Shouldn't
the decision to expand a team of employees be something to celebrate? Increased
hiring happens because of increased business, and yet, many companies have
arduous experiences going through the hiring process. So much of that friction
comes down to unplanned costs slowing or stalling the hiring and onboarding
processes as business leaders scramble to support incoming employees.
Business
owners who have an organized plan for hiring costs avoid these troubles in
onboarding and retaining new employees. The technology side of a business often
has the highest costs for new employees, so understanding what to budget for in
advance reduces many of these headaches.
By
organizing hiring and onboarding processes around these five costs, personnel
growth can once again be a sign of success instead of another plate to keep
spinning.
Computers and equipment
This
is the most obvious cost for many businesses, but it can also be surprisingly
expensive. Depending on the role a new hire fills, you may need to buy a new
desktop, laptop, headset, mobile device or workstation.
Some
industries will also have higher computer cost needs than others. For example,
certain manufacturing, architecture or engineering programs need powerful
graphics processors. Running them on less-capable hardware sets employees up to
fail.
Establishing
a standard equipment package for a role's needs before you hire will smooth
over these budgeting and onboarding concerns.
Software and licenses
Recurring
software costs are one of the most reliable budget items on a spreadsheet. You
know what tools your employees use and renew them as long as they're valuable.
This line item is so reliable, however, that it can be easy to forget how many
little pieces make up that monthly expense.
$20
per month here and $30 per year there can add up when bringing a new hire into
your processes and tools. Building an itemized list of every recurring software
expense a new employee would need protects you from being blindsided by a jump
in expenses from one month to the next.
Accounts, access and security
Physical
and electronic security are costs, but unlike the ones above, getting them
wrong could have more serious consequences than frustration or lost
productivity. Build the following procedures now. They keep onboarding safe and
efficient, and they preserve the zero-trust principles your security should
already follow:
- Accounts: Create
secure logins for password managers, cloud servers and more with password
resets upon login for security.
- Access:
Configure keycards, fobs or other physical access technologies required
for employees to access the office without relying on borrowed or
inconsistent, temporary credentials.
- Security: Prepare
cybersecurity training materials so new employees follow best practices as
soon as they are onboarded.
IT setup and support
If you're partnered with a full-time IT service provider or have internal IT staff, the labor costs of setting up all of the above may not be clearly defined in a budget, but they are a cost. Any use of time, even time already paid for through contracted support time or regular salary, is a cost.
When you're hiring and onboarding multiple employees in a short period of time, the time and labor costs of this setup can pull resources from existing projects or require additional spending on hourly or contracted support.
You can't just budget for the parts.
Budgeting for the support that keeps processes going prevents operations from stalling on days where new hires are introduced to the team.
Technology growth over time
One employee isn't going to require an overhaul of your network, cabling or storage plan. Ten employees, though? That could become an issue.
The problem is that most businesses aren't hiring 10+ people in the same week. Even rapid growth is incremental and can creep up on your operations. Knowing ahead of time how many employees will require additional servers or a reworking of IT support needs keeps you from adding too much personnel weight to processes that can't support it.
In the same way that you can't cram 30 employees into a 10-desk office, understanding at what point your headcount requires tech changes lets you know long before a new employee joins if you need to start thinking about upgrades.
How to prepare for these issues
Getting ahead of hiring and onboarding tech costs is all about preparation. These tech questions need a seat at the leadership table so everyone understands what it means when deciding to bring new talent to your team.
Building these questions into leadership discussions is the first step, but having an experienced IT service provider can keep your processes accountable so these tech concerns don't fall by the wayside.
To start planning for these IT costs, click here or give us a call at 973-439-0306 to schedule your free 15-Minute Discovery Call with us so we can analyze how your tech integrates with your current staff and how to prepare for future growth.
