Which of the following most logically completes the argument?

A significant number of Qualitex Corporation's department heads are due to retire this year. The number of employees other than current department heads who could take on the position of department head is equal to only about half of the expected vacancies. Oualitex is not going to hire department heads from outside the company or have current department heads take over more than one department, so some departments will be without department heads next year unless Qualitex ______.

• Apromotes some current department heads to higher-level managerial positions  
• Braises the salary for department heads  
• Creduces the number of new employees it hires next year  
• Dreduces the average number of employees per department  
• Ereduces the number of its departments