Trying to prove we need help

Anonymous

August 9,2023 at 5:00AM UTC

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Trying to prove we need help

I need to find a way to prove to my boss (CFO/COO) that we need help/more assistance. I manage a team of 8 in an accounting/finance department. Aside for me saying “look we are all feeling overwhelmed”, I need to come up with “data” to prove it. I know I can use some OT reports and maybe even do a comparison looking at how many transactions we are currently doing now compared to in the past. However, is there a clear data point that I am missing that may be helpful in proving my point?

This is excluding the fact that there is probably an issue with efficiency. I’m a believer that it’s connected since when people feel overwhelmed they are more likely to make mistakes and thing snowball from there .

Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated!

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AnonymousAugust 9,2023 at 10:34AM UTC
As an accountant, I note DAILY what I accomplish and the time it takes for each task regardless of falling behind or not. This eliminates what you are experiencing.
For now, I'd list what is expected, how long it takes and the current status
AnonymousAugust 9,2023 at 1:07PM UTC
Metrics! Metrics tell the story. put together the story of what's been happening over the last 1-2 years. I'm not in this field, but things to think about are: the number of invoices processed, billable hours, AR turnover, AP turnover, revenue per employee, project completion rate.
Paint the picture of growth in company with 0 growth in the department which is having a negative impact on business financials or strategic growth.
If the picture shows no correlation, then reevaluate the processes.
Sit down with the team and gather their thoughts on why they are overwhelmed. Is it an increase in their work, processes that are inefficient, or a training issue?
Another way to show understaffing is to research company size vs staffing in accounts/finance. Or dollars spent on the department.
C Levels like graphs and data that correlate to financials and business strategy. Paint the picture of "this is where we are" and "this is where we need to be" with a strategic and tactical plan to get there.
AnonymousAugust 9,2023 at 8:12PM UTC
root cause analysis should help
AnonymousAugust 11,2023 at 12:25PM UTC
I think another commenter already mentioned this, but time tracking: comparison of how long tasks take to complete vs hours in the day for all bodies. This can also help you and them assess how much help is needed. Is the difference in hours showing a part-time or full-time person is needed? And I think they'll appreciate the data to help them make that assessment. You can use a site like Clockify, look for a widget that's an add on to a program you're already using, or a plain old excel sheet everyone fills out.
Adrienne LeightonAugust 11,2023 at 12:39PM UTC
Show how the additional headcount will help the business (not the workload of the current staff). Quantify the business case.
DVDgoddessAugust 11,2023 at 1:19PM UTC
Show how much more money the company is making since it started growing. Then show how much money the company will save in OT costs. Also include burnout rate and the cost and time of training new employees if they don’t hire any extra personnel.
Managers want to save money. Find that angle.
Cindy GrossAugust 11,2023 at 2:48PM UTC
What's the IMPACT to the company of the work you currently do? Be crystal clear about it. Then outline the essential activities you do related to that. Be prepared to answer what can be cut out of your activities.
Now come up with a vision of the IMPACT your team could have. Play around a bit. What's the IMPACT with the current number of people but different priorities? What's the impact with more people and the same activities? Find some variations. Pick one and add a lot more detail. Try it out with some folks you trust - get candid, useful feedback. Present it with a focus on the company's ROI.
Clydene HorriganAugust 13,2023 at 12:14AM UTC
Have you looked at process improvement to make sure the team is as efficient as it can be? If not, I would do that exercise before asking for headcount and share those results as part of your presentation. Get your team involved in looking for these types of time savers and let them know that you need to be sure of the efficiency before requesting additional headcount and that you value their input. You’ll either find efficiencies and not need a headcount or you’ll have a good piece of information for your request.
AnonymousAugust 14,2023 at 3:58PM UTC
I work in the accounting field as well. First, I would look at the OT and what it is costing - will it pay for an additional body with no impact to the bottom line? You mention looking for efficiencies - do you need a permanent body or could you use a temp for a period of time to free up resources to improve productivity so that you don't need the resource long-term? What could you "stop" doing? Are you doing entries that are just an "allocation of costs" and if so, is that valuable? Are you doing small dollar transactions? Do you need to reconcile every account every month? As far as metrics - if you have number of recons, JE's, etc. that is helpful. You might also do as others suggested and look at revenue growth and graph against your staff growth. Accounting and CFO types hate adding staff. They usually want to show that they are the most efficient and inexpensive department so it is an uphill battle. Your best bet is to combine the two views - how much has the work, revenue, etc. increased compared to staffing level and what you are doing on the efficiency front - propose what you can stop doing, do you need some software to do things faster, etc. Combine volume angle with the efficiency angle - agree with the comments around graphs and charts; good luck!
Lesli HomrighausenAugust 16,2023 at 12:34AM UTC
I think the previous reply is very well written. You've gotten a lot of good suggestions and there's bound to be some you can use. However, I wonder if your CFO cares at all about the happiness/ job satisfaction of those currently employed, and if there's any interest in why the company is short handed? Is it simply you've grown too much for staff levels, or have staff levels decreased for a particular reason or reasons? Besides feeling overwhelmed and making mistakes, people also begin to dislike their jobs, and turnover increases. No one wants to come to work each day when they can't stand their job, or the people that they work with. Also, if their workloads are increasing, but pay and/or benefits aren't, people will become resentful quickly. When they are there doing bare minimum, it affects everyone.