How do you determine staffing needs?

A business can identify its staffing needs by forecasting demand, forecasting supply and then performing a gap analysis to see how the two diverge, if indeed they do. If there is a deficit, then it is advisable to hire additional staff in order to cope with more demand while if there is a surplus, it may be advisable to reduce staff or restructure staffing, notes Washington State Human Resources (WSHR).

Staffing needs encompass a wide array of situations including fresh hires, internal promotion and staff reduction. Employers can also streamline individual employee productivity, streamlining processes and retraining, according to WSHR.

1. Forecast demand

Employers must form a rough picture of the services they will need from their employees in the predictable future. This picture acts as a tentative frame for how policy within a company will handle the distribution and hiring of employees in order to build a workable infrastructure.

2. Forecast supply

The next step in developing an idea of staffing needs is to understand the amount of service or productivity a company can supply at a given level of staffing. This produces a picture of the company's ability to perform at different points.

3. Perform gap analysis

The gap between demand and supply, or overlap in either direction, provides a path for improvement. Managers can find a new strategy and pursue it based on gap analysis results.