Having too many people on the job sounds like the opposite of a problem, but it can be as big an issue to be overstaffed as it is to be understaffed. The challenge is to figure out how to handle it without being the villain in someone’s story. An overstaffed shipyard can frustrate employees who aren’t kept busy and it’s a huge drain on your company resources. Here are three tips on how to handle being overstaffed.
Move Them to Another Role
If you find your shipyard overstaffed, determine if there is a way you can reallocate their talents to other jobs. While this will depend on a number of factors, including specialization, there are things some of your team can do that aren’t in their wheelhouse. Cross training is also desirable for many of the people on your team.
This can help you be more productive in these times as well. If you’re overstaffed, you probably still have work to do, it’s just to the work you were anticipating.
Layoff or Furlough
In some cases, if you’re overstaffed, you may need to layoff of furlough your staff. A layoff is a more permanent solution meaning you let go of the employees without the anticipation of them returning.
A furlough, on the other hand, is a leave of absence for a specified period of time. You let your team, or members of your team, go for a week or a month until you’re able to bring them back on board.
There are challenges with either of these solutions. Your employees need to work, and a furlough robs them of that opportunity. You may have a challenge retaining employees or a shortage of qualified individuals when you need to hire again.
Work With a Staffing Partner
One of the best solutions to avoid being over-or understaffed is to partner with a staffing agency. When you outsource your hiring and employee management processes, you are able to raise and lower the number of employees at your shipyard.
Your staffing partner will be able to work with you to determine the right number of employees needed at any given time and can find new talent and help reassign individuals who are not currently working at your shipyard.
Are you concerned about being overstaffed? Contact Hutco to see how we can help.
