A business case for an additional employee should explain the work problem, the options considered and the evidence needed for an approval decision. A busy week or a strong preference for more help is a starting point, not a complete case.
Prepare the case before advertising. Keep the request for a position separate from the later job description, candidate assessment and employment offer.
Describe the work problem with evidence
State what is happening, over what period and how it affects the business. Use information such as outstanding work, service commitments, workload distribution or a recurring coverage gap. Distinguish measured facts from staff estimates and forecasts.
For example, a fictional office might record that a defined administration queue grew during four consecutive reporting periods. The case should identify the work included, how the queue was measured and whether temporary absences or a process change affected the result.
Do not turn that example into a claim about labour demand in Brisbane or the Games. The question is whether this particular business needs additional capacity.
Compare realistic alternatives
Consider whether the problem could be addressed through clearer priorities, process changes, better tools, redistribution of work or an appropriate temporary arrangement. Explain why each option is feasible or limited.
Avoid assuming existing employees can absorb more work indefinitely. Equally, do not assume a new employee will resolve unclear instructions or a broken approval process. Some cases need a combination of staffing and operational changes.
Business Queensland’s hiring guidance encourages assessing staffing needs before recruitment. Apply that principle to the business evidence rather than starting with a preferred job title.
Use a practical decision worksheet
Organise the case around:
- Problem: the work or coverage gap and its evidence.
- Duration: what is known about continuing demand and what remains uncertain.
- Options: practical alternatives, including doing nothing for a defined period.
- Proposed role: the responsibilities additional capacity would cover.
- Resources: recruitment, employment, equipment, supervision and training assumptions.
- Benefits: observable changes expected and how they will be checked.
- Risks: what could prevent the proposal from working.
- Decision: approval sought, decision owner and review point.
Record the sources and dates of financial estimates. Obtain appropriate payroll or financial input instead of calculating employment obligations from a guessed percentage.
Test whether the proposed role is workable
Check that the work forms a coherent role and that someone can supervise and onboard the person. Identify any responsibilities that require a licence, specialist competence or a different level of authority. For an office-support proposal, compare the intended responsibilities with our administration roles guide to help describe a coherent role rather than collecting unrelated tasks under one title.
In the fictional office example, the proposal might assign routine document preparation to the additional role while retaining payment approval with the authorised manager. More capacity does not automatically transfer decision-making authority.
Ask what would happen if the demand forecast is wrong. Include a review method suited to the proposed arrangement without promising a particular employment outcome.
Ask for a specific approval
Conclude with the position or resource decision requested, the approved spending limits needed and the information still outstanding. If the case is conditional on a contract or budget decision, state that condition clearly.
After approval, carry the agreed responsibilities and limits into recruitment planning. If approval is deferred, record what evidence must be gathered and when the case will be reconsidered. A useful business case makes either outcome understandable and leaves the next action clear.
