Check whether a new hire will solve your workload problem

Log the work that is delayed, repeated or interrupting the owner before deciding that another employee is the answer. A useful log identifies the task, time, consequence and skill needed. Separate normal demand from seasonal pressure and avoidable rework. Then compare a process change, a different allocation of work and a clearly defined new role.

This worksheet helps you diagnose the work gap. It does not decide affordability or the lawful staffing arrangement. Keep the cash-flow guide for the financial check once you know what work the role would take on.

Record work as it happens for two weeks

Use a simple sheet with the date, task, approximate time, person responsible and what happened if it was delayed. Include checking, corrections and interruptions. Record time spent doing the work separately from time waiting for approval.

Ask the people already doing the work to review the log. An owner may see an unanswered inbox while the team knows that every reply waits for the owner's decision. Check the approval delay before assuming another employee can clear the backlog.

Business.gov.au workforce planning recommends identifying gaps in work and skills before choosing actions. A two-week sample is an original planning method here, not a benchmark for how many employees a business needs.

Group the sample before adding it up

Work group	Week 1	Week 2	What the owner found
Recurring: booking coordination	8 hours	9 hours	Requests arrive most days; clear authority and training could support delegation.
Recurring: job paperwork	5 hours	5 hours	The same completion check is needed every week.
Seasonal: annual renewal campaign	6 hours	2 hours	Demand is concentrated around the annual campaign.
Avoidable: re-entering missing details	4 hours	3 hours	The intake form omits information needed later.
Total recorded task time	23 hours	19 hours	42 hours observed; this is not automatically 21 hours of sustainable new work each week.

Original ASBG worksheet. Names, situations and figures are fictional; the readable table is the text equivalent.

Recurring tasks total 27 hours over the fortnight: 17 for bookings and 10 for paperwork. That averages 13.5 hours a week. Seasonal work adds eight hours and avoidable rework seven. The combined average of 21 hours would overstate the continuing role if the campaign ends and the intake problem is fixed.

This arithmetic describes the fictional sample, not a recommended part-time roster. Check other periods, peak days, leave cover, training and supervision before designing any arrangement.

Compare three ways to remove the delay

Option	Small test	Evidence to review
Change the process	Add the missing intake questions and clarify approval limits.	Does re-entry time fall without creating extra errors?
Redistribute work	Discuss moving a defined task to someone with suitable skills and capacity.	What work would they stop or delay, and what support is needed?
Hire for a responsibility	Define ownership of bookings and completed-job paperwork.	Is demand sustained, are decision limits clear and can the business support the full cost?

Original ASBG worksheet. Names, situations and figures are fictional; the readable table is the text equivalent.

These options can be combined. Fixing the intake form may make a new role easier to perform, even if recurring demand still supports hiring. Do not count the same saved hour in both the process-change benefit and the new employee's capacity.

Make a decision with a review point

Write down the action, owner, measure and review date. For this example, the owner could trial the intake change, keep recording the recurring tasks and check the effect across another representative period. Name the evidence that would make you reconsider.

If the role remains necessary, turn the work into a job description. Use the first-hire checklist to check costs and employment setup before recruiting. If the sample is not representative, record more work before committing to a continuing role.

Key takeaways

• Record the work and consequences, including time lost to checking and corrections.
• Separate recurring demand from temporary pressure and avoidable rework.
• Compare options, avoid double-counting time savings and review the result.

Use the hiring and onboarding guide when the next step is to define the role.

Where to get help

• Business.gov.au workforce planning