Edu$-$Films is a small design company that writes and produces videos for the elementary and high school education market. The company is in the final stages of negotiating a new contract with a U$.$S$.$ publisher to create $40$ videos for a new K$12$ math series, and the videos need to be available by the spring of $2017.$ Business for Edu$-$Films has been slow over the past three years, and the company has kept staff levels to a minimum. Mindful of the company's flat fiscal results over the last couple of years but understanding that new hires must be ready to go once the agreement is signed, HR manager Alicia Brooks must put together a cohesive hiring plan.

$5$a$.$ What should be Alicia's first step?