Outsourcing is the process of seeking talent outside of your company to complete a task. Many trace the trend of outsourcing back to the 1970s when manufacturing companies would outsource secondary processes to outside organizations.

Today, companies will seek to outsource jobs for a variety of reasons. From lower payroll costs to a flexible workforce, the benefits of outsourcing can aid you in growing or starting your business. Nevertheless, it is important to understand how to outsource before diving into the sourcing process. When is outsourcing most beneficial for your company? Where can you find the best talent when outsourcing?

Keep reading to learn about the types of outsourcing, the difference between freelance and contract employees and how to get started with C9 Staff.

What to Know About Outsourcing

Types of Outsourcing

There are two main types of business process outsourcing: onshore and offshore outsourcing.

Onshore outsourcing, or domestic outsourcing, refers to outsourcing processes to talent within the same country as you. An example of onshore outsourcing would be a U.S-based company outsourcing some of its processes to a team of U.S.-based employees. Conversely, offshore outsourcing is the process of outsourcing roles to talent in other countries.

There are benefits to both onshore and offshore outsourcing. Companies that use onshore outsourcing may do so because they want to find talent in a time zone closer to their own. The main disadvantage to onshore outsourcing is that it offers little to no payroll cost savings. This desire for lower payroll costs motivates many companies to outsource jobs offshore rather than domestically. By and large, the best fit for both types of outsourcing will depend on a company’s needs and their goals when outsourcing.

Freelancers vs. Contract Employees

Outsourced talent can be found and hired using several methods. One option you may consider involves outsourcing tasks to freelancers. Freelance outsourcing can be beneficial for short-term, small-scale projects. Let’s say you’re in need of an editor to review content that was written in-house. Because this task is small-scale and will likely be short-term, it can be ideal for a freelancer.

Another type of employee you can hire through outsourcing is a contract employee. Both freelancers and contract workers take on temporary roles for your company. However, a contract employee is typically brought on for a longer period of time than a freelancer. For example, you may hire a team of contract employees when developing new software.

How to Find and Hire Talent

A common way to hire freelancers and contract workers is through online freelance platforms. Many platforms like Upwork allow you to create a job listing to attract freelancers who can apply for a particular role. While this process can be quick, it can present other challenges. For example, freelance platforms can make it difficult to limit who can see or apply to certain positions that you post. This can make your process take longer because you have to manually sort through each applicant.

An alternative to using freelance platforms to find talent is to partner with an outsourcing staffing solutions firm. With a firm like C9 Staff, you can utilize a managed service program or MSP approach to outsourcing talent. Hiring a firm specializing in outsourcing and MSP staffing is an efficient way not only to hire but manage your outsourced talent. From talent acquisition to interviewing and managing tax benefits, firms like C9 Staff help streamline your outsourcing process.

Grow Your Business For Success With C9 Staff

The first step the C9 Staff team takes with each client is learning about your outsourcing goals. What goals do you want to achieve when outsourcing? Do you have existing collaboration protocols or do you need help in developing them?

Using the knowledge gained about your business needs, C9 Staff evaluates your staffing and infrastructure requirements. Then, the C9 Staff team will present you with a digital proposal showcasing our recommended collaboration protocols. Once you’ve agreed to your contract terms, the recruitment and staff launch phase can begin.

Your dedicated account strategist will guide you through each step of the hiring and onboarding process. Your account strategist also monitors your new staff as they launch inside your brand. By and large, C9 Staff’s end-to-end managed services help create an integrated and agile outsourcing staffing experience.

Ready to grow your business with outsourcing?
Contact C9 Staff today to learn how we can help you find the skilled talent you need.