How to Get Things Done Without Adding Headcount

Every business reaches a stage where they have more work than people to get the job done. Here are 3 options to address that need without adding headcount. 

Every business reaches a stage where they have more work than people to get the job done. This can often be the result of a particular project or a changing demand that may or may not last forever. Thus, it may not always be possible or smart to add internal employees to handle that increased demand. Here are 3 options to get that work done without adding additional employees:

Rely on Your Existing Team

In some cases, the answer to this challenge may be to rely on your existing team. This is a tricky solution to an often complex challenge in the business. Relying on your existing team could result in burning out your best resources and no one wants to lose their best players. But, some companies can effectively take this route if they incentivize their team the right way. It could be that you decide to promote someone internally to handle the matter or to provide them additional bonuses to achieve the results that have defined timelines. Or, you may be able to make a part-time person full-time. But, remember, that people who are asked to do more without additional compensation or recognition will look to move somewhere that isn't asking as much of them.

Leverage an Existing Partner

Alternatively, your business may already have vendors or partners in the operations that can help you to effectively tackle the additional workload. This could be a realignment of the contract or the addition of new technical solutions. This solution can be a win-win for both parties. The vendor can continue to deepen their partnership with your business while also continuing to improve your business objectives. The people in your operations do not always have to work harder to achieve more. Addressing the additional needs in the operations may be as simple as fixing the way that things are done or realigning the existing resources to achieve the results needed.

Engage a Staffing Firm

The third option may simply be to engage a staffing firm to find someone to tackle the additional workflow. This partnership can be built so that the person brought in is working at your direction and getting things done for your business.

The person will often be an employee of the staffing firm or they will be a contractor through the agency. The legal structure of the relationship between the staffing firm and the individual is something that will depend on the nature of the work to be done. Engaging someone through a staffing firm eliminates the risk of misclassification that will happen if your business simply engages freelancers directly. This is because a business (the staffing firm) cannot be misclassified - only people can. Thus, the staffing firm will hold the obligation for all compliance in the delivery of the services.

As a result, the staffing firm may require additional information about the nature of the work to mitigate its risk in the partnership. This will also ensure that you get better candidates for the work because the staffing firm knows more about the job itself. Plus, you can choose to end the engagement at any time or to request a replacement candidate. This enables your business to tackle the additional work without the additional ongoing burdens of expanded headcount.

Finding the right staffing partner is key to ensuring that your company has the right talent for its needs and that the risks are appropriately managed in the process. A great staffing partner will fill those needs with people that meet your specifications and will work with you to structure the partnership for long-term success. This can also be a great way to try out a candidate before you decide to hire the person for the long-term as many staffing firms will also account for that process in their contractual negotiations. Thus, you can make that additional resource part of your team for the long-term if needed or decide to let them move on to the next project when the additional work has been completed.

Need help finding the right additional resources for your team? Schedule a free consultation today to see how our experienced staffing team can help!