DeceMBer 2015 BCBusiness 21 iLLuStratioNS: victoria ParK
Getting a Grip on Growth
D - I - Y M a n a g e m e n t
... And keep them in the loop
Amid all the new faces, it's easy for cur-
rent employees to feel lost in the crowd.
So keep them up to speed with changes,
big and small. "Employees want to hear
from their boss," says Groschler. "Even if a
manager thinks they don't have anything
to say, they're still their team's anchor for
knowing that." She advises managers to
use clear and constant communication
with employees when a company is hiring
rapidly and creating new teams.
leAn on your veterAns
When adding a bunch of new
employees in new regions or in
new parts of the company, you
risk creating a chaotic situation—
not unlike a farm with a bunch of
"chickens running around with
their heads o," says Brennan. He
recommends seeding new teams
with experienced employees.
Veterans know your company's
culture, processes and proce-
dures, so they're the best quali†ed
to pass on knowledge and provide
guidance to newcomers.
find A good story to tell
When QuickMobile, a maker of apps for
corporate events and conferences, had to
"double, then double, then double again"
its workforce during a period of rapid
growth, Brennan says his most impor-
tant recruitment strateˆy was sharing
the names of companies QuickMobile
was working with—the likes of Microsoft,
Samsung and Adobe. "We shared stories
about our leading customers to highlight
how and why they used us—and that
really helped us to attract talent."
give employees A sAy
in their future...
Whether it's a new o‰ce or new product
line, growth implies change—and when
employees experience change, they get
nervous, says Groschler. So when you're
making changes, include them in the
process. She suggests creating a sandbox
for them to pitch ideas about what their
responsibilities and workplace will look
like while at the same time setting clear
parameters on how big that sandbox is.
"The smaller the sandbox, the more likely
you are to face resistance," she advises.
"By getting their input, you'll also get their
engagement and their ownership."
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don't forget the
Bottom line
Yes, you need to hire and hire
now to keep up with the work,
but make sure you can aord
the head count. "We've seen lots
of customers who have grown
themselves into near bankruptcy,"
says Murray of companies that
hired to meet business demands
but then couldn't make payroll as
they waited for a cheque. "If you're
going to double your business in a
given period, you're going to need
to have the cash on hand, or a line
of credit, to pay those bills."
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For fast-growing companies, hiring quickly and smartly is critical. craig
Brennan,
ceo of QuickMobile, erica Groschler, partner at incrementa
consulting, and robert Murray, principal of robert Murray consulting Ltd.,
tell us how to manage a burgeoning workforce
by Jacob Parry
