Team Insight

Internal, external and other solutions to staffing shortages. By Jill Johnson 2023 BUSINESS ADVICE LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE HIRING I t's no secret that the staffing shortages facing the team businesses today are extremely challenging. It is also highly unlikely that these challenges are going to resolve in the near term. So, what do you do now when you just cannot find the roadmen, office staff or warehouse personnel you need? It is time to rethink all of your staffing options. e key is to make the most of the staff you have and to augment them with outside resources and technology. 1. Prioritize ose Who Interface with Your Customer The foundation of business success is based upon your revenue and the stability of your revenue streams. Customer loyalty and retention depends on their satisfaction. Prospects rely on their ability to access the information they need to make informed decisions and gain a comfort level with their options. Organizations with a history of sales success oen rely on operational delivery to keep them going when they are short staffed. Yet it is your customer-facing staff who are the most valuable to sustaining enterprise revenue. Identify staff who interact with your cus- tomers along the entire range of their customer journey. eir success in meeting customer needs, satisfaction and prospect demands determine if you can satisfy and keep them. If they have the bandwidth to provide excep- tional service, they can keep your customers and expand your prospect pool. 2. Outsource When Necessary e gig economy is here to stay. Leveraging external relationships with outsourced re- sources can help you flex your staffing and can be a valuable way to get the work done. While not as optimal as building your own team, the pressure relief you experience when critical work is being completed can give you the breathing room needed to determine if this role really needs a full-time hire or if can be permanently outsourced. For small projects, online resources like Fiverr and Upwork provide you with world- wide access to Gig Workers with specific skills that are needed for short duration work. Most of these online sites have filters allowing you to clarify what you service need, information ahead of time on the potential cost, control over where your talent comes from and what languages they speak. Trusted Outside Vendors can provide key services for you and do bookkeeping, administrative work, sales support, social media, website management, etc. Long-term vendors have deep insight about your history, your team, and your culture. ey know your preferred communication methods and how you like to work. Outside vendors are an exceptionally valuable safety valve when you cannot find the right permanent talent. Do not try to manage too many different outside resources. Focus on the most critical work they can provide for you and engage in short-duration tests to see if you have chemistry and if they provide you with value. 3. Consider the Potential of Technology Technology and automation use is explod- ing as companies are seeking opportunities to invest in devices and soware to provide options to leverage the staff they already have and enhance their productivity. ere is growing interest in how data and analytics can be used to manage staff produc- tivity and service delivery. Most technology devices are already collecting data. When com- bined in the future with artificial intelligence, the possibilities for data analytics appear to be endless. When the data is combined with AI interpretation, this can provide valuable insight to help streamline your processes and maximize staff efficiency. Evaluate how you are using the soware and technology currently deployed in your business to see how you can maximize their value. e return on the investment (ROI) should be very carefully evaluated to identify any efficiencies achieved or productivity enhancements. Get your team any needed training so they can effectively work with advanced technologies. You might need a different skillset in your workforce to work with the technology and this may expand your workforce to pull from a broader pool of potential talent. Final oughts It is clear that the staffing shortages in the team business are not going away. We have to find opportunities to gain increased productivity from our existing workforce and alternatives for completing the work we need done. Focusing on the needs of our customer-facing team members, making smart use of outside resources and maximizing technology use provide viable options for addressing the issue. n About the Author: Jill J. Johnson, MBA, pres- ident and founder of Johnson Consulting Services, is a management consultant, ac- complished speaker, award-winning author and Business Hall of Fame inductee. For more: www.jcs-usa.com. 30 • Team Insight ~ January/February 2023 teaminsightmag.com

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