Control the outsourcing chaos!
Control the outsourcing chaos!You want to save time when outsourcing, not waste it on receiving work that doesn’t meet your standards. The most efficient way to ensure productive outsourcing is to provide clear details up front. It saves time, confusion and helps you find the best fit for your project on the first try. No matter what else you provide, ensure any projects you list include these five details.
Learn more about outsourcing by visiting 4 Steps to Attracting the Perfect Virtual Assistant and 6 Outsourcing Mistakes to Avoid for Best Results.
Provide a Scope Of The Project
This is the most important to include so be as specific as possible. If you need content written for your blog, state how many posts per week along with the word count. You should also list whether images and resources are needed. Use a bullet list to highlight the most important details and then describe other expectations in a few paragraphs. Develop standard operating procedures for your business.
Provide Clear Deadlines
Some people are great with tight deadlines while others require a little more time. Make your deadline expectations clear, so there aren’t problems later. Make it abundantly clear whether deadlines are negotiable, because the last thing you want is late work. Also list deadlines for revisions. With clear expectations established in the beginning you are free to move on if someone isn’t meeting them.
Provide Budget And Payment Details
While you might not want people applying for your project simply because of the budget, higher quality workers might not apply at all if a budget isn’t listed. Outsourcing can draw excellent workers, but they want to know what they’re getting into before spending time on a pitch. Offer a reasonable budget to attract better workers.
Also list the payment method(s) you use and how often you pay. This ensures only people who agree to your payment terms will apply. I had the unpleasant experience of going through the hiring process for a subcontractor who changed their payment schedule at the last minute from monthly to weekly. That was just not feasible for my business. Make sure you establish these details up front.
Provide Special Requirements
If your project has any special requirements, such as talking to customers directly or using specific software, say so. Some people might not be able to meet the extra requirements. Knowing these, upfront, prevents workers from applying if they can’t do them. Plus, it saves you time from having to sort through applications that don’t match what you need.
Provide Training Resources And Examples
The best way to help a potential worker fully understand what you need is to provide a training video/manual along with examples. For instance, with the blog post example, provide a document listing the voice, formatting and special grammar rules along with a sample blog post you really like.
If you don’t want to include these in the initial listing, state that anyone interested should request samples and additional guidelines by contacting you. This is a great way to determine who’s most interested as well and may narrow down your list of candidates.
Extra: Try To Answer All Questions
If you’re still not sure you’re outsourcing descriptions are clear enough, try to think of any questions applicants might have. As long as it answers all the most common questions, you’re in good shape.
Before you post any listing on an outsourcing site or in a local paper, ask someone to look it over for you. If they fully understand it, then you’re ready to go. If not, try to rework to get the best possible applicants for your projects.
If you need help, Olinda Services is here to organize your business chaos!