Business Rx: Annual hiring check up

With fall planning underway, many businesses are reviewing goals and monetary allocations for next year. This is a great time for companies to “analyze their people,” advises Steve Tutwiler, founder of Sterling Management Resources. “If you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, it may be time for a change.”

Tutwiler recommends using a diagnostic approach when assessing personnel and needs, keeping an eye on the future. He believes if more companies took this time of year to look at staffing as they do budgets, they would strengthen their businesses and increase productivity.

But change is often difficult for employers, and many fall prey to “taking the course of least resistance,” notes Tutwiler, a practice that can stifle business growth. However, for business owners willing to consider personnel changes, having a strategic approach is critical. 

Start by examining company goals and needs to determine the degree of change required to meet them. In some cases, replacing personnel is called for. Often, however, employers encounter situations where augmenting current staffing makes more sense. In those instances, company leaders should evaluate the advantages of bringing on new team members versus temporary help. Tutwiler offers two scenarios where it makes business sense to use temporary resources.

·        Project work. In this situation, Tutwiler recommends bringing in temporary help to avoid a common business mistake: redirecting current employees to new projects. Business owners may think they’re saving money by shifting staff, but in the end, they lose or diffuse the efficiency of a s