In this competitive talent landscape having an effective, strategic staffing plan is critical for company growth and success.
Not only does it help businesses keep pace with changing market conditions, it ensures that they have the right workforce to handle new challenges, and ultimately helps them achieve their objectives.
In other words, being thoughtful when developing your staffing plan can improve workforce productivity, and enhance recruitment and retention efforts.
Though these plans may look different for every business, there are key factors to consider.
Below we share some fundamental building blocks of a strategic plan.
Here are five ways to craft, execute and evaluate an effective staffing plan:
Look back.
Start by reviewing your hiring over the past year.
Who have you added to the team? Where did you find them? How well are they fitting in? Do they measure up to your expectations of them—and vice versa?
Identify what is working well and what isn’t. You’ll need a clear understanding of both to launch a successful plan.
Look ahead.
Now, take a look at your company’s goals for the year ahead.
Where do you plan to expand? Are you missing any skills that would elevate your business? Which clients or customers would you like to attract? Where do you want to stand in the industry by the end of the year?
For every goal, create a “we need” list. For instance, if you want to make social media marketing a priority next year, you’ll need someone with skills in that area.
Evaluate current staff to determine whether they have the capabilities the business needs, or if recruiting someone to fill that gap is the solution.
Include key elements.
If your staffing plan includes recruiting new people, ask yourself, Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of each planned new-hire.
Who do you need? What capabilities must they have? Where do you plan to look for them? When does the search begin, the hire need to be made, the onboarding to be conducted?
Use these questions to inform how you’ll schedule time to recruit and who to ask for help.
Utilize your staffing partner’s expertise.
A staffing agency can provide a wealth of information to supercharge your strategic staffing plan, from an overview of your industry to salary numbers and advice for finding the best-hidden talent.
Talk to your staffing firm early and often to produce a better plan.
Schedule an evaluation.
Once your plan is in place, choose a date in the last quarter of the current year and schedule time to evaluate the plan.
If you’ve made significant changes or are using a new staffing strategy, schedule time to evaluate new steps as you make them. Evaluation and feedback are key to improving your plan.
At TERRA Staffing Group, our recruiters strive to help clients thrive at all stages of the hiring process, from finding the candidates you need today to plan for a more effective and productive future.
Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services.
And if you’re looking for additional resources, feel free to check out our employer resource center.
(Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.)
This is some great information about staffing agencies. It does seem like a good idea to have a professional help you manage stuff like this. I also like that you talked about how it would be a good idea to talk to a professional about staffing agency and your needs if something changes.