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Getting Headcount Approval

When business is booming it can bring with it great things, increased revenue, bigger profits, and hopefully a hefty bonus and a nice salary increase. But with the good comes an increase in volume, additional responsibilities and a ton of email. In most cases, when a business is growing it is usually pretty common to increase the headcount in the areas that are most affected, but sometimes the company’s bottom line can change that thinking. Remember the company is worried about margins not whether you are leaving with the cleaning crew. So if you are in a battle where adding to your staff is a problem here are some suggestions to help you slay the management dragon.

1. Know Your Facts - When you approach your management team be prepared to explain the issues that you and your team are facing. Review all of the areas that are affecting your work. Some key things to think about are how are the quality, quantity, efficiency and output of your daily tasks being compromised. Look at what other outside factors or changes have affected your department and now require the additional staff. Also be sure to include the intangibles like staff morale, goals or projects that have been reprioritized and what future items lay ahead.
2. Show Your Facts – It is very important to prepare a business case or presentation. By putting this in writing it conveys a strong message that you are serious and it also puts it in a format that your management cannot avoid. When you provide this information it also helps to back up your request with cold hard facts. So in order to show them the facts, you need to play the numbers game. For example, if you write billing orders, how many do you write, how much time is required, and how many vendors do you use. Now apply these questions to prior years and show the trends via charts and graphs. Be creative and see if you can apply a numbers approach to areas that seem very ordinary. (Tip: Talk to your team and finance area for help)
3. Hold Some Back – Kenny Rogers said it best “know when to hold ‘em”. After all of the data and information you gathered, leave a few significant items out of your presentation or discussion with management. It is almost certain they will ask you to provide additional support and now you have it. All you need to do is wait a day or two and comeback with your pair of aces.
4. Be Persistent and Patient – As the old saying goes the squeaky wheel gets the grease. But don’t be too squeaky where your request becomes ignored. Ask your management for timeframes on when you can proceed with obtaining the headcount or set up a time to revisit the topic if you are denied. If you have a good relationship with your manager you maybe able to directly discuss more specific goals or strategies in order to accomplish your goal. Remember to continue to build your case during this waiting period and look to push current data to your management team to show the impact of this issue.
5. Think of an Alternative – If all of the above steps don’t get you the headcount you are seeking go to Plan B. One alternative is to inquire with your HR department about temporary employees or possibly interns. The benefit is these resources don’t cost as much because the company is not burdened with paying benefits and usually can negotiate a standard hourly rate or salary. The downside is that these resources are well “temporary” and can depart at anytime. This will leave you with time and effort spent on training the person and nothing to show for it. In any event it is an option worth seeking. Next you may need to re-strategize your business plan and processes in order work more efficiently with your current staff.

At the end of the day the hiring process can be challenging enough, but getting the permission to do so can be even harder. Here’s hoping you’re fully staffed or at least in the near future!

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