4 Clear Signs You Need More Resource
There are several clear warning signs that a business is severely lacking in resource - here’s how you can learn to recognise them.
Whether you’re running a manufacturing firm, a tech development business, or an engineering company, maintaining an effective and well-resourced workforce is key.
If you’re lacking sufficient resource to deliver your products, projects, or services, it can have serious implications for your business, in both the short and long term.
But how do you know when it’s time to launch a recruitment drive and bolster your teams with either permanent or contractor talent?
Here are 4 clear warning signs that you’re in need of more resource.
1. Performance is suffering
One of the most obvious signs of low resource is a consistent decrease in company performance.
When your business is lacking resource, it puts additional strain on current workers, particularly if they’re working across multiple sites or projects.
This can lead to missed deadlines, costly mistakes, and frustration on-site. If teams are struggling to complete tasks and projects within the expected time frame, it could be a sign that you’re missing resource in critical areas.
Insufficient resource often leads to low morale, and low morale equals poor performance.
2. Clients are lacking support
If your clients are expressing a lack of support or communication, it’s a major red flag.
When project managers and team leaders are struggling to balance on-site work with client service, you need to take a close look at the resources they have available. If these key contacts are constantly busy with urgent tasks or scrambling to catch up with deadlines, they’ll inevitably struggle to keep in touch with customers.
This can lead to client churn and a damaged reputation, which is bad news for future business.
3. Your retention rate is declining
Workers that are constantly struggling with a lack of support aren’t likely to stay with your company for long.
Dealing with overdue deadlines, urgent tasks, and unhappy clients causes a lot of stress, particularly for workers in leadership roles. When consistent problems with staffing reach a tipping point, you’ll see more and more workers seeking jobs elsewhere.
If you’re noticing your retention rate heading in the wrong direction, you may need to diagnose issues with resource - and fast.
4. Workers are flagging gaps
Finally, some of the clearest indicators often come from your people themselves.
If workers are identifying capacity problems, flagging productivity issues, or pointing out challenges with morale, then you need to act quickly.
Contractors leaving assignments early (or not wanting to extend their contracts) is also a serious warning sign. A lack of resource can lead to increased stress and a high-pressure work environment for contractors, so if they’re keen to move on, you should take notice.
This is why it’s vital to listen to feedback and check in with your teams, particularly during intense projects and busy periods. When it comes to on-site resource and work capacity, nobody knows better than your workers on the ground.
If you want to run successful projects and keep your workforce happy, it’s important to stay aware of the warning signs around low resource.
Feel like you’re struggling with insufficient project resource? Matchtech can help.
We specialise in connecting clients with market-leading STEM talent, from engineers to project managers. If you need to address an urgent skill shortage, we’ll source experienced contractors or permanent staff that can deliver results and elevate performance.
Want to fix a resource gap without bringing additional headcount into your business? We're also able to offer fully outsourced statement of work projects through our sister company, Gattaca Projects. Click here to find out more.
Ready to hire? Send us your vacancy details now.
Looking for more advice and useful resources about resource planning? Click here.