Is Your Organization Understaffed? Here’s What You Can Do

Is your team drowning from an overload of responsibilities due to a shortage of bandwidth? Have you enlisted the assistance of overburdened staff members to help with completing tasks that are outside of their duties just to keep the business operating smoothly? If you were to take an honest evaluation of the hours your team is committing to the business, are they able to achieve a healthy work/life balance?

The answer to these questions could reveal the signs that your firm may be understaffed. While the issues that arise from being understaffed are clear, any solution short of “hire more people” can be difficult to ascertain. A larger headcount would certainly help with these problems, but the cost associated with onboarding new staff might not be entirely budget-friendly at this time.

So, what other options are available for business owners struggling with an understaffed office?

Take Time to Reflect on the Situation

The problem of being understaffed can be attributed to several internal factors within your organization. For business owners, getting to the bottom of high turnover and dwindling headcount may prove to be a sobering experience. But without proper self-reflection, things are unlikely to change.

Answering the question, "What is genuinely driving my employees to leave the firm?" requires you to look in the mirror and at your leadership team with the utmost objectivity. Oftentimes, we've discovered, the owner of the businesses themselves hold the key. The intervention of an external resource to support the business owner in identifying these pitfalls could accelerate finding a resolution and save the business from suffering avoidable implications.

Business owners and leaders may not be able to recognize when employees start to feel alienated and undervalued. Take time to speak with your employees at all levels about their current state of mind regarding their position in the firm. Only through these conversations will you be able to uncover actions you can take to make your team feel happier, more engaged, and invested in the future of the firm.

Make Better Use of the Resources at Your Disposal

An open discussion with your team may also provide insight into productivity solutions centered on restructuring. If necessary, be open about the struggles your firm is currently facing and work in tandem to find solutions. Through these conversations, you may discover that problem areas you have attributed to an understaffed workforce can be resolved through strategic reorganization efforts.

Do your employees have skills that are underutilized in their current positions? Would they be more satisfied and productive in a different role?

This brings us to a larger point: the people, tools, and technologies currently employed by your organization may possess greater potential than your leadership team realizes. Avenues for innovation and creativity can be discovered following a thorough, objective review of your organization. Now may be the time to bring in someone with extensive experience in your industry to provide greater insight into leveraging your existing resources to fill those gaps in productivity and efficiency.

Keep an Open Mind About Outsourcing Solutions

We have previously published a blog post discussing the benefits of outsourcing certain roles and responsibilities. In short, outsourcing solutions are proving to be an increasingly popular option for businesses looking to save on costs associated with onboarding full-time hires.

Similarly, we have also written on the advantages of employing virtual assistants within your organization. While convenient and cost-effective, business leaders may find that sacrificing in-person experience may not help with resolving issues related to productivity or an unhealthy office culture. Although, as with outsourcing, the current ubiquity of virtual assistants within the top levels of many organizations speaks to their usefulness and practicality.

Refresh and Automate Your Key Processes

When a firm is understaffed, managers and employees may find that time is the greatest hurdle toward increasing productivity. Is your team burning daylight on processes that can be refined or automatic entirely?

Look into new and emerging technologies designed to cut down on manpower and automate certain tasks. While exploring these options, business leaders may also want to review processes that cannot be automated—such as their sales process—and better adjust them to account for the current size of their workforce.

Get in Touch with our Office for Further Guidance

Are you looking for an objective third-party review to uncover the underlying causes of your staffing problems? A fractional professional can help provide guidance on the situation and offer workable solutions without breaking your budget.

Reach out to our offices today to learn more about our high-value, low-cost consulting and outsourced Sales Officer services. Whether your sales process needs a refresh, or you are looking for new ways to leverage the tools and resources already at your disposal, our team can provide professional sales insight, all at a fraction of the cost of an in-house Chief Sales Officer.

If you are interested in outsourced sales management services for your firm, we here at Sebastian Lane can help point you in the right direction. Feel free to reach out for further information, resources, and recommendations. Call Sebastian Lane Consulting at 443-534-6783 or email us at jesse@sebastianlaneconsulting.com.

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