Out with the old, in with the new 7 strategies that will pay off later

Out with the old, in with the new

7 strategies to implement now that will pay off later

by Erin Saunders, ON Services

Photo by Helloquence on Unsplash But less client demand doesn’t mean less work. There are things you can be doing during client lulls to ensure you’re set up to be successful when demand is high.

Many businesses are cyclical in

nature, with periods of great activity and workload, followed by periods with less client demand. But less client demand doesn’t mean less work. There are things you can be doing during client lulls to ensure you’re set up to be successful when demand is high.

1.

File cleanup

Slower periods are a great time to evaluate employee files, I9 forms, and employment applications. If you don’t do this regularly, look through your employee files and clean out those that no longer belong with the active files. Use this time to pull contact information of any seasonal workers you want to reach out to for the upcoming season. Next, evaluate your I9 files. I9s should be kept separately from employee files. You’ll want to pull out any terminated employee I9s and mark them with a shred-by date. I9s must be retained either three years after the date of hire, or one year after employment is terminated, whichever is later.

2.

Mid-year performance review

Do you have full-time staff, or regularly scheduled part-time staff? Slower periods are a great time to give employee feedback. Schedule some time to sit down with them and see how you are tracking to goals for the year. Give and get some feedback from them on things they think are going really well, as well as areas of concern. The feedback provided at the actual year-end performance review shouldn’t be a surprise to your employee. Providing feedback throughout the year helps ensure you’re on the same page.

3. Database cleanup

Ideally, customer relationship databases are kept updated throughout the year. If your customer database could use some cleanup, now is a great time to focus on that. Consider scrubbing your customer database. Update any contact information, customer history, or notes that are needed. This will ensure when the busy season comes around, you have the best information on your clients.

4. Marketing

The busy season is right around the corner and now is a great time to be top of mind for new or existing clients. Check out your existing marketing tools. Do any need to be updated? Now could also be a good time to brainstorm any new or different ways you want to bring your services to market. Consider updating your social media platforms with any of the recent work or highlights from your business. This will help keep you top of mind with clients and former staff.

5. Onboarding Now is also a good time to review your onboarding documents and process. Is your paperwork up to date? Are there any updates that need to be made to the handbook, policies, or other onboarding processes? Now is your chance to look at your onboarding process before you are entrenched in hiring. Check out your job descriptions and postings and make sure they are still up to date. Consider the worker pool you’ll be looking to hire from and make sure your job posting language targets that pool. If you use third-party vendors to help with temporary staffing, connect with them to let them know what you think your needs will be during the next busy season.

6. Networking events

Attending and/or presenting at industry conferences is a great way to stay up to date on changes in the industry as well as a great way to build your professional relationships. Networking isn’t about being pushy or making connections with people because you think they can help you in the future. Truly, networking is just about making genuine connections with people. Once you’ve connected with people, a side effect is that it opens up possibilities for you both to be helpful and seek help, but that typically won’t happen without a genuine connection. Making time for networking events can also be a great way to get ideas you can use in your own business.

7. Recruiting

Do you have seasonal workers you want to have return? Reaching out to candidates now can give you a feel for how many are interested and able to return this year. Look at the business that is in the pipeline to understand what staffing levels may be needed to help support the organization. Knowing the business that is already booked, as well as understanding what staff are able to return, can help you understand and plan for additional recruiting efforts or resources that may be needed.

Thoughtfully using slower periods in the business is a key part of ensuring you are strategically set up to handle the busiest times. A little preparation and planning now will help you have everything you need to support and grow your business in the future.

About the author

Erin Saunders is Director of Human Resources with ON Services in Norcross, GA.

P: 770-457-0966 E: Esaunders@ONservices.com

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