Questions About Outsourcing? FAQs Answered

Here at Softensity, we partner with a lot of companies that have never outsourced before, many of whom we’ve now been working with for more than a decade. Organizations that are new to outsourcing often have a lot of questions. Below we’ve compiled some of the most common questions we get, along with candid answers. Have a question you don’t see below? Get in touch and we’ll get you an answer.

Frequently Asked Questions About Outsourcing

What are the benefits of outsourcing?

Outsourcing gives you fast, easy access to exceptional talent at a fraction of the cost of paying full time equivalent (FTE) rates. And you never have to deal with the headaches of HR, benefits packages, training, retention or PTO — your outsourcing partner will handle all of it.

In the midst of the current IT labor shortage and sky high turnover, access to trusted, stable talent has never been more important. Working with teams around the globe also allows you to tap into specialized skill sets and achieve around-the-clock development and support.

What makes a project or service a good fit for outsourcing?

Do you need to staff up quickly, or temporarily, to support a project — or augment your IT team with skills you don’t have? Outsourcing allows you to do both. In the tight labor market, staffing up quickly can be near impossible, but a good outsourcing firm will carry a bench with engineers in a wide range of disciplines so you can ramp up immediately with experienced talent. And if it’s a temporary project, you can scale down just as quickly, without having to worry about terminating any full-time staff.

In addition to custom software development, outsourcing is also well suited for specialized ongoing tasks such as help desk or site reliability engineering. Free up your team’s internal bandwidth to focus on mission critical initiatives by bringing on a team that specializes in the ongoing service you need.

Is my organization too small for outsourcing? Too big?

Whether you’re a start-up in need of a single team member, or an enterprise company that requires several teams in different disciplines, no organization is too big — or too small — to benefit from outsourcing. Look for an outsourcing partner with no minimums or binding contracts that will provide the same high level of service no matter the size of the engagement.

How can outsourcing help my company grow?

Outsourcing gives you the ability to ramp your team up or down, as needed, in a matter of weeks. Whether a startup has needs that evolve as the company grows, or an organization is looking to free up internal bandwidth to scale more efficiently, access to on demand talent fills the skills gap you have at any stage of growth.

How can I ensure that I receive the level of expertise that I’m promised?

The only way to ensure that you’re not the victim of a bait and switch when it comes to the talent you engage with is through complete transparency. That means unrestricted access to your teams, from the initial vetting and interview process through project completion. Your outsourced teams should work for you exclusively, and you should be given the opportunity to personally interview your team members. This allows you to not only verify technical skills, but ensure English language ability and cultural fit.

How much control and oversight do I have over my outsourced project?

A good outsourcing firm will allow you to have as much, or as little control over your project as you’d like. Look for a partner that’s nimble and flexible so you can customize your access, from close collaboration with the checks and balances you set, to a hands-off approach where the project is delivered upon completion. The firm you engage with should also have built-in levels of oversight, which can come through roles like community managers, team leads and delivery oversight managers.

How will my outsourced team integrate with my full-time employees?

Cultural alignment and English language abilities are key to a seamless integration and successful long-term collaboration. Look for an outsourcing partner that’s committed to making sure that engineers feel like an essential part of your internal team. Proficiency in English is also important, as is access to continued English language support. Want to introduce your new team members in person? Your outsourcing partner should fly them out to you for a company visit.

How can I collaborate with my outsourced team in real time?

If time zone alignment is essential, look for nearshore outsourcing options. Teams in Latin America have a lot of overlap with time zones in the United States, which makes it simple for outsourced teams to attend daily standups and planning sessions, and to collaborate in real-time. The benefits of nearshore outsourcing extend beyond time zone alignment and include a closer cultural alignment that facilitates collaboration, as well as the ability to develop projects in an agile production environment.

How can I avoid turnover?

Finding the right outsourcing partner can minimize the growing risk of churn, and not only by giving you easy access to a deep bench of talent. You want an outsourcing partner with a high retention rate, and processes in place in the case that one of your team members leaves.

How can I ensure that my data and proprietary information is secure?

This is a question you should ask any outsourcing firm that you’re considering partnering with as strategies may vary. The best security policies and processes will be based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), which includes cybersecurity standards, guidelines and best practices.

What makes Softensity different from other outsourcing companies?

At Softensity, we’re committed to our employees’ well being. We provide a rare level of ongoing support, career development, education, and above all, community. Softensity’s culture is defined by employees that enjoy being here, and feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves.

From weekly lunch-and-learns to happy hours and team building events, we go to great lengths to ensure that our employees are happy. Each team member is supported by a community manager, and interacts with groups of like discipline, as well as their client group. We’re proud of our 95% retention rate. We attract the top 3% of engineers, and the majority of our team members have a minimum of 5 to 6 years of experience in their field.

Our clients benefit not only from our exceptional, dedicated staff, but from the experience we’ve gained over more than 25 years in business.