The cost of delaying workforce planning during uncertain times

Periods of uncertainty can make business leaders cautious, and we are certainly in one now. Political volatility, global events, rising costs and shifting markets are all making future conditions seem harder to predict. As such, it is understandable that hiring decisions are being scrutinised more closely.

As a leading Melbourne recruitment firm providing permanent recruitment services across specialist sectors, we know better than anyone that permanent recruitment is a commitment. Leaders want to feel confident before investing in new capability. But, in our experience, putting workforce planning on hold is not always the lowest-risk option.

According to Paul Stride, Principal Consultant at Becks Wiggins Stokes (BWS Recruitment), one of the clearest patterns during uncertain periods is that hiring decisions “tend to drag out”. The appetite to invest in people and broader business capability can suffer, particularly when businesses are focused on cash flow and the cost of doing business.

This caution is understandable. But if caution becomes delay, it can create problems of its own.

For this blog, we spoke in depth with Paul to discuss just how those problems can present and provide a case for braver, more strategic workforce planning – even while the world feels like an incredibly uncertain place to be.

Hiring delays are understandable, but they are not always harmless

Workforce planning does not mean pushing ahead with recruitment when the business case is unclear. As Paul says, it’s obvious that hiring without a plan can be costly. Bringing people into a business without them understanding the role, the return on investment, or the capability gap being addressed can create unnecessary risk.

But the opposite approach can be just as damaging. When businesses decide to “make do” for too long, they may save money in the immediate term while quietly increasing pressure elsewhere. A missing role still has to be covered. A capability gap still affects delivery, and a leadership vacancy still shapes how the team feels about the future.

Rather than asking “should we hire or not”, the better question is “what capability does the business need, and what is the cost of leaving that gap unresolved?”

For some organisations, that may mean reviewing whether a role requires executive search, accounting and finance recruitment, or specialist support across a technical or operational function.

The hidden cost of delaying workforce planning

The cost of delaying recruitment is not always immediately obvious on a spreadsheet. If a key permanent role remains unfilled, the work does not disappear. It is often redistributed across the existing team. Colleagues take on additional duties, managers stretch themselves further, and people begin operating outside their usual responsibilities.

These pressures, which certainly come up in the natural rhythms of business, may be manageable for a short period. But over time, it can start to affect performance, morale and productivity.

Paul noted that when a key role remains vacant without a clear explanation, it can also create uncertainty internally. People begin asking questions: Why has this role not been filled? Is the business struggling? Is there a strategy? Where are we heading?

That kind of apprehensive energy can build quickly. And for clients, customers and external stakeholders, visible gaps in leadership or capability can also affect confidence. A lack of strategy, or even the perception of one, can become a reputational risk.

In other words, the cost of delay is not only financial. It can show up in team confidence, service delivery, productivity and the way the business is perceived.

Leadership hiring and executive search matter most when conditions are unclear

During uncertain periods, strong leadership becomes incredibly important. Teams look to leaders for direction, communication and confidence. This does not mean that leaders or businesses should begin pretending that everything is easy or being blasé about the challenges being faced. It means helping people understand what is happening, what the business is prioritising and how decisions are being made.

This is particularly important for organisations undertaking CEO or executive search recruitment, or senior management appointments where leadership confidence has a direct impact on team stability. The right senior appointment can give a team a clearer sense of stability and momentum.

Paul’s view on this is that experienced leaders can bring valuable perspective during difficult periods. Some have previously navigated recessions, downturns or major market shifts that can provide beneficial insight into solutions or resilience tactics. Others may bring fresh ideas, different ways of thinking, or a perspective that usefully challenges a “this is how we have always done it” attitude. Both can be valuable.

In some businesses, the leader needed during a stable period may not be the same as the leader needed during a period of change. Uncertainty often calls for people who can communicate clearly, make considered decisions (often swiftly) and identify opportunities without ignoring risk.

Delaying that appointment can leave teams without the guidance they need at precisely the moment they need it most.

Waiting too long can increase the cost of hiring later

Recruitment costs are often considered upfront: advertising, agency fees, salary, onboarding and time spent in interviews. And while these outlays are certainly not insignificant – and may be somewhat unwanted in periods of rising costs – delayed hiring can create its own price that ought to be considered.

Paul describes this as “missed opportunity”. The right hire at the right time can help a business move forward, improve capability, bring fresh thinking and support growth. While it’s vital not to be rash and make haphazard hiring decisions, it’s worth being aware that waiting too long can result in losing important momentum.

There is also the risk of “staff flight”. If employees feel they are being asked to do more with less, or if they cannot see a clear plan from leadership, some may begin considering opportunities elsewhere. In this sense, a delayed hire can then become more than one vacancy, contributing to broader instability across the team.

From a commercial perspective, waiting can also make the eventual recruitment process more difficult. Businesses may need to move faster under pressure, compete harder for candidates or make decisions from a narrower talent pool.

This is why workforce planning is crucial before the situation becomes urgent.

Workforce planning does not always mean hiring immediately

One of the most useful ways to think about workforce planning is as preparation – and by this, we mean that workforce planning doesn’t always necessitate immediate action.

Of course, a business may not be ready to formally approve a role today. But it can still begin asking the right questions to start that preparation process:

• Which capability gaps are starting to emerge?
• Which roles are business-critical?
• Are current team members carrying unsustainable workloads?
• Are there succession risks in leadership or specialist functions?
• What skills will be needed over the next 6 to 12 months?
• What would the return on a new appointment need to look like?
• What might happen if the business does nothing?

In practical terms, this might involve refining a project manager position description, clarifying a senior finance brief, reviewing a leadership structure, or deciding whether a role needs to be reshaped before going to market.

These questions help shift the conversation from reactive hiring to strategic planning. They also help businesses understand whether a new role is genuinely required, whether an existing role needs to be re-scoped or whether the issue sits somewhere else entirely.

It’s these circumstances in which early recruitment advice can be valuable.

Why objectivity matters in permanent recruitment

One of the strongest points Paul raised was the value of objective assessment. When a business is dealing with internal pressure, it can certainly be difficult to step back and assess the situation objectively. Teams may understand the pressure they are under, but not always have a clear view of what the market looks like, what candidates are expecting or how competitors are positioning similar roles.

A recruitment partner can bring a more objective perspective. At Becks Wiggins Stokes, this may include advice around average salaries, candidate motivations, turnover expectations, role requirements and the broader talent market. Paul also spoke about the value of understanding both the sector and the function (or the business area/professional discipline of a role) being recruited for.

For example, a CFO role may look different depending on the organisation, industry and stage of growth. This is where experience in finance recruitment – and financial services recruitment specifically in greater Melbourne – can help shape a more accurate brief and a stronger search. Even where a recruiter has not placed the exact same role in the exact same sector, strong functional knowledge and recruitment process expertise can help shape a better search.

This is particularly important during uncertain periods, when businesses may be more cautious and candidates may be more selective. Good recruitment advice – like the kind you can get from our Melbourne-based recruitment consultants – helps clarify what is realistic, what is competitive and what the business may need to adjust before going to market.

What makes employers more attractive during uncertain times?

Uncertainty does not only affect employers. We see that candidates are also assessing risk. Senior candidates, in particular, may look closely at the organisation’s structure, leadership team, stability and direction before deciding whether to pursue a role.

Paul noted that candidates may want to understand the organisation chart, where gaps exist and how clearly roles and responsibilities are defined. A business that can explain its structure, priorities and opportunities with confidence is more likely to build trust.

Transparency, unsurprisingly, matters. By this we do not mean that businesses should be noncommunicative about challenges or present the business as more stable than it is. It means being clear about where the organisation is heading, what the role is designed to achieve and reflecting on how the business has navigated recent challenges.

Candidates can usually tell when the public-facing story does not match what is happening internally. Businesses that communicate honestly and consistently are often better positioned to attract strong people, even when the wider market feels uncertain.

How BWS Recruitment can support workforce planning

A recruitment partner can add value well before a role is formally approved. Paul described the BWS Recruitment approach as consultative: asking the right questions, understanding the client’s pain points and identifying the core of what the business is actually trying to solve before offering a solution.

That might mean helping a client define the role more clearly. It might involve testing salary expectations against the market. It may include discussing whether the business needs a senior leader, a technical specialist or a different structure altogether. The aim is not simply to fill a vacancy, but rather to understand what appointment will genuinely support the business.

At Becks Wiggins Stokes, our consultants work across specialist areas including executive search, finance and accounting, engineering and technical, healthcare and community, not-for-profit and for-purpose, construction and property, renewables, industrial and manufacturing, and media and marketing.

This insightful sector knowledge across our business helps our team understand the different pressures, skill requirements and market dynamics influencing hiring decisions.

The cost of doing nothing is too great

Paul says that waiting for things to “settle down” – as he often hears – can seem the sensible option. And in some cases, this may well be the right attitude. But, he continues, doing nothing is still a decision.

If capability gaps remain unresolved, if teams continue absorbing extra workload, if leadership vacancies create uncertainty, or if competitors move first, the cost of delay can grow. Workforce planning gives businesses a way to make more considered decisions before hiring becomes urgent.

It helps organisations not only understand what they need, but what the market can offer and how to approach recruitment with clarity rather than pressure.

If your organisation is reviewing its workforce needs, considering a key permanent hire or unsure whether now is the right time to recruit, Becks Wiggins Stokes can provide market insight, strategic guidance and specialist recruitment support in Melbourne.

To start a conversation with one of our consultants, contact BWS Recruitment at careers@bwsrecruitment.com.au or by calling our office (in Melbourne’s southeast) on (03) 9535 9500