Increased workload
Business goals and objectives
Skills gap
Employee burnout
Efficiency, productivity and cost
Welcome to the new year! With New Year’s resolutions still front of mind, January is a time for planning, pivoting and pondering the timely concept of ‘new year, new you’. For business leaders and hiring managers however, discussions have turned to ‘new year, new crew’.
With new changes and new challenges, the idea of hiring new employees is as enticing as ever. If it’s something you’re considering, know that time is of the essence! With talent budgets quickly becoming clearer, and recruitment strategies gearing up, it’s important to strike while the iron is hot.
It’s one thing to ask for new employees but, it’s another thing to build a solid business case for it. Join us as we unpack how to justify hiring a new employee. Together we’ll explore how to present a compelling proposition to the key decision makers – one that addresses business needs and goals, while boosting your chances of approval.
Related: How to write a job description: your ultimate guide
Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half, believes that justifying the need for a new hire requires careful consideration. She says, “strategy is an essential part of how to justify hiring a new employee. If you’re looking to sell the idea to other business leaders, start by building a strong case for expanding your team.”
When it comes to proven methods of success, Nicole recommends centring your argument around the future success and sustainability of your business. She says, “whether you’re looking at addressing a skills gap or, managing a growing workload, be sure to articulate how this new hire can help to achieve specific business goals. Ultimately, you need to emphasise that investing in your workforce is an investment in the wider business outcomes.”
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the compelling reasons to bring a new team member on board:
By keeping your ears close to the ground of your workforce, you can quickly determine how they are managing the existing workload and how their capacity is being impacted. Issues like missed deadlines, low retention rates and sliding levels of employee and client satisfaction, could signal an immediate problem in regards to workload.
The need to relieve stress and fill a skills gap within the business could be reason enough to bring in new employee. Obvious overwhelm amongst the current team could be a sign that additional hands are required.
Wondering how to justify hiring a new employee in this scenario? Be sure to assess the workload, prioritise tasks, and demonstrate how the new hire could alleviate the burden to improve performance, productivity and employee wellbeing.
Want to know what truly matters to a business? Just take a look at their goals and objectives. Every business has them, whether it’s increasing market share, expanding into overseas markets or, achieving specific revenue targets.
Aligning your hiring justification with the broader goals and objectives is sure fire way to get attention from key decision makers.
Be sure to explore how the new hire could contribute to each relevant strategic growth initiative. Outline their unique skills and expertise and the crucial role they could play in driving these initiatives and long-term objectives.
Before you start planning how to justify hiring a new employee, be sure to conduct a skills gap analysis. This will help you to gauge the disparity between the skills your business requires and those possessed by your current workforce.
Uncovering these gaps generally goes a long way in informing training plans and career development initiatives. In terms of recruitment, it helps to shine a light on the most valuable skills to look for in new talent.
To formulate a compelling case, be sure to clearly articulate the findings of your analysis. Identify the skills gaps within the current team and discuss how a new hire could help to address them.
Discuss these specific skills in the context of wider business objectives and explore how the prospective employee could fill these gaps while contributing to a more well-rounded team.
Team well-being is paramount in the achievement of business objectives. If employees are feeling burnt out, it can directly impact morale, productivity, retention and ultimately, the bottom line.
With employee burnout being such a serious concern for businesses, it can serve as critical justification for hiring a new employee. This additional support can help to balance the workload, safeguard employee well-being, and prevent the risk of losing valuable talent.
Be sure to highlight the importance of new hires in contributing to a healthier, more sustainable work environment.
Related: How to create an effective employee onboarding process
As the old adage goes, “many hands make light work”.
The addition of a skilled team member can help to provide a new level of support that can level up your team’s output. Not to mention, supported employees are generally satisfied employees - they are your BEST ambassadors!
The skills and expertise of a new team member can inspire some great results, namely in the way of greater efficiency and productivity. If you’re considering how to justify hiring a new employee, be sure to take into account the potential time and cost savings associated with an additional skilled resource.
Ultimately, the more efficiently your team works, the less time and money it takes to complete tasks. This in itself is an important factor to emphasise to key decision makers within the business.
If you can compile a detailed cost analysis, you will be able to detail the recruitment investment in the context of the expected returns. Be sure to discuss the potential return on investment (ROI) in relation to things like:
increased output
revenue
improved processes
client and stakeholder satisfaction
business partnerships
service delivery
Nicole says, “employees can become frustrated by the resistance of key decision makers when it comes to taking on new employees. It’s an important decision that requires careful consideration. Because of this, context is key – be prepared with all the facts and figures. Take the time to set the scene because in my experience, hiring new employees is the most effective and sustainable solution in many scenarios.”
Knowing how to justify hiring a new employee, comes down to communication. It’s not necessarily about what you say, it’s also about how you say it.
Let’s take a moment to look at mastering the art of persuasion. When it comes to effectively communicating the justification to leaders and decision makers, ensure you:
Quantify the need – illustrate the workload and its impact on the bottom line. Use tangible evidence to support your request for extra hands on deck!
Align your request with organisational goals – explain how new talent brings new opportunities to align with the wider strategic objectives.
Emphasise the opportunity cost – discuss the risks and costs associated with not expanding the team.
Present a plan – outline how the new employee can seamlessly integrate into the existing team and contribute to overall productivity.
Address budget concerns – be prepared for questions about budget constraints! Touch on the predicted return on investment with emphasis on potential future benefits and revenue generation.
Provide talent market insights – set the scene about the current job market, talent availability and competitiveness.
Be convincing – be a clear, concise and confident communicator. Effective communication will add credibility to your proposal, position you as a strategic thinker and create a sense of urgency around hiring new employees.
If you’re having trouble selling the idea to your business leaders, never fear. Be sure to appreciate the gravity of their decision and take the time to consider alternative solutions that could address the issues facing your business.
Some recommendations include:
Engaging freelancers and contractors – leverage specialised skills without any long-term commitment.
Cross-training and upskilling – invest in the development of existing staff and foster a culture of continuous learning.
Implementing technology solutions – automate tasks where possible to alleviate the burden of increased workloads.
Offering flexible work arrangements – enhance the employee experience to boost satisfaction and work-life balance.
Outsourcing non-core functions – free up internal resources for more significant and strategic tasks.
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The start of a new year heralds exciting opportunities for businesses. It’s the perfect time to seriously consider expanding your team. Successfully advocating for new hires requires the perfect balance of a well-reasoned justification and effective communication that strikes a chord with the company’s key decision makers. Knowing how to justify hiring a new employee will help you to build a compelling case and contribute to the continued success of your business in 2024 and beyond.
If you’re looking for your next candidate, our experienced team of talent specialists are here to help. Contact us today. And, don’t forget to check out our Hiring Advice page for all the tips and resources you need to improve your recruitment efforts and land the talent your business needs to succeed.
If you’re seeking advice on any workplace issues within your business, our experienced team of management specialists can help.
