While we currently remain in unprecedented and testing times, some restrictions are now being lifted, which impacts how businesses manage staffing resources. Businesses are starting to reopen and beginning to look at their post-corona business strategies.
One of the key elements of forward planning for the remainder of the year is staff resources. Maybe you need temporary staff resources to meet a new demand, or perhaps you had planned some permanent recruitment to support your future business growth.
Whatever your potential employment needs are, we have pulled together some pointers to help guide you with some alternative options to expanding your team and managing staff resources:
1. Hiring freelancers can give access to experts
Hiring a freelancer not only gives you unparallel access to a high-quality expert, it also gives your business adaptability and a fresh perspective.
Whether you need a virtual PA to tackle your admin, a marketing specialist to manage your social media or a trainer to upskill your team, freelancers are the best kind of flexible and cost-effective resource.
Usually hired on an hourly or daily rate, a freelancer could help you to reach new markets, learn a new skill or update those old customer databases.
How to find freelancers:
- Ask for a word-of-mouth recommendation from trusted business connections.
- Search LinkedIn looking for the type of role you are looking for and contact directly.
- Searching freelance websites such as Upwork, Freelancer or People Per Hour. (These take a bit longer and you will want to test the people first with small projects to see if they are the right fit for you.)
2. Apprenticeships tap into the best young talent
Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes for people aged 16 and over, and give businesses the opportunity to tap into Britain’s best young talent.
There is evidence that employing and training apprentices can improve the productivity of companies, plus it is not going to cost you the earth in training funds.
Your business may qualify for help from the Government to pay for the apprenticeship training, so not only do you get a bright, enthusiastic star working for your company, you also get to keep your costs down.
(If you are reading this during the pandemic – you will need to think through how you induct and train an apprentice, but you can talk this through with your apprentice provider.)
How to find apprentices:
- You may have a recruitment company local to you that specialises in training and placing Apprenticeships – like Starting Off, based in Northamptonshire.
- Read more about Government information and possible funding opportunities on their website here.
3. Employ staff when you need a permanent resource
If you have identified that your business needs a permanent ongoing resource to meet demand and you are financially stable enough to manage the cost, then a new employee is the next logical step.
It’s important to clearly define the role, set the salary and benefits, and decide how you will advertise or source candidates for the role.
For those employing staff for the first time, this guide offers 7 things you need to do to meet your legal obligations.
How to find good employment candidates for a new role:
- Recommendations from members of your staff is a great way to find new applicants
- Do some research on social media (like LinkedIn) to identify good potential candidates for job
- Place well thought out recruitment ads on online job portals or in a relevant industry magazine, local newspaper or website.
- Engage a professional recruitment agency to help you identify and sift through candidates.
4. A Strategic Partnership enables you to share resources
If you feel you lack the necessary skills to take your enterprise to the next level or to pivot the business in a different direction, then entering into a strategic partnership is an option to think about.
Being in a partnership can make the most of shared resources and complementary talents and therefore pay off in the long run. To thrive, a good partnership should be grounded in trust and treated as a business relationship.
However, before beginning such an arrangement, be sure to weigh the pros and cons first and always take advice from a legal and financial professional before you agree to anything to protect you and your business.
Read more on setting up a business partnership here.
5. Remember your current employees
Employee training and development helps your staff to feel appreciated and motivated and is a great staff retention strategy. Does one of your team have the potential to take on new responsibilities? Could you upskill a valued member of the team who can run with new ideas to help build the business? Use appraisals to explore these options a little more.
How we can help?
We can offer help for the different stages in your company’s growth, through our advice and payroll/bookkeeping services. We can support your decision- making process with clear financials and talking through the practical impact of assessing the different routes to expanding your team.
Please do contact me if you would be interested in having a conversation – you can email me, or give me a call at either of our two offices (you can find the contact numbers here).
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