15 Smart Tips For Managing Agency Workflows When Understaffed

The sales cycles of clients’ businesses often dictate how work ebbs and flows for agencies, and each industry has its own, unique “busy season.” If an agency serves many clients in an industry that sees an uptick in business activity during the summer or around end-of-year holidays, many employees—members of both agency and client teams—may be on vacation right as business starts to ramp up and campaigns are being launched.

Balancing the personal requirements of team members who need to take time off from work to recharge occasionally with the obligations of ongoing client work can make meeting client expectations a challenge for agency leaders when many people are out of the office at once. Here, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council share their best tips to help agency leaders manage the workflow during busy months when they may be understaffed and overloaded with projects.

1. Share Account Knowledge And Plan Discretionary Time Off

I often say that we are as specialized as the next phone call. With that, it’s hard to be staffed perfectly at all times. There are a few best practices to help cope with a lot of work during holidays, maternity leave or extended sickness. Account knowledge should be held by several people, and discretionary time off must be planned. When all else fails, we roll up our sleeves and work doubly hard. – Carol Levine, energi PR Inc

2. Do Ongoing Cross-Training And Have Clearly Defined SOPs

Remote work has changed the dynamics of the workplace, but summers and holidays still require a workflow strategy. At our agency, ongoing cross-training, collaboration and shadowing allow us to more easily cover for one another when needed—for time away, big projects and more. Clearly defined standard operating procedures also give us a foundation for success when team members are out of the office. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.

3. ‘Flatten’ The Peaks Of Preparation By Working Ahead

In-person meetings, trade shows, conferences and customer advisory board meetings typically take place in the spring and fall (less so during summer and winter). Keys to success are to “flatten” the peaks of preparation by working ahead as much as possible and staying ahead of planning timelines. That means communicating and enforcing proposed deadlines and having your management support them. – Eyal Danon, Ignite Advisory Group

4. Visually Chart Vacation Times And Tasks To Be Completed

A visual chart of vacation times and tasks to be completed is often the easiest way to stay ahead of the game. Anticipate the needed tasks before the busy season starts and have a spreadsheet or chart outlining who can manage the items when the typical employee will be out. You can also send the chart to the team and let them select the tasks they can comfortably complete when serving as a substitute. – Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design

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5. Use An Outsourced Model And Bring In Contracted Support

We are leaning into an outsourced model where we bring in contracted support for busy seasons. It has been a hard lesson to learn, but staffing up to take on more work only perpetuates the hamster wheel. We would rather stay lean so that we can be choosy about our clients and bring in freelancers (who are more plentiful than ever) for heavy work periods. – Kristen Brown, Hoot Design Company

6. Plan Staffing And PTO Before The Busy Season Begins

Make sure that your staffing and planning are done pragmatically and before the busy season begins. Predictable vacation times and paid time off should not affect projects already in the pipeline as much as last-moment requests, rush projects and new engagements. Transparency in regard to agency capacity and capability should always be available to the client, as it can affect the campaign schedule. – Goran Paun, ArtVersion

7. Let Clients Know How To Avoid The Rush Of Your Busy Season

Every industry does have its own busy season. Once an agency is aware of its own busy season, I think the campaign managers or account managers need to communicate this to the client, perhaps encouraging them to order their materials earlier to avoid the rush. It’s important that hardworking staff get time off, especially during the holidays, and that’s something I believe can be worked out. – Marc Hardgrove, The HOTH

8. Prepare Timelines To Meet Between Thanksgiving And Christmas

Restrict staff vacation time during the month of December when business starts ramping up while encouraging staff to take time off throughout the year so that they are continually rested, healthy and happy. Good agencies will close between Christmas and New Year’s. Ask clients to work with your agency regarding campaigns and deliverables right after the Thanksgiving break to ensure timelines are met. – Scott Miraglia, Elevation Marketing

9. Empower Account Managers To Help Solve The Challenge

While it’s true that some seasonal swings in workload are inevitable, the impact can be mitigated significantly when account managers are empowered to help solve the challenge. Whether it’s rewarding clients with early-bird discounts or extending lead times through extended busy periods, it’s important to involve sales reps and managers in the problem-solving process. – Chris Martin, FlexMR

10. Communicate Openly With Teams And Build Your Freelance Bench

Communicating openly and building your freelance bench are important steps. Open and transparent dialogue with your team is key. The habit of sharing your work and project calendar is critical and part of a good transparent culture. A freelance bench helps manage the work spikes. A good freelance bench needs to be integrated into your year-round labor needs. Then, they will be there when you need them. – TJ Martin, Cramer

11. Track PTO Requests And Offer Flexible Solutions If Not Approved

We have a section of our internal project management system that is dedicated to PTO requests. Anyone requesting time off needs to write in the names of other team members who are also off at that time so that managers can have all the information they need to decide if it can be approved or not. If we are not able to approve time off, we look for flexible solutions, including an on-call system or half-days. – Danielle Wiley, Sway Group

12. Have A Clear Contingency Plan To Fall Back On

Summer is an especially common time for employees to take long vacations, so prepare in advance by assigning backup individuals. That way, you’ll minimize confusion in the case that an emergency occurs during their leave. – Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions

13. Be Transparent With Clients About When Your Busy Season Is

It’s best to be fully transparent with your clients. Let them know when your busy season is. This will allow them to place requests early, batch some of their requests and set expectations for turnaround times during the busy season. – A. Lee Judge, Content Monsta

14. Assess Each New Project To Set Time-Sensitive Priorities

Our most effective strategy for managing workflow during busy months is to assess the urgency of each new project. This may mean delaying start dates or elongating project timelines so that we can prioritize more time-sensitive client work. This ensures we’re still able to underpromise, overdeliver and, ultimately, keep our clients happy. – Adam Binder, Creative Click Media

15. Keep A Happy Working Environment And Fill In For Staff

I am a firm believer that the happier your working environment is, the happier your clients are. The more open you are with the people you work with and trust, the more open they will be. If your staff takes time off during a busy season, then you, as a leader, should be able to step in for them. Be honest with your clients as well—no fluff. – Jessica Kopach, The JKO Agency