November 24, 2009 | Category: Business Resources |

Delegation 101: The Five Golden Rules of Outsourcing

If you are overloaded with work, you have no choice but to delegate. With labor growing more expensive and more demanding to supervise, many people find that outsourcing is a valuable tool for their business, especially during temporary busy periods. If you are thinking about outsourcing, here are five golden rules to always keep in mind.

Get everything in writing. This is important because it makes the terms of your working relationship clear while protecting you if the employee fails to deliver on the promised goods or if the quality is not acceptable. Both parties should keep signed and dated copies to refer to when needed. This is not just a good practice with contractors, but a good general business practice; no exchange of money in your business should ever occur without an exchange of papers to go with it.

Be clear about expectations. It’s important that your employee or contractor understand exactly what is expected of them, in terms of quality, style, and timeliness. If they slip in one of these areas, gently remind them of your expectations. Even if you think something is so obvious it doesn’t need to be explained, it never hurts to be clearer than necessary. For most people, it takes a while to master exactly what an employer wants, so be flexible and keep professional calm.

Let them do their job. Once you have chosen a contractor, worked out the legalities, and given clear instructions, get out of their hair. It’s okay to ask for occasional updates and samples of work so far, but don’t request these to the point that it interferes with the employee’s ability to actually complete their work. They probably won’t do the task in the exact way that you would, but that is usually not a drawback. Every person has their own unique style that has immense potential to add to your business.

Give honest and fair evaluations. Once you have received the completed project, tactfully yet honestly explain what you enjoyed about the work and what could be improved. This will give your employee a necessary and much-deserved pat on the back while ensuring that future work will be of even better quality. There is nothing wrong with raising the bar as long as it is fair and attainable.

Follow through. Once the employee has delivered their half of the bargain, you need to follow through with yours. Pay the person as promptly as possible and deliver any other things you may have promised. This will set up a trusting relationship that can benefit both of you in the future and make sure everyone gets exactly what they bargained for.

Outsourcing your work, either to a contractor or to a full-fledged employee, can help you step away from menial tasks and focus on things that can improve your business in a more encompassing way. Outsourcing has a bad reputation, but it can be a truly beneficial situation both for the employer and the employee.