The purpose of a staffing plan is to ensure your company has sufficient staff with the right skills and experience to meet objectives. Sounds straightforward enough, right? But, as one of the leading Healthcare IT staffing and consulting firms, Morgan Hunter Healthcare knows that determining optimal staffing levels can be a challenging task, no matter what industry you’re in. Too many workers can lead to high costs, while not enough employees can cause stress and turnover among your core team.
To strike the right balance, you need a plan…a staffing plan to be exact. To help you draft one, ask yourself these key questions first:
What was 2016 like for your company?
Take a look back at the past year so you can gain some insight and understanding into where your company is going. How did you fare? Are you growing or contracting? How many new employees did you hire? Did you have to lay people off? Do you expect growth or contraction to continue into the next year? Evaluating the past will help you make the right staffing decisions for the year ahead.
What will 2017 be like?
You don’t have a crystal ball. However, it’s important to try and forecast the future as much as possible to ensure you have the right people in the right places. For instance, do you see a corporate restructuring in your company’s near future? Or perhaps a major product launch? Are you anticipating key employees retiring this year? What about legislation or industry trends that can impact your business? You need to plan ahead to meet any challenges or changes coming your way.
Where does staffing fit in?
Creating a staffing plan really boils down to 1) What you need in terms of talent and 2) Where you’re going to find it. For instance, do you need a new tech contractor to help with a big IT project? Or additional full-time sales people to bring in new clients? If you know you’ll need new people for next year, now’s the time to ramp up the recruiting process.
What kinds of staffing challenges do you anticipate? And how will you overcome them?
Is your company facing an issue with turnover? Are you having a hard time finding employees with a specialized skill set? Is your hiring process long and cumbersome, impacting the quality of candidates you can choose from? Do you need to cut labor costs? Overcome these challenges – and others that will inevitably arise – with advance strategizing and planning.
How will you engage and retain employees in the year ahead?
Your staffing plan shouldn’t just cover new hires; it should define what your company is doing to promote employee engagement. Not only does positive employee engagement boost retention, but it can also impact your ability to attract top talent.
Know you need a staffing plan, but don’t have the time to create one for your company?
Call Morgan Hunter Healthcare. We pride ourselves on the service we provide. When you partner with us, we will take the time to assess your organization and staffing challenges in order to develop an effective plan and provide you with the Healthcare IT Consultants you need, where and when you need them. Contact us today to learn more.