5 Staffing Resolutions for 2020

A new year gives us all the opportunity to reflect and refresh. We think about the year behind us, and about the one that lies ahead, and we set resolutions to help us have a more successful next 12 months. While many of us set personal resolutions—losing weight, saving money, etc.—there’s also something to be said for setting professional goals for the new year as well.

We think that many companies could use an overhaul of their recruiting, hiring, and other staffing processes in 2020. That’s why we’ve come up with this list of 5 resolutions your staffing department could set in order to have the best year ever.

• Try something new. Sometimes, we get so stuck in our ways, or become so complacent, that we end up ignoring the fact that there might be a better way to do things. If your hiring has gone stagnant, or if you simply think it could be improved, set a goal to reevaluate your process and brainstorm some new things you could try to give your staffing solutions new life. Some ideas: explore new sourcing methods, increase your social media presence and recruiting efforts, try a different onboarding process, or work with a staffing agency.

• Fill in the gaps. Sometimes, positions stay open for far too long. Other times, you may put off hiring for a certain position for some reason, even though you know it would help the company. This year, it’s time to get serious about creating the staff you want and need. A well-staffed company is going to be more efficient and more successful.

• Nail down your process. We see too many companies (especially small businesses) without a clearly defined recruiting and hiring process. But staffing can get overwhelming very quickly if you’re scrambling to decide what to do next. Before you hire anyone else, think about the process you currently follow (or don’t) and how that process can be refined to give you what you really need from it. Don’t be afraid to try several iterations to find the process that works best for you.

• Zero in on culture. Peter Drucker famously said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” While it’s important to have smart business strategies in place—including those related to hiring—it’s even more important to have a strong company culture to back those strategies. Culture is what is going to make people want (or not want) to come work for you. Culture shapes what day-to-day life is like with your business. If you don’t have a defined or clear culture, get some clarity on it, and put that culture to use at every stage of your staffing process (recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, etc.).

• Work smarter, not harder. You can put huge amounts of time into fruitless work—or you can put less time into meaningful, productive work. Spinning your wheels faster is not going to get you anywhere unless you have some traction on where you’re going and what you’re trying to accomplish. Think of ways you could work smarter when it comes to hiring. One of the best is to work with a staffing agency. They save you invaluable time and effort while finding you the best possible candidate for the job. When you work with a staffing agency, you’re letting their proven process go to work for you, leveraging their invaluable expertise to get the job done with less effort. It’s one of the best ways to invest your hiring resources.

Make 2020 your best hiring year yet, by setting a resolution that will help your company overhaul and refine its staffing practices. Once you do, you’ll have the staff in place to help your company reach its overall business goals.

Happy new year!