One of the common mistakes in initiating an outsource process, is lack of communication with both your internal staff as well as the vendor staff. Of course these people are critical to your success, so taking the time to ensure they understand the goals of this initiative and what their individual roles will be, should be one of your first priorities.
Begin with employee meetings to announce the finalization of your plans, discuss the overall goals and how your employees will fit into the new business model.
Internal Staff
Keep in mind that outsourcing can create fear in the minds of your staff over job security, lack of career path and even a feeling of obsolescence. It is these vary same employees who will be at the center of the upcoming transition and knowledge transfer phase, so it is critical to your long-term success to work with your staff to address their concerns.
Subject matter expertise, business process knowledge, analytical and project management skills, are just a few of the qualities that differentiate your staff from your vendor staff. Outsourcing will give your staff the opportunity to take on more of these types of responsibilities while transitioning some of the tactical and operational responsibilities to your outsourcing partner.
Vendor Staff
In addition to your own staff, the vendor will begin building a team dedicated to supporting your outsourcing initiative. It is important to remember that these people have career goals and aspirations as well that will need to be considered in order to minimize attrition.
It is recommended for you and some of your key players to schedule a meeting with the vendor employees at their office location to introduce yourself, meet your future outsourcing staff and to discuss your goals and expectations. Making the vendor staff feel that they are part of your overall sourcing team will go a long way to promoting loyalty and providing motivation.
While it is ultimately up to the vendor to manage their own staff, you will have valuable insight into the team potential if you take the time to interview some of the key people to understand their abilities, communication skills and ambitions.
Remember, these are not commodities, they are people with career goals, families and lives that want to feel they are part of a solution and can make a contribution to the overall success of your joint partnership.