Staffing properly is one of the most effective ways to ensure your business’s success. Every business owner knows the importance of hiring quality employees, but not every business owner has a plan to make sure they are hiring based on their needs. A good staffing plan looks at your business goals and determines how to meet those goals with your staff. An effective staffing plan considers whether you are increasing or decreasing your staff, and whether you will need to hire employees in those areas. Here are a few guidelines to help steer your business in the right direction and make sure you are prepared for whatever challenges your business will face with staffing:

1. Define Your Goals

The first step towards implementing a strategic staffing plan is to identify what your staffing needs are. By identifying what you are trying to accomplish and what staffing adjustments you need to make, you are well on the way to addressing your needs. Communicate with each department to determine the labor and skills needs of each.

2. Look for Outside Influences and Pressures

Take note of anything that could have an effect either negative or positive on your staff. What events could happen that will cause you to need to hire more or less staff? Is your staff skilled enough to handle whatever challenges you could face in the next year? According to the Society For Human Resources Management, influencers are “defined as anything that might indirectly affect the plan, but that the organization has little control over.” For instance, when considering what the labor pool will look like, consult the US Bureau of labor statistics, take note of your competition and their hiring practice, or new technology that could replace human capital.

3. Use HR Tools to identify the Current State

Consult your HR department to find out what the current state of your labor force looks like. Do you already have skilled and competent workers in the areas your business needs? Do you need to hire more employees? Do you have overages in any aspects of your business? Utilize systems like the HRIS (Human Resources Information System), your payroll. scheduling, and talent management systems to identify how your business is functioning.

4. Identify Your Needs

Using the goals laid out in step 1, identify what changes need to be implemented to your business to achieve those goals. Envision what your business needs as if you were starting from the ground up. Assess whether you need to hire for skills or for numbers and whether you are trying to meet a certain head-count or hiring for expertise and competency.

Define what you want the end-state of your company to look like.

5. Perform a Gap Analysis

A gap analysis will allow you to determine what is missing in your business. “Gaps may include inadequate staffing, lack of expertise, or simply the wrong people in the wrong place” according to SHRM. After identifying these gaps, ask yourself what goals you are currently having a hard time meeting. How do you need to adjust your current staff?

6. Make a Plan

Now that you have identified your staffing goals and know how your business needs to grow and restructure, plan how to implement the staff changes you need. This last step will help you meet all your staffing needs so that you are not over or understaffed throughout the year.

Your plan should include what your staff looks like at the end of the year as well as how you plan to hire for any big projects or organizational goals you have planned for the year. Outline what staff you need and where, as well as whether that staff will be full-time or part-time.

Ask yourself whether your plan addresses the goals you originally set out in your first step. Set an end goal for your staff composition at the end of the year. Make sure to plan according to what you expect for your business needs and have a plan in place for any gaps you can expect to have to fill.

If you’re looking for great job candidates in Jackson Mississippi, look no further than Staffers. Staffers is a staffing company that specializes in office administration and clerical work. It’s important to stay on top of your staffing needs; refer to your staffing plan and understand that staffing is an ongoing and evolving process. Staffing firms are a great solution for gaps in your workforce and can offer a temporary or permanent solution to your hiring needs.