How to Know When It's Time to Hire More Staff

The need for more staff is a good sign that business is booming.

If you're wondering if it's time to hire more staff, congratulations! That means that business is booming, and your needs are expanding. But how do you know with certainty that now is the time? How do you make a decision you'll be happy with? Here are five signs that it's time to put out the call for fresh resumes.

1. You're burning the candle at both ends

It's never a good sign when you find yourself doing the job of several people. Ideally, you can focus on the business end of things, helping ensure that your enterprise grows in the direction you imagine. If you're out on the factory floor tooling parts or find yourself cleaning dressing rooms because every other employee is too busy to do it, you may be short-staffed. If you're taking online orders and running around to fill them yourself, a new staff member can help.

Burnout is real, and pushing yourself to do more than one job is the perfect recipe for exhaustion and discouragement. If the reason you're not hiring is because you want to save money, ask yourself what good that money will do if you're sick or unhappy.

2. Customer service is lagging

Have you dealt with more unhappy customers than usual lately? Are your online ratings taking a hit? That could be because your employees are spread too thin to provide the kind of customer service you want your business to be known for.

Providing poor customer service is like ringing a bell. Once your business has a bad reputation, it can be tough to unring that bell. If you notice a customer service gap that can clearly be filled by a new employee, it's time to take the leap.

3. Current employees are overwhelmed

Often, your employees won't tell you when they're frustrated or feeling overwhelmed. They know that you have a lot on your plate and don't want to make things worse. That's why you must be the one to ask. Make sure you know where each employee stands in terms of workload and if they enjoy their jobs.

Hopefully, you've created the kind of space that allows people to speak up and share their thoughts. If not, you're going to end up with unhappy employees and workers who quietly seek employment elsewhere.

Set one-on-one meetings with each employee. Encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings about the job. And if you find that the work is getting to be too much for them, consider adding a new employee who can ease the burden.

4. You have plans to expand

It should go without saying that if you have plans to expand, it's time for a new employee. Unless your current employees find themselves with a lot of downtime, they're going to need the backup of a new face in the business.

Imagine your business after the expansion and ask yourself these questions:

• Are there already enough of us to make the transition easy? (If the answer is no, you're ready to hire.)
• In what role would a new employee be most useful?
• How would an additional employee benefit the business, particularly customer service?

5. You have the budget for it

If your business has finally found its footing and you're no longer worried about money in the bank, consider reinvesting some of the profit in a new hire. Hire someone who will fit nicely with the rest of your team and brings a special "something" to the job.

The very fact that your business is growing is a good sign that it's time to add a new employee. The idea is to make sure that no one is stretched to their limit, and that all your employees are satisfied with their workload. Happy employees tend to stick around for the long term, and that's good for your business.