How to succeed in outsourcing? Outsourcing is one of the best things that has ever happened in the marriage of business and technology. Before, it was impossible to get someone to finish your tasks if he is not near you. It’s even harder to get an assistant to manage your schedule if he isn’t in your office. But now, things have changed for the better.
For those who aren’t familiar, outsourcing is a way to obtain some service / help from an outside or foreign supplier, especially in place of an internal source. It will save you a lot of funds, especially if you outsource to countries with lower currencies than you. If you know how to do it right, it gives you the best results as well in terms of quality and speed!
Want to do Outsourcing the right way? Here are five of our best tips:
1. Set a goal.
To succeed in outsourcing, you must first set your goals. There are a lot of talented and trained individuals from Outsourcing sites like Odesk, Elance, Freelancer, and Guru; but it would be harder to find the perfect match if you aren’t clear on who/what you need. Do you need someone who has English as his native language? Or do you need someone with a medical background?
To set the right goals, you must distinguish which tasks are most important, and which are safe to be done by someone from the internet. Ex: If you wish to purchase a domain for your own website, you can have an outsourced person help you with the process, but don’t let them use their email, else, you’ll have a lot of problems in the future. This way, you can assign them website-related tasks in the future, but the control is still yours.
2. Filter your pool.
Now that you’ve had a pool of aspiring candidates, filter them. Here’s a wise tip: never choose the first one to apply because you want to be choosing from the cream of the crop. Nor should you choose the one who has the lowest bid. If someone is truly dedicated to his work and believes in the quality he can produce, he will ask an amount worth his time and effort. Thus, eliminate the low bidders.
It is understandable though, that we also want to save, and the highest bidders may not be our best option. There are a lot of candidates out there who aren’t overpriced, so you’ve got to start from the middle.
3. Get to know the candidates.
After checking the prospect candidates for the job (those from the middle part of bidders), you now have to know if they are as good as they’re marketing themselves to be. The perfect way to get to know them is of course, to set an interview. There are a lot of mediums you can use like Skype, Google Hangouts, Yahoo Messenger, and among others.
The goal is to ask them about their background and skills, and see if they have already completed similar projects. You must also talk about their availability time, the number of hours they can render to you, and the length of time they can complete the project.
In short, you must review your goals to them and see if they can deliver it well.
4. Test their skills
This is the stage where the tricky ones get caught. To eliminate the risk in Outsourcing, you must inform your chosen candidates of a testing / training period. Here, they can prove that they can walk the talk. You can provide them tasks similar to what they will be working on in the future, and see how good they do.
Make sure that you inform them though that they are still in the testing period so there will be no misunderstanding. Pro tip: set an agreed amount to be paid by you whether they pass or not. This assures them that you’re not making them work for free, and you are serious with the job posting.
A gentle reminder though, it is a must to set a learning curve for everyone. There may be some mistakes, but if they are minimal and does not affect the project in a huge way, then that can be forgiven. For others who aren’t doing well, inform them that they have not passed, and pay them for their time.
5. Pay Them well
Well-paid employees are happy campers. If you want to get the best quality of work from your candidates, you must pay them the amount that they deserve. Yes, their currency may be lower than yours, but if you will give them a truck-load of work, then it’s only fitting that you pay them an amount that you would accept had you been in their shoes.
The trick is to ask them the amount they would usually ask for projects similar as yours and start from there. If you can afford it, then agree to it. If not, ask if they are okay with the price that you are willing to shell out. It’s also wise to give more than the agreed amount now and then, especially if they have finished excellently. They will surely value you as their employer and will continually improve their work for you.
There are a lot of great things outsourcing can give to a business! It can definitely lessen one’s stress and bring in new ideas and perspective if done the right way!
Are you now confident in doing outsourcing? Do you feel like these steps can help you find the perfect match to your needs? Or are you still uneasy on doing tasks delegation? Perhaps, this article of ours about tasks delegation could help you better, or if there’s anything you need help with, let us know in the comments below!