HR Focus – recruiting options and January 2008 report when millions called in sick

Taking on staff – the options 

 Taking on staff can be a daunting experience, especially when recruiting for the first time. Finding the right person for the job is a job in itself, and one which is vital to the future success of your business. So the pressure is on even before you begin. Nevertheless – you can get it right, and there are some simple steps you can take to make the process easier.

The most obvious and most important prerequisite when recruiting is to exhaustively examine your staffing requirements – with both current and future needs in mind. And crucially – within the context of your wider business objectives. You might be able to recruit a full-time employee now, but consider what will happen if you lose a key customer, or later decide you need to invest money to develop other areas of your business.

Such scrutiny may also help you evaluate the various options when taking on staff. For example, if you cannot be sure how much staffing you need, or how this will impact your cash flow in other areas of the business, you might decide to pursue a more flexible approach to recruitment – such as temporary staff or contractors. (Such an approach may also suit you better when recruiting for the first time, if only to avoid making costly mistakes from the outset.)

By considering recruitment within the wider context of your business objectives, you can confidently evaluate your options for taking on staff, thereby formulating a well-founded recruitment strategy.

Review your options when taking on staff – Taking on staff – the options

January sees millions call in sick

Absence management firm FirstCare reports that an estimated 12.5 per cent of the UK working population were absent from work at some point during the second week of January. Flu, coughs, colds and the much publicised Norovirus ‘winter vomiting bug’ have taken their toll already this year, and are likely to linger throughout the coming winter months.

Employers are sure to be doing everything they can to help employees get better and back to work, but such extreme numbers off sick highlight potential issues for employers. Particularly contagious illnesses such as the Norovirus could affect a high percentage of employees at the same time, leaving businesses stretched and potentially unable to operate effectively.

Businesses should consider how they could cope with high percentages of their workforce off sick, before it happens, and devise contingency plans in case the worst occurs.

More info – Crisis management and business continuity planning