Did you know that recruiting is not always the best solution if your business grows? While this statement may surprise many, it is true. When a company is facing growth challenges, one of the main flexes is to hire. However, there is another solution that can increase the profitability of businesses without affecting customer satisfaction or employee happiness: improve processes and use technology. In other words, it may be a good idea to first simplify the work of employees to allow them to be more productive. This is why successful companies have managed to grow faster and better than the competition.
A scenario to avoid if you are experiencing or considering growth
As mentioned, recruitment is traditionally seen as the ultimate solution. As soon as sales surge significantly over a long period of time, management thinks about increasing the number of employees; you have to recruit to meet demand! But is this the best option for the company? Before launching a new recruitment campaign on signage, keep in mind that hiring is not automatically the solution.
It may be more profitable in the long term to review the growth strategy by considering solutions such as implementing tools, optimizing processes, automation, etc. In short, everything that makes it possible to work better.
““Sometimes, a company can have more customers, but profitability isn’t necessarily a factor. We need to review the methods and think about the tools that will help the team, the company and even future employees work better in this environment. ”” David Casseus.
Do you hire or not? What questions do you have before you act?
To refine your strategy, here are some interesting questions to consider before hiring. First, ask yourself: If you add one person, will that really help the team? Are we just addressing a problem that comes from a deeper issue? On the contrary, can we simplify operations to make things less complicated and faster? Where do we lose important customer information? When the team is overworked, what tasks is the majority of their time spent on? If your answers tend to show that work methods could be reviewed, process automation and the implementation of technological tools can be a solution. They effectively address growth issues before adding new members to your production team.
Of course, an assessment is required before you can rule out recruitment. If you are in a decision-making role, perform an analysis to determine whether you should recruit or automate. Put these questions on a sheet and answer them:
- Is your company technologically behind?
- Do your employees have the right tools to work?
- Can they work better?
- How many hours per week are your employees losing due to ineffective processes? 0,5,10 ? How many hours per month and then per year?
- Do you know the employee turnover rate? Why are they leaving?
- Do you have too many steps? Are your decision-making processes effective? Are there too many duplicates?
If your analysis shows that processes can be improved, the next step is to take action. Consult a process expert or deploy an automation strategy. Avoid adopting status in a fast-changing environment because companies that stand out are more agile and faster in deploying innovation. Inaction or denial can be costly in the medium term. No employee will complain that they are too well equipped to do their job. The opposite is very true: many employees complain that they are ill-equipped and say that they could be more effective in their work.
“In today’s environment, innovation, continuous improvement and especially automation are very important, not just to be competitive but also to keep team members.” David Casseus
If your analysis reveals that you need to recruit, start the recruitment process at the right time. However, if the shortage makes recruiting difficult, avoid hiring someone who would not be suitable in the normal course. Learn more about a candidate who shares your culture, values and purpose. You could be accompanied by human resources consultants to set up a diagnosis of employee satisfaction, or even recruitment and a plan to welcome new employees. Soluflex is one of the renowned firms that helps business leaders enjoy their employees more. Because at the end of the day, everyone wins with this approach. In addition, a grant from Emploi Québec can be awarded for projects that involve improving the performance culture, reviewing employee evaluations, probing your teams’ satisfaction, etc.
In addition, working as an employer can be useful if competition becomes fierce between employers in your sector of activity. Opting for employer certification such as BonBoss.ca can also be very beneficial.
Regardless of the alternative, it is beneficial for any leader to think about the strategy for growth. Sometimes questioning is the best step to take action, even when demand is high and business is doing well.