Provisional Blog

As a Spokane employment agency, we know that balancing the right amount of staff with workflow can be a difficult task. Some companies hire too many employees, wasting thousands of dollars, while other companies are understaffed, which leads to employee burnout and less productivity.

So how do you know when it’s the right time to hire? Ask yourself these questions:

• Over the past few months, how many times have I had to extend deadlines in order to meet demand or complete a project?
If you answered “every day,” or “every week,” then you may be understaffed.

• How many times have employees called in sick over the past month?
If you’ve noticed a recent rise in sick days among your staff, it may be due to stress and burnout. Your employees could be over-worked and over-tired because they are trying to do too much.

• Have your employees taken advantage of their time off and vacation days?
Many times, in a bad economy, employees become fearful of taking any time off. They think their employer will see it as “slacking” and they will therefore be the next person on the chopping block. But this can lead to burnout and less productivity. So encourage your employees to take an appropriate amount of time off.

• Are your overtime costs consistently on the rise?
Another sign that you are understaffed is rising overtime costs. It means simply that you don’t have enough employees to get the work done during the workday.

• Have you had to turn down new business ventures or opportunities because you don’t have the right talent?
If you don’t have employees on staff with the skills you need to take on new opportunities, then you’re going to lose your competitive edge.

• How much are you using temporary or contract employees?
If you are consistently using temporary employees for the same tasks in the same departments, it may be time to consider hiring a full-time staff member to perform those tasks.

• Are you implementing ideas from your business plan or marketing strategy?
If not, then lack of time and energy may be to blame. There’s a reason you create a plan and goals for your business each year, and if you’re not able to execute those plans or meet those goals because you have too much to do, then it may be time to hire additional staff.

By asking yourself the above questions, you should now have a better idea about whether or not you need to hire more people. If you have any questions – or are looking to hire more temporary or full-time employees – please contact Provisional. As a premier Spokane employment agency, we can take on the task of sourcing, screening, and hiring, so you can focus on other priorities, like running your business.

Rightsizing. Downsizing. Whatever you want to call it, eliminating employees can be an unpleasant proposition. While layoffs are sometimes a necessary business strategy, there are some cost-saving steps you can take to reduce your overhead – and the likelihood you’ll have to cut staff.

Step 1:
Decrease Hours Worked
Think about offering a four-day work week, or ask your staff to trade some pay for extra time off.

Step 2:
Reduce Wages
Consider asking your employees to take a temporary cut in their pay.

Step 3:
Allow Attrition
When an employee retires or leaves the company, assign their tasks to your existing employees, rather than hiring a new person.

Step 4:
Support Leaves of Absence
Let employees take leaves of absence with full benefits for a certain time period. Tell them they’ll have a job when they return, but it may not be the same job with the same pay.

Step 5:
Limit Overtime
Place limitations on the amount of overtime an employee is allowed to work. Also, consider hiring temporary employees if you have a sudden rise in demand, which can oftentimes be less expensive than overtime.

Step 6:
Offer Early Retirement
Offer an early retirement package to eligible employees.

Step 7:
Freeze Hiring
Don’t bring on additional staff until you feel like things have stabilized. If you do need some extra help, consider temporary staffing instead.

Step 8:
Create a Shared Ownership Plan
Let employees trade in some of their pay for company stock.

Step 9:
Allow Job Sharing
Let two or more full-time employees convert to part-time and share a position.

Step 10:
Temporary Staffing
Use temporary staffing to meet rises in demand without having to pay overtime or hire more full-time staff.

As a Northwest employment agency, we’ve helped many companies throughout the region avoid laying off full-time employees through the use of temporary, strategic staffing. If you’re in a position where lay offs seem imminent, please contact Provisional. We may be able to help.

Having trouble finding qualified professionals? Need more flexibility in your workforce? Dealing with a high rate of turnover? Trying to manage too much overhead?

Most employers face these problems at one time or another. But by working with a reputable Seattle staffing firm, you can overcome these issues and build a stronger business. Here’s how:

Problem #1: Lack of qualified talent.
Solution: Develop a great network.

Most staffing firms, like Provisional, develop relationships with professionals who excel in their career fields. As a result, they can provide you with access to a large pool of well-qualified employees with a variety of skills from throughout Seattle and the Northwest.

Problem #2: High turnover.
Solution: Hire a staffing firm to search deeper.

Hiring someone who isn’t a fit can be stressful and expensive. But quality staffing firms spend the time necessary to source, screen, and evaluate a variety of candidates. You’ll wind up with an employee you can depend on, without having to spend the time and energy finding and interviewing people.

Problem #3: Not enough flexibility.
Solution: Tap into the power of flexible staffing.

Do you ever feel overstaffed or understaffed? If you do, you’re not alone. But if your business needs are fluctuating, then why is your workforce staying steady?

Flexible staffing can give you access to the temporary employees you need to take on a big new project or deal with an increase in demand. On the flip side, when demand dips, temporary employees can be easily released and you only have to meet payroll for your core group of permanent employees.

Problem #4: Too much overhead.
Solution: Use temporary employees.

By using temporary employees, you can convert fixed expenses to variable since you’re only pay for temporaries when you need them. You can also reduce or even completely eliminate the amount of overtime your permanent employees work. In addition, you can reduce the cost of benefits since temporary employees receive benefits from the temporary staffing agency – not from your company.

Interested in learning more about how a staffing company can help you overcome these – and other – common business problems? Contact Provisional today.