Almost every business in the world outsources their business processes to some degree. The fact is outsourcing is an excellent way to cut costs and improve the standard of work within a business. The knock-on effect is higher customer satisfaction and higher sales. However, your business will only benefit from these advantages if it performs outsourcing correctly. Although it sounds a little odd, there is a right way and a wrong way. As the boss, you must know the difference between right and wrong for the good of the company.
If you are looking for inspiration, you have come to the right place. This post is going to outline how good companies act when it comes to outsourcing. All you have to do is continue reading and incorporate the knowledge into your company. Enjoy!
Decide Whether It Should Stay In-House
The first job is simple: decide what you want to keep and what you want to outsource. Okay, it isn’t that easy, but it is about to get easier. The key is to delegate the jobs that you have little experience in, and that an external team can provide to a better standard. Also, think about your knowledge and expertise in the area. Outsourcing HR for businesses needs is one decision that lots of companies come to in an instant. The same goes for marketing and customer services. HR and marketing are two complex services that require specific knowledge and know-how. Customer services, on the other hand, costs time and money. If you can perform the task to a high standard and at a low cost, keep it in-house.
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Make A List
The best way to figure out what you want to outsource is by making a list. On the list, create a few different boxes like ‘what to delegate’ and ‘what I’m not great at.’ As soon as you start to fill up the boxes, the external and internal debate will become a lot clearly. In fact, the list will pretty much decide it for you if you are honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Honesty is the best policy as lying only damages the company.
Put Them Into An Order
When you have your list, you need to rank them in order or urgency. In simple terms, what needs doing first and what can wait. One big mistake businesses make is that they deal with issues that aren’t yet a problem. Okay, it is proactive, but it is also stupid. The best businesses understand that they only cross a bridge when they come to it to make life simpler. Not only does it make life simpler, but it also makes it cheaper. Deal with the top of the list first and work your way down. That way, you can fix the important things before they escalate.
Identify Your Dream Partner
The next job is to find the person or people that are going to make your list a reality. They are the outsourcers that can fix any problem regardless of the issue, and they are a Godsend. However, there are lots of other candidates that aren’t as good that flood the market. No one wants to end up with the ugly sister when you can have Cinderella, so you need to weed out the weak from the strong. Start by identifying the skills that you want to see in them if you are going to invest. Are you a fan of the drive, what about the organization? Whatever it is, make sure they have it in abundance. Also, check out their previous history of results. An outsourcer with a positive history is a good sign as it means they are consistent. It also means they will get the job done.
Get In Contact
As soon as you see someone that you like, make a beeline for their services. The world of outsourcing is weird in the sense that they won’t promote themselves to you. You might see the odd advert, but they tend to wait for business as they understand the dynamic. As such, you will usually have to contact them instead of them contacting you. Pick up the phone and organize a meeting to learn more about them. Or, post your job on a relevant website and wait for the responses to come through the door. It is vital that you are the proactive one in this relationship.
Interview Them
It is amazing that businesses offer outsource experts the job without an interview. That is like offering a candidate the job without meeting them first. It is crazy, yet it happens all the time. Please don’t follow the status quo because that is how you end up in bed with the wrong person (see #4). An interview is essential if you want to find out more about them and their ability. It is important to remember that there is more to a person than the words on their CV. It might be that their personality or their demeanour doesn’t suit your ethos. Qualifications are important, but they aren’t the Holy Grail.
Take Them For A Test Drive
Don’t just interview them – take them out for a spin beforehand. Thanks to a neat trick called a trial period, you can hire them on a short-term basis. If you like what you see, you can then hire them on a permanent contract. Again, it is about getting to know the team before you sign on the dotted line. Be careful as some companies and individuals don’t take kindly to a trial period. They see it as a slap in the face, which makes it a non-starter.
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Stay In Constant Contact
Finally, keep in touch with them as much as possible. Just because they have the job doesn’t mean you should leave them to their devices. After all, you are the customer and what say counts. Ask them for weekly or monthly updates as well as data analysis. With this information, you will be able to see if your partnership is a success.
