In-house V’s Outsourcing: Pros and Cons
At the end of 2020, the world changed forever. The pandemic hit and businesses very quickly had to pivot in order to survive. Technology really came into its own – Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp, Slack popularity shot up. It became apparent that this was the way forward. As time went on, internal discussions within businesses changed to “if a job can be completed from home, then it can also be outsourced!” If we are to outsource, what will it save us? Here we discuss the key topics and the pros and cons surrounding in-house V’s outsourcing key functions within your business.
Working from home
Initially, it is probably fair to say that no-one expected the lockdown to last as long as it did. However as time went on, working from home became the norm!
Dining room tables and children’s desks were used like they never had been before; how many of us took meetings with laptops balanced on knees, trying to find solace away from home schooling?
Some UK statistics around this are[1]:
- 6 million people worked from home in 2020
- The average working week was 35.9 hours
- Almost 1/5th of UK businesses claimed they were switching to remote working entirely
- 1% of female workers worked from home, 19.4% male
One thing that employers recognised and very quickly acknowledged was that productivity needed maintaining, alongside balancing the wellbeing and mental health of staff.
[1] Amazing Working From Home Statistics UK Edition [2022] (cybercrew.uk)
Maintaining productivity In-house
Everyone has their own way of working. Being office based provides the opportunity for ‘water-cooler moments’, chatting about the latest episode of Line of Duty or Eastenders, as well as being able to bounce ideas off colleagues when the creative juices stop.
Other people produce their best work when isolated, allowing themselves to become fully immersed in their thoughts and ideas.
When surveyed, 28.9% reported having better productivity whilst working remotely vs 30.2% who said theirs was lower[1].
[1] Amazing Working From Home Statistics UK Edition [2022] (cybercrew.uk)
In-house working offers the stability of a focused environment. Being in-house means that individual employees and teams can focus, brainstorm, and work towards goals more efficiently. One of the things most missed during work from home were co-workers and colleagues.
Consider though, what if your employees never knew how your company operated in-house before, because they had always worked remotely? Expectations are different in these circumstances. As company who already prior to the pandemic operated as an outsourced credit control company, nothing much changed! – Only that we grew, considerably.
So how did employers look to maintain, if not increase productivity?
Trust would have played a key part, along with the below:
- Providing the right tools and equipment:
- Software, laptops, phones, technology and online tools (digital platforms).
- Regular check-ins:
- The risk was being seen as micromanaging
- Focus on what you can achieve and influence:
- Don’t sweat the small things
- Processes and procedures:
- Companies with firm processes and procedures already in place before lockdown dealt with WFH much more efficiently.
- Staff had knowledge and resources to support their continued works.
Mindset also had to change – methods and processes had to change to suit the needs of the business. As a result, new opportunities came to the forefront.
In-house V’s Outsourcing
Throughout the pandemic there were winners and losers. Although many industries suffered, one in particular industry to suffer was commercial properties.
Many companies identified that offices were no longer required or could be downsized, as hot desking took over.
A disruptive industry came to the fore, in the form of outsourcing. Combined with the ever-changing landscape of technology, the ease of outsourcing increased. Some trends that have been identified for 2022 include[1]:
- Demand for global talent with specialised skillsets
- Employee Experience
- Reskilling and Upskilling
Cost saving is one of the key benefits with outsourcing. Another major one is having the right talent handle a particular task. It allows companies to consider offering a service, which may not have been possible before.
[1] Outsourcing Trends to Expect in 2022 – 3rd Wave Outsourcing (thirdwaveoutsourcing.com)
How we help businesses
Talk to us at FJCM to understand in greater detail how we can work together to support your business and what can potentially be outsourced, saving you time and money to invest back into your business for growth.