Motivating your outsourced offshore team
- Respect their culture. Take the time to get to know the outsource team’s own corporate culture, their approaches to quality control, their communication styles, and business ethics. Because your outsource team is of a different nationality, be aware of their customs and traditions. Plan delivery schedules ahead to allow room for the observance of religious holidays and celebrations. As you become aware of your cultural differences, you can find better ways to make the team more receptive to your corporate culture and customs.
- Provide a budget for extended working hours and working shifts. There are times when your outsource team may have to extend working hours. In some countries, outsource vendors charge a premium for extended working hours or night shifts. Set aside a budget for this scenario. Otherwise, do not expect members of the off-shore team to stay beyond the daytime working hours or accept shifting schedules.
- Will work for travel. Many off-shore workers treat business travels as perks of the job. Pick the key players in your off-shore team to get on-shore trainings or attend client meetings. Bring them on-shore to experience your working environment and to meet the in-house members of your company. Provide a budget for the necessary travel requirements, such as Visa and passport, transportation, and accommodation.
- Allow key players in your outsource team to telecommute. As a business continuity plan arrangement, telecommuting enables off-shore consultants to stay in the loop and communicate project development status. Some companies allow employees to work from home on Fridays when work is slowing down while withholding the same privilege from consultants. Telecommuting allows parents to stay with their kids while working on your projects. Even consultants need to stay away from the stress and hassles of daily commute without missing a day’s worth of work.
- Recognize their achievements. Celebrate small victories. Workers want recognition for their hard work. Getting the proverbial pat in the back not only means that they have done well, but that you have approved of their job. Your recognition for their hard work is a card that they can play when performance review rolls around. Your most motivated outsource workers will work harder if they believe that a promotion or bonus is affected by your recognition.
- Pay them well. Just because you are outsourcing part of your business in a low-cost economy to save on operating costs does not mean that you can scrimp on workers’ paychecks. It is common knowledge that outsourced projects are more demanding and require higher levels of knowledge, skills, and commitment. Outsource vendors from all over Asia, Central America and Eastern Europe are now fighting for top talents, and these talents are hard to come by. Therefore, if you wish to keep the best among your outsource team members, pay them according to the worth of their diplomas, certifications, professional histories, and the wisdom that they bring in to your business.
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