Business growth requires a choice that fits the main constraint at that point: demand, capacity, cash or organisation. Test the choice described in “How to grow your staff as your company expands” against current terms and your own measurements.
Growth does not automatically create the right jobs. First identify which work is increasing, which skills are missing and whether process improvement, training, automation or hiring is the best response. This avoids rushed and permanently expensive headcount growth.
Supporting your staff through ongoing training
Growth does not just mean taking on new people; it also means letting your existing staff grow with you. Your staff made the company what it is and have proven they are worth holding onto. By providing ongoing training for your staff, you allow them to hone their skills and study their passions. By treating them well and facilitating personal growth, you will build a supportive company culture and encourage retention.
Get your top talent to provide referrals
Before you start advertising for new staff, look within your company to see if you have a suitable candidate for promotion. Your employees will already have an idea of who would be successful in the role, or may have someone external in mind who can bring new skills and share valuable knowledge with the existing team. They will also know if the potential candidate will be a good fit for the company culture.
Hone your onboarding process
An onboarding process helps new employees integrate with your company culture and encourages commonality of behaviour with existing employees. An effective onboarding process should include:
- Company rules and regulations.
- Clearly defined roles and expectations.
- An introduction to your company’s culture.
- A list of tasks as part of a first week training program.
These tips will help you grow your staff alongside your company. By investing in the people that make up your business, you can more effectively and efficiently expand your market share and financial standing.
Plan capacity before headcount
Estimate workload, utilisation, bottlenecks and the likely duration of demand. Define the outcome, ownership and success measure for every new role. After onboarding, track time to productivity, quality, retention and the effect on the existing team.
Make the next step testable
State one assumption behind the growth decision and decide what evidence would support or challenge it. Start with a defined market, role or customer group and set a review date. Include cash flow and additional workload so that revenue growth does not weaken delivery or continuity.
