Bench Building: Why Every Business Owner Should Recruit When They Don't Have To
It’s Monday morning. You walk into the office, coffee in hand, ready to start the week. Then your top producer pulls you aside and says, “I’m putting in my two weeks.”
Now what?
If you’ve been recruiting consistently, you’re not sweating it. You’ve already talked with good candidates, you’ve built relationships, and you’ve got people sitting on your bench. All it takes is a couple of phone calls and you’re moving forward.
But if you don’t have a bench? Now you’re scrambling. You’re throwing up job ads, rushing interviews, and hoping someone—anyone—fits the role. And when you hire like that, you’re not hiring the right person, you’re just plugging a hole. And that almost always costs you way more in the long run.
That’s why I tell business owners all the time: don’t wait for an emergency to start recruiting.
What If I'm Short-Staffed Now?
As a business owner, one of the most important things you can do is continually recruit. Recruit consistently to make sure you are never short-staffed. Your staff should always be full—and not just full, but full of the right people. Recruiting isn’t just about filling a seat when someone leaves. It’s a long-term solution to a long-term problem: always having the right people on your team, period.
One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is only hiring when they suddenly need to fill a position. That’s reactive hiring. And reactive hiring usually leads to rushed decisions, lowered standards, and the wrong people ending up on your team.
Instead, recruiting should be ongoing and proactive. You don’t want to get caught off guard when someone puts in their two weeks’ notice, leaves suddenly, or has to be let go. The key is having a bench—a lineup of qualified people you can call on when a position opens up.
What Does “Building a Bench” Mean?
When I say “bench building,” I’m talking about continuing to recruit and interview even after your staff is already full. You let those applicants know that while there may not be an immediate opening, you’ll reach out when a need arises.
As a business owner, one of the most important things you can do is continually recruit. Your staff should always be full—and not just full, but full of the right people. Recruiting isn’t just about filling a seat when someone leaves. It’s a long-term solution to a long-term problem: always having the right people on your team, period.
One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is only hiring when they suddenly need to fill a position. That’s reactive hiring. And reactive hiring usually leads to rushed decisions, lowered standards, and the wrong people ending up on your team.
Instead, recruiting should be ongoing and proactive. You don’t want to get caught off guard when someone puts in their two weeks’ notice, leaves suddenly, or has to be let go. The key is having a bench—a lineup of qualified people you can call on when a position opens up.
The main benefits of building a bench come down to three things:
1. Consistency & Selectivity
When you’re not under pressure to fill a role, you can afford to be more selective. You can take your time to find rock stars, unicorns, A-players—whatever you want to call them. That way, when you meet someone who truly stands out, you already have a path to bring them onboard. If you are looking everyday - you increase your chances of finding those top performers.
2. Preparation for Attrition
Attrition is going to happen—period. Even if you’ve had the same team members for years, that’s the exception, not the rule. In industries like insurance, turnover rates can fluctuate drastically. Being proactive and prepared for that reality is how you build and maintain a high-performing team. A bench makes that possible.
3. Accountability
Building a bench also creates accountability for you and your team. If you’re putting in the time to meet with candidates and grow a pipeline of talent, it forces everyone to recognize that achieving your business goals depends on having the right people in the right roles.
How Do You Communicate With Bench Candidates?
One of the most common questions I get is: “How do I tell someone I’m not ready to hire them yet?”
The answer is simple: be 100% honest. Let them know there isn’t an immediate opening, but one will come up in the future. And if you don’t know the timeline, just say that. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
Now, you might be thinking: “Well, if I build a bench, those people won’t sit around waiting for me to call in six months.” And you’re right—they might not. But here’s the thing:
If you interview 10 people and put them on your bench, even if only one or two are still available when you need them, that’s a massive win. You’ve already interviewed them, reviewed their resume, and done 90% of the work. At that point, all you need is one more conversation to confirm they’re still the right fit.
Final Thoughts
Bench building is about staying ahead, not scrambling behind. Recruiting should never stop just because your team looks “full” right now. People will leave. Needs will change. Openings will pop up.
When that happens, the business owners who have a bench in place aren’t stressed—they’re ready.
And if you’re thinking, “Yeah, this makes sense, but I don’t have the time to keep recruiting nonstop”—that’s exactly where we come in.
At Evergreen Agency Talent, we specialize in helping business owners like you build and maintain a strong bench so you’re never caught off guard. We’ll do the heavy lifting on the recruiting side so you can stay focused on running your business.
If you aren't leveraging our services currently - book a meeting with us today!
