As White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told the New York Times right after the elections, "Never allow a crisis to go to waste." No one likes a recession. Perhaps shoe repair people and consignment shop owners, but not most of the rest of us. It does, however, present an opportunity to get things done that need doing but we didn’t have time for. One such thing is getting the people part of your organization in order for when the inevitable (yes, it's coming!) uptick begins ticking up.

As larger enterprises have flattened and deconstructed their rigid hierarchies, the jobs and paths within companies have become less clear. In some businesses, they never were formalized. For example, job descriptions, if they exist, are often unclear, generic and dated. They should be clear, detailed and relevant, yet flexible enough to adapt if needed. The job goals are to be simple, measureable, customer driven and easily understood. When the economy turns, you will want to have a crisp understanding of hiring requirements for open positions.

Job levels deserve a fresh look, too. They can be focused on technical or managerial expertise, or some mix of the two. What is key is defining them consistently throughout the organization by the level of responsibility and authority. Documented career paths should show the logical transition points to move up, down and laterally within the organization. This way you can demonstrate to potential new hires where they would fit, and how their career could progress.

Review the organization structure as a whole. Consider if the structure effectively supports the company’s mission and goals. Are the management structures and staffing levels where they should be? Where does the authority reside, and does that reflect current needs and effectiveness?

A structural review should also consider if there are job positions, work groups or departments that need to be removed or added. What industry benchmarks can be used for comparison? Are there employees that could be more effective in another position, or with an investment in training? Are there employees you have difficulty seeing a future for? It is important that these issues are dealt with now while you can.

Once the compensation schemes, jobs, career paths and plans are documented, they should not just be left in a file. The company, department and individuals change. This is a living process that should be reviewed at least once a year as a standard business process. Put it on your calendar as an annual process.

This is not exciting work, and shouldn’t be done instead of finding that next sale. However, when the business cycle inevitably climbs back up, you will be ready for it!

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