How to Know It’s the Right Time to Add an Employee to Your Organization

It can be a difficult decision to figure out if it’s the right time to add an employee to your organization. Especially in a nonprofit, where you’re weighing whether you should invest directly into your impact or if you need to invest in yourself. You begin to wonder how thin you can stretch yourself and the pros and cons of welcoming in another person. Hiring a new employee is a significant step, and timing does matter. But when it’s done right, it can allow your organization to reach new heights.  

Times of Growth 

If you and your team are consistently overwhelmed by an overload of work and are struggling to meet deadlines, it’s a clear sign that your current capacity is stretched. This is especially true if the workload has been increasing steadily, not just during a short-term project or seasonal spike. This is a great sign that your organization is growing. Adding a new person can relieve the pressure of not having enough time to work on the demands of a project. By delegating the work that needs to be done among more people, it can prevent burnout and improve productivity.    

Turning Down Opportunities 

If you’re missing out on opportunities, it could be time to add some team members. There are two big reasons you could be turning down opportunities — lack of bandwidth or expertise.  

Missing out on mission-aligned projects due to a lack of manpower means you’re stifling your organization’s impact. A well-timed hire can help seize these opportunities and expand your customer base.  

Saying no to opportunities because you’re lacking specific expertise or skills means you could improve your services or operations. Adding an employee with the right qualifications can help you strengthen weak spots within your organization or tap into unexplored opportunities.    

Check Your Finances 

Before you dive in and start hiring, ensure your business has the financial resources to support an additional person. It’s important to know that hiring someone will contribute to, instead of hurting, the financial health of your organization. Hiring before you're ready to financially support another worker can add even more strain and frustration to current employees. Whereas bringing in a new team member when you have the funds and reasonable projections to account for them will help alleviate overload and prevent burnout.   

By taking a look at workload, opportunities, and finances, you can determine if it’s the right time to add an employee to your organization. Bringing in someone new can lead your organization to make a stronger impact and face new horizons. 

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