True enough, offshore workers are the future of small and even big businesses. Do you know that even if you’re running your business in London, you can still hire capable web designers from Manila? Do you know that it costs less to hire people from outside your country? Many businesses are only now starting to realize how cost-effective it is to hire offshore workers. We’re talking about saving tens of thousands of dollars and expanding your business with minimal cost. And this is all possible because of technology.
You can talk to any recruitment agency, and they’ll probably tell you the same thing: that hiring offshore workers is a cost-effective way of maximizing your business potential and capital. It makes you more productive and competitive. Outsourcing jobs can change the landscape of your business because you will save on expenses, become more productive, get fresh ideas, and develop products and services faster.
A Force Multiplier
Forget about the savings for a minute. Focus on your business’ ability to produce more work than your competitors. That’s what hiring offshore workers can do for your business. While the rest of London sleeps, your workers from another time zone are working to finish projects. In the morning, you’ll have more projects finished than if you wait another day for your local-based employees. Hiring offshore workers is like being live 24/7. You are producing work and servicing clients for the whole 24 hours.
Cost-effective
Of course, the most important reason for outsourcing jobs is because of its cost-effectiveness. Imagine saving on the infrastructure, hiring and onboarding process, payroll, healthcare, and e-commerce services. In a typical company, those represent at least 60% of the operational expenses. But this comes with a caveat. You have to find a team of offshore workers that are skilled and can fit your company culture.
Talent Pool
Have you heard the phrase “the world is your oyster?” It means that you can take the opportunities that life and the world have to offer. The same principle applies when hiring offshore workers. You can hire workers from all over the world. The talent pool is undeniably better than your local options. You can tap various skill sets and get access to more skilled workers than ever before. That’s the kind of opportunity no business should waste.
Stress Reducer
One study found out that employers of offshore workers are less stressed than those who have local hires. With more employees, you have less work to take care of. You can focus better on other aspects of the company. Instead of being the one to post updates on social media, you can hire a social media manager for that. This reduces your exposure to work-related stress.
Non-core Functions
What are the non-core functions of a business? Things like payroll, accounting, taxes, risk management, and record-keeping are not essential to the operations of the business. They take up too much time. Your employees spend a day or two doing the payroll. But when you outsource these things, you don’t have to worry about them anymore. The outsourcing firm and their team of offshore workers will do the job and submit them to you once you need them. You never have to worry about spending a day computing taxes again.
Issues About Outsourcing Jobs
The offshore workers’ industry isn’t perfect by any means. There are cultural and language differences, time zone restrictions, and skills mismatched. That’s why you have to be careful about hiring offshore workers, too. Let them go through the same hiring process as local-based workers would. If possible, make the process more stringent for them. Not meeting the person face-to-face is already a big drawback in this setup.
Talk to them a couple of times before offering them a contract. You can also be in a trial period for the first two months of the contract. During the trial period, try to get to know your new workers as much as you can. This means spending time teleconferencing and talking to them about their lives outside of their work. It pays to get to know them at this level.
If you plan to hire offshore workers, create a solid job description and an efficient onboarding program. Make sure to stay connected with your offshore workers all the time. Give them the same attention you would your local hires. The key to succeeding in your relationship with your employees—whether they are local-based or offshore—is to show how much you value their contributions to the organization.
