When we embark on employment in business, we usually settle in for the long game. It’s never easy to find a new member to suit your team down to the ground, after all. As with romance, you need to kiss (or interview) a fair few frogs before you stand to find your prince. The chances are that you’ll need to sift through hundreds of inappropriate candidates for every suitable team member. It’s a labor of love, that’s for sure. Luckily, it’s one you’re willing to take for a cause this important.
Sadly, we aren’t all willing to put this same level of care into finding the right company once we decide to outsource professional help. Instead, we rush the process and settle for the first company which look half decent. Then, we wonder why their ethics don’t suit our own. We scratch our heads trying to work out why our outsourced relationships don’t last long. And, we shrug our shoulders about the money all this costs.
In truth, though, outsourcing means bringing new people onto your team, just like employment does. And, if you rushed through employment, there’s no way you could find a team which worked the way you wanted them to. So, why do you expect things to work out when you approach outsourcing in this way?
Far from rushing the process, you should take your time to find outsourced companies with similar business ethics to yours. To help you do just that, we’re going to look at how you can apply your employment lessons to your outsourcing search.
Get to know your applicants
When you post a job position, it’s essential that you look through every application. It’s possible to do this with outsourcing too, even without ‘advertising the role’ as such. All you need to do is get searching to see which outsourcing services you have to choose from. There are plenty of companies out there, after all, so you don’t need to opt for the first one you find. Instead, do a little research online. Ask around your business friends for recommendations. If you want to get this 100% right, you could even seek outsourcing advisory experts to help point you towards the best matches. If you get this one simple step sorted, you’re sure to find the one true outsourcing service for you.
Hold an interview
Most employers wouldn’t dream of taking anyone on without interviewing them. Even terrible options can make themselves sound appealing on paper, after all. Of course, you can’t exactly interview an outsourcing company face-to-face. That’s not how these things go. What you can do is get a feel for the company by arranging a phone conversation. While you might not want to hit the company with a full-on interview, this’ll give you a chance to ask the most pressing questions. Then, you’ll be able to judge from their in-the-moment reactions whether this company are the right fit.
Give them a trial
Even if an employee impressed during the interview stage, you’d probably want to give them a trial. Only then would you be able to see how they worked. Well, the same rules apply for outsourcing. You don’t need to take a company’s word for it that they’re good. Instead, give them a trial run. Sign a limited contract with them for one project only, and observe how they get on. If you’re impressed with what they bring to the table, you can write up a longer contract. If you still have some doubts, you could even turn to IT vendor management services like those offered by WGroup to make sure that this company are as good for you as they say they are. This is your last chance to get out of jail if you need to, so use it. Stress test this company as much as you can. Then, you’ll have a fair representation of whether they can offer what you need.
Remember that there are plenty more fish in the sea
Even if a trial here leaves something to be desired, many business owners sign contracts. That’s because they feel like they’ve come too far to go back. But, you wouldn’t make that mistake with employment, and you shouldn’t make it here. Never forget that there are plenty more outsourcing providers in the sea. If you get to this point and still aren’t happy, go back to step one. Your company deserves only the best, after all, and you aren’t going to get that by rushing.
