It can often be a daunting task thinking of when the right time to hire is for your business, particularly in times of uncertainty in a challenging economy.
If your business is thriving, orders are overwhelming and there are not enough people within the business to provide the appropriate level of customer service then it is highly likely you need to hire.
If your company has a good reputation, even when there is a downturn in the economy, what generally happens is that the economy will bounce back strongly. When it does you need to be ready to respond because this often defines whether a business will thrive in the long term. If you can’t provide the appropriate level of customer service to your clients, they will go elsewhere, and potential new business is lost.
Points to consider
- Think a year ahead and not just how the economic climate is right now. Picture the orders coming in from clients that are going to take your business to the next level and help it grow. Hiring the right staff and retaining the best staff is critical to prepare for this period.
- Speak to existing staff and listen to how are they coping with the workload? If it appears overwhelming, don’t be too cautious in hiring. Economies go up and down, changing direction frequently. Whilst it may counter how you are currently thinking the economy is likely to bounce back at some point.
- It may be that it’s not only capacity that you need staff for. If you can predict that there is a growing area you will need to address, and you can see that you will need it increasingly in the future, now can be the right time to bring new skills into your business. Specialist areas require specialist skills.
When hiring
Make sure when hiring you have widened the market as much as possible. Advertise on your own website and social media. Speak with a Recruitment agency. We highly recommend using an agency who can give you expert advice. It may be that you just need a Temp to cover the work to see how it goes – an agency will be able to provide the service. If you are hiring new skills into the business, it helps to use an agency that has those candidates or knows how to hire for those skills and can give the right advice.
If you are looking for advice on how to recruit in the current market, contact the team at Better Prospects. Don’t hesitate to get in touch as we can support you now with filling your vacancy!
