Getting the right staff in place to deal with the 2014 job boom

Satnam Brar

Vacancies are growing this year, so how should recruiters make sure their own vacancies are filled to managing the increase in business? Satnam Brar explains

The busy times are returning once again, as the economy begins to re-bounce. And certainly, this is excellent news for hungry recruiters who are keen to win new business, develop profitable new client accounts, and beat their targets this coming year.

But what does it mean for recruitment agency owners in terms of staff and resourcing? A potential ramp-up is something to be planned for and actioned in advance, rather than when the additional work begins to flood in! So carry out an assessment now while things are still gearing up for peak recruitment periods, and establish where you have strengths and gaps.

Training needs analysis

Many organisations will carry out a training needs analysis when they are assessing their resourcing availability, skills base and competencies, identifying where gaps in staff exist, or where gaps in particular skill-sets are missing. You can carry this out formally with a training provider (some of which operate on a not for profit basis, accessing public funds for employer training), or you can use in-house or partner HR capability, or even your own knowledge to build up a clear picture.

There are some key questions you need to ask.

Are your staff ready to deal with the jobs boom?

Review your existing mix of staff and consider their experience. You may wish to map them against an experience or skills chart to establish the mix of new versus experienced staff. Think about individuals within the team – are they fully trained, confident and ready to go, or are there staff that will need additional training and attention before they are fully ready to go?

How do you know you have the right staff?

A good recruitment agency will have a structured performance review process in place to establish achievements and progression. All staff should have a set of annual objectives, regular meetings with their line manager to discuss achievements, training needs, concerns and strengths, and these should be recorded and acted upon. Again, you may wish to buy in specialist external help to build an internal performance management system and culture according to a quality system, to know that it is working.

Failure to cope – signs to look out for

All good managers should be trained in the art of assessing their team’s coping levels and potential stress. An agency owner may know enough about their staff to identify warning signs, but the focus should be on training team managers to carry out this function. Again, a regular performance management and review system will allow concerns to be raised early on, and it is important to build an “open doors” culture where staff who are worried or concerned about coping with more work, can speak to a line manager, a mentor or a HR manager for advice, support and an action plan. Training is usually the remedy for such concerns, or a re-allocation of work.

With the economy getting busier, all staff should expect to be working harder, but seeing the rewards. Celebrate success and invest in high-quality, accredited training with a recognised provider, according to the NVQ model if necessary, to structure progression and results. This can be delivered in-house, externally or online, or via a blended model for flexibility.

Satnam Brar is managing director of Maximus IT