do. In the spirit of this reawakening about taking a look at my own business, I thought it lends to a great segue into my clients taking a look at their recruiting and staffing game plan for the remainder of 2014.

Staffing is about more than just filling open positions. A company must look at current and future staff with future business goals. If a company is expanding into new states, seeing an increase in net written premium, and/or developing new products, they will need a larger and more diverse workforce. So a proactive approach is required.

1.     Create a Plan

·         Do changes require more staff?

·         Is remote an option to fill upcoming needs?

·         Create a plan for your future staffing requirements.

2.     Develop a Recruitment Strategy

With your staffing plan in place, you have a defined picture of the types of employees you need to recruit. The next step is finding them. If you need more entry level employees, develop relationships with local colleges to funnel recent graduates into your business. If you need more senior employees, work with a staffing firm to help you identify the right candidates.

3.     Give proper attention to Retention

Keeping your productive employees is just as important as recruiting new ones. If an employee leaves, it can create a huge hole in your workforce. Make employee retention a priority, and find meaningful ways to incentivize employee loyalty.

4.     Rely on Contract Employees as Necessary
A staffing plan is not exclusively about adding full-time employees. In order to meet the demands of specific projects or especially busy periods, it may be more cost-effective to bring in contract employees for temporary fill-in.

Scot Dickerson, CPC
President

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