If your company is planning a staffing change in the new year, now is the time to make all your preliminary arrangements. Even though November and December are short months in the business world, you can accomplish much towards your first quarter goals when you begin preparing for your staffing changes now.

Prepare by Creating Job Descriptions

The first thing you’ll want to determine is the nature of the position you’re filling in the new year. If you’re filling an existing open position, this is a straightforward task. On the other hand, hiring for a new position takes a little more advance preparation.

When creating the job description for your staffing changes, consider:

  • Compensation and Benefits
  • Employee type
  • Job responsibilities
  • Pay rate
  • Schedule

Also, be sure to consider how you’ll measure the new employee’s performance during your company’s review period. If there’ are tasks or goals that will impact compensation, include that in the job description. It’s important to disclose the full expectations of the job.

Plan Job Posting Activities

Once you have your job description complete, it’s time to advertise the position. Even though you may not be ready to have your new employee in the office until after the start of the new year, it’s not too soon to begin this process. When you consider that it could take weeks to get a qualified applicant pool, on top of the time it will take you to conduct all the interviews, you’re starting the new year behind the curve if you wait.

Typical options for attracting job applicants include:

  • Advertising on job boards
  • Creating an ad on your company website
  • Hiring an employment staffing company
  • Obtaining employee referrals
  • Posting a notice on your company’s Intranet
  • Using media like television, print and radio

Plan the Job Interview

For new hires to begin working at the start of the new year, conduct your final interviews during the first two weeks of December. This allows ample time for you and other decision makers in the company to decide who you’ll hire for your open position before holiday plans take you away from the office. It’s also important to make your decision quickly because the person you hire may need to give notice to their current employer. While two weeks is the standard with most businesses, some employees feel the need to extend their notice when they’ll be on vacation during their notice period.

The new year is a great time for fresh starts, so you want to ensure you kick it off with all your staffing changes made and ready to implement. The less time you have to spend on the hiring process, the more time you can spend ensuring your business starts the year off ready for success.