When you're managing a team and you know it's time to hire more staff, it can be hard to get the green light. For a start, you have to check if the company budget will let you and you will have to get the 'go-ahead' from senior management. If you're in urgent need of more staff and your senior management is resistant to the idea, then here is how to build a business case to hire more staff.

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Why is building a business case the best approach?

It's easy for a senior manager to say 'no' when you don't have any evidence to back you up.

Hiring new staff is an additional cost for the company so senior management will always want proof that hiring new employees will be beneficial (and profitable). Having a business case is a supported proposal you can use to persuade your management that hiring new employees is the best solution for you, your team and the company.

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What does a business case look like?

Your business case can take many different forms.

You can create a presentation or a multiple page document. It all depends on what your senior management is like. Do they have time to read a detailed report or would they rather have a 10-minute presentation? You don't want to spend hours on your business case if the format will have no impact.

Before you start building your case, speak to your senior management first and tell them you would like to hire more staff. If they say, "yes, that's fine" then you won't need to build a case but if they don't seem keen on the idea, then you will need to book a meeting with them to talk about it.

From your own experience working with your management, you might already know the best format for your business case, otherwise, ask them which they would prefer to see: a presentation, a report, a spreadsheet, etc.

Once you know your format, then it's time to start building your case.

How to build a business case (and what to include)

To help you create a business case quickly and successfully, we've highlighted the key elements you really need to include to state your case and persuade your higher management, your team will benefit from extra help and it will benefit the company too.

Perform an audit of your staff's current work

Doing an audit will help you show how much work your team is doing. Your management will want to see your team's current performance and determine whether they are actually working at full capacity.

You can complete an audit by speaking to your team individually. Ask each of your staff how much time it takes to complete their tasks and responsibilities. Mapping out their weekly tasks on a spreadsheet and highlighting how much time it takes to do each task will help you show each employee is working at their full capacity.

By showing your team is struggling to complete workloads or it's just impossible to take on any more work, it will encourage senior management to hire more staff.

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Highlight the negatives of not hiring more staff

Explaining the negatives will help senior management realise there is a detriment to the company if they don't hire. Here are some examples:

·       Projects will not be completed on time

·       Customer satisfaction is declining

·       Work quality is significantly reduced

·       Negative impact on ROI

·       Current employees are suffering from stress and overworking

Make sure you have evidence to support your claims.

For example, if your team is working at full capacity and you've noticed your customer satisfaction has declined, you can show testimonials or responses from customer surveys. Having evidence will have a bigger impact on your senior management rather than repeating what you've heard someone else say.

The financial benefits of new staff

Once you've explained the negatives, explain the benefits of adding new staff to the team. Explain how new employees will benefit the company and benefit how your team works.

Here are some examples:

·       Your team will be able to take on more work because you will have a bigger workforce.

·       Bigger teams mean more support which means your team will have more helpwhen working on time-sensitive projects.

·       You won't have to hire freelance or temporary staff anymore. If you'recurrently hiring temps or freelance, they will be a major and recurring cost.There are many benefits to having an in-house employee instead.

·       Growing internal teams looks good for clients and customers, from their point of view, a bigger company looks more successful so inspires repeat business.

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Explain what type of staff you need

After you've explained the benefits of hiring more staff, you need to explain what type of staff you're looking to hire. It will show your senior management that you've thought this through and you've got a plan prepared.

Describe what type of employee(s) you're looking for:

·       How many people do you want to hire?

·       What would their job title be?

·       How much experience will they need?

·       What skills will they need?

·       What will their main responsibilities be?

·       Who would they work with?

·       What salary would they need? This gives your senior management a clearer indication of how much it will cost.

Having a clear plan of action will likely impress and show your manager that your business plan is clearly planned and organised.It's probable they will rely on you to hire the new employee (which is perfect because you will know exactly the type of person you need for your team).

After you've prepared your case, practice your presentation to friends and/or colleagues. They can help identify anything you've missed. When you're ready, present your business case to hire more staff to your senior management. Good luck!

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Your business case was a success... what's next?

Once you've got the green light to go ahead and hire more staff, it's time to create your job advert and start the recruitment process.

Cubiq is geared for people who want to expand their team quickly and find the best talent. We partner you with a specialist consultant within your field who will guarantee to represent you and your business in the most professional way and deliver quick and accurate results.

See how easy and simple it is to recruit with us by calling our team on 0161 214 3842 or email enquiries@cubiqrecruitment.com for a call back.

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