The real face of outsourcing

People love to hate outsourcing. It’s commonly accused of low salaries, unethical behavior, inhumane conditions, coercion, and even ‘modern-day slavery.’

People regularly reach out to Outsource Accelerator, incensed by the concept of offshore staffing.

“How dare you exploit these people!” they would say.

It drives me nuts.

This misconception not only vilifies my company and the outsourcing industry writ large, but also undermines hundreds of millions of people from emerging economies who work to build professional careers for themselves.

The truth: Outsourcing provides a fantastic economic opportunity for people across the world to get a good job, build a meaningful career, and earn great money.

Why is the perception so different from the reality?

It has become a core mission of mine to convince people that outsourcing, offshoring, and global employment is a win-win for everyone involved… From my experience, this is precisely the case.

Our team interviewed eight outsourced professionals based in Manila, Philippines. These people work for US, UK, and Australian clients.

Are these people happy, engaged, stimulated, capable and professional? Watch the video – judge for yourself.

The question for your business

What’s your perception of offshore staff? Could misconceptions be holding your business back from the benefits of global employment?

Read more thought leadership articles here:

• The anatomy of outsourcing
• Elon says the world desperately needs more people

What is outsourcing?

Outsourcing is the practice of hiring an outside company or team to handle work that could be done in-house. For example, firms outsource customer service, IT, accounting, and back-office tasks.

The main goal is to save cost and free up time, while tapping skills a business may not have on staff. So it lets companies focus on their core work.

Frequently asked questions about outsourcing

What does outsourcing mean?

Outsourcing means paying an outside provider to do a task or run a function for you. The provider can be in the same country or offshore.

What are the advantages of outsourcing?

The main advantages are lower cost, access to skilled talent, and more time to focus on core work. Many firms also gain round-the-clock coverage through offshore teams.

Key takeaways

• Outsourcing means hiring an outside team to handle work instead of doing it in-house.
• Common outsourced functions include support, IT, and accounting.
• It helps cut costs and access skills a business may lack.
• It lets companies focus on what they do best.