Tips for Managing Outsourced Employees
In this busy life, it is very difficult to every aspect of business individually. Employing staff for each department and business segment can require huge funds. Companies that have tried outsourcing enjoy focusing on their core business, but are faced with a different challenge: that of managing their outsourced employees. Here are some tips to ensure you and they are on the same page.
Fully Align Your Interests
Alignment of interests is one of the major factors in the success of any organization and helps determine the success of any organization. Alignment of interests has two facets:
- Alignment of the business with its current functions and activities; and
- Alignment of business with its employees
Alignment of Business with Its Activities
Organizations that are ignorant of their own mission cannot align their activities with their business. This is characteristic of organizations whose leadership has short-term goals. They have neither clear goals nor strategies. They may be gaining short-term profits but will ultimately fail in the long term.
On the other hand, organizations that establish values-driven goals and plan their business activities around these goals will be successful. The plans must also be periodically reviewed in relation to their outsourced employees. These organizations focus on long-term success and see the big picture.
Alignment of Business with Its Employees’ Interests
Management by objectives or results is a great way to achieve business goals. In this sort of alignment, management determines the interests of their outsourced employees then develops strategies. A mismatch between business and employee interests will deter the achievement of business goals and could become the cause of inefficiencies. An outsourced employee may have intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Organization should always strive to meet these goals at a reasonable level.
Focus on Support
Support includes providing moral, financial as well as operational so to help employees concentrate on their tasks and produce best results with greatest efficiency.
Moral support includes appreciating the outsourced employees’ success in achieving their tasks and supporting them as individuals. This may include appreciating personal traits as well as meaningful and respectful correction of mistakes. Sometimes, it includes overlooking small errors.
Financial support includes providing adequate compensation for work, and is considered one of the main motivators of the work. However, meaningful incentives based on performance will also sufficiently add to this motivation.
Operational includes arranging for adequate training and practice sessions for outsourced employees as well as providing reviews regarding performed tasks. Reviewing work constructively and adjusting or asserting new guidelines really helps outsourced employees’ in achieving their targets. A destructive review will degrade morale that could affect performance.
Protect Your Brand
Branding is a concept through which businesses create an awareness of their name in the minds of people whether they are your suppliers, customers, or employees. The image which the employees have in their mind about the business will contribute significantly in performing business objectives. It is important to keep a positive image in the minds of employees to avoid any trouble with which may damage your brand.
Outsourced employees represent your organization and have deep know-how of your operations. To protect your brand name, strive to keep them satisfied. Management needs to be involved with them closely in a constructive manner.
Project Management
While managing other functions of the organization, management should also allot time to managing projects. Project management includes:
- Planning
- Organizing
- Coordinating activities
- Controlling activities
- Reviewing performance
- Providing feedback
- Provide appraisals
Effective Communication
Effective communication with outsourced employees is one key to successfully achieve targets. Lack of appropriate communication does not resolve problems effectively in a timely manner. If possible, there should be a clear plan and procedure for effective communication both within the organization and among outsourced employees.
Concluding Remarks
If you are thinking of outsourcing some of your company’s functions, Yempo can help you. To learn more, contact us today!
