When is the Best Time to Take on Additional Staff?

About the role

As your business grows, you’ll face increased demands on your time and your team’s capacity. Hiring additional staff can help manage the workload, but it’s important to assess whether you have the resources and capacity to support new employees effectively.

Signs it’s time to hire

• Employees are working longer hours to complete tasks.
• You’re spending more than a third of your time on emails or administrative work.
• The workload consistently exceeds your team’s capacity.

If these signs apply, consider hiring—even part-time help may be sufficient.

Assessing work capacity

Measure the workload for a new hire to ensure they’ll be productive:

• Aim for 60–80% capacity utilization—below 60% may not justify the investment.
• If workload exceeds 80%, additional help may be needed.

Competitor considerations

Some industries hire talent preemptively to prevent competitors from gaining an advantage. While this isn’t always practical, if a candidate is a strong asset, creating a role may be worthwhile.

Resource and supply chain check

Hiring increases productivity, which may require more supplies. Evaluate:

• Can your suppliers handle increased demand? Larger suppliers (e.g., balingwiredirect.com) may have capacity, while smaller ones may not.
• Weigh the cost of additional supplies against projected sales growth.

Alternative staffing options

If workload is seasonal, consider temporary solutions like:

• Employment agencies
• Freelancers