There is never enough time to get things done and we have all considered outsourcing some of our work. With all the advantages there are, there are also some disadvantages in hiring and outsourcing to think about.
Protecting your Brand
One of the main things to consider is that you have the best interest in your brand and processes. It is very easy for an outsider to miss the mark on what you are actually offering and or can deliver when you have someone else making promises for your brand. So there is training that you can offer to ensure that doesn’t happen, but if you deal in a highly technical industry, this is going to be a major challenge. Dating back to the Renaissance there have been painters that didn’t actually do all of their paintings. They had a system that their apprentices had to follow to the letter, and the result was something they were comfortable putting their name on.
Language and Culture
When a company outsources there is also the possible language and cultural barrier that can arise. As with any barrier, this can absolutely cause issues in the lack of understanding of the project or mission at hand. You risk spending more time than you wish to ensure that there is a clear goal and it aligns with what you are expecting in the end result. Also, even if they understand the words, they may not understand the context. This is how you end up with marketing slogans like “Coke adds life” being translated to “Coke brings your ancestors back from the dead”. And who remembers the Chevy Nova, which didn’t do well in South America because no one wants a car that – No Va (Doesn’t go).
Time Zones
While it might be nice to send off your todo list at the end of your day and have it waiting for you when you show up in the morning, what if there is a question? Your worker may be sleeping while you are working. This can lead to multiple back and forths over days to resolve simple issues. If timeliness is an issue, you may want to be conscious of what timezone your workers are in.
Training Takes Time
Outsourcing can be a good or bad experience. Depending on how much knowledge needs to complete a task, you may find yourself spending a lot of time creating training guides. Guides need to be clear and simple, and they also need to include all your exact goals as well. You want to make sure that they understand what it is you are looking for and what you expect from them. Having a clear mission statement for them will allow for both parties to lessen any confusion and also build a more valuable partnership when hiring an outside source to assist with your business.
