How to Develop a Staffing Plan for a Business Organization

Developing a staffing plan allows a company to prepare for future staffing needs.

It takes a considerable amount of time to complete a solid staffing plan. The benefit to the company, however, is significant. Companies that react only when staffing challenges arise often find they make hiring mistakes in the rush to fill an open position. Having a staffing plan in place allows you to be proactive, so when a position does become available key employees are in place to fill the position.

Instructions

1. Determine the short-term and long-term business goals of the organization. Look for areas where there is a need for additional staff or where growth is planned to pinpoint future staffing needs.

2. Research the past trends of the business, including sales and productivity records. If there are periods that were more busy or more profitable than the rest of the year, determine whether hiring seasonal employees or using a staffing agency would help prevent related challenges in the future.

3. Determine any areas of immediate need. If there are current vacancies, address these first. Document employees who are planning to retire, move or take a leave of absence so you can prepare for replacing them ahead of time.

4. Write a complete job analysis for each position in the business organization. While this can be time-consuming, it will provide a better understanding of what duties newly created positions will need to fill. A job analysis is also beneficial if you have an unexpected position to fill due to termination of employment of a key employee.

5. Identify any weak employees on the team. Developing a plan to intervene can prevent unnecessary turnover. Often it is a simple lack of training that makes the difference between an average employee and a top performer. Investigating the reason why an employee is struggling can provide the opportunity to strengthen the entire department or team.

6. Identify any employees with a promising potential of advancement. Consider providing additional training for these individuals to prepare them for promotions in the event that a position becomes available.

7. Analyze the company's employee turnover ratio. If this number is in the double digits, try to determine the reasons for past turnover and develop a plan to help retain current employees.

Tips & Warnings

• Retaining current employees is significantly less expensive than recruiting and training new employees. Developing a staffing plan for your business should not only help prepare you for upcoming staffing needs, but also help you recognize areas of improvement that can reduce costly turnover.