There are lots of things I love about running my own business. I love the freedom of making my own decisions; I love seeing my ideas take shape in the real world, and I love choosing my hours.
What I hate is feeling overwhelmed and frustrated when there are just too many things to do or my skills don’t match my to-do list. I used to struggle with these jobs in the belief that I had to do everything myself – that somehow the job just wasn’t going to be done properly unless it had my handprints all over it.
I thought it was quicker to do something myself rather than go through the hassle of teaching someone else to do it, and the thought of going through a hiring process was just too daunting.
My journey of embracing outsourcing has been a slow one – a journey of incremental steps while I learnt how to let go of being in control all the time.
It started with one job – I needed graphics designed for a website. I had a choice: I could spend a tonne of time improving my Photoshop skills and eventually create a few mediocre images. Or I could bite the bullet and find someone to do it for me. Pragmatism kicked in, and I chose to dip my toe ever so cautiously into the world of virtual workers and specifically Odesk (or Upwork as it is known now).
Just like any other skill – learning to outsource effectively takes education, practise, and self –evaluation. I guess for some it comes naturally (perhaps if you have experience in management or HR) but for a lone operator, it can be daunting.
Outsourcing can be like kissing a lot of toads before you find your prince or princess but there are certain things you can do to minimise the risk of disappointment.
These are my tips for making it easier.
1. Get clear on what you want or “Garbage In – Garbage Out”.
When you do a task yourself – you know what you want. You have a picture in your mind of the desired outcome. Even if it’s only a vague mud map, if you’re following it, you have internal feedback (thoughts, feelings) that keep you on track once the task is underway.
When you’re dealing with someone else – they cannot see inside your brain to see either the crystal clear vision or the mud map. They do not have x-ray vision and need to be told what it is you want. Now there are many ways to tell them – create a mind map, a drawing, record an audio file, give examples of other work to guide them. But the point is to be as clear and detailed as is warranted and possible.
The saying “garbage in, garbage out” definitely applies to communication with your contractor. You can be guaranteed that if you only give scant instruction, then it’s likely that they are just going to guess at what you want, and you’ll be disappointed with the outcome.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a one-off task or an ongoing relationship – the clearer you can be the better the result. And as a bonus – being clear will also help you choose the right applicant.
2. Choosing the right applicant – Search, Sift and Select.
Once you have a clear idea in your head and on paper or file of what and who you are looking for, then you need to line up your toads. At this stage it’s also helpful to decide on any other attributes that are important to you, for instance, English levels (if sourcing from overseas), communication skills, location, budget, deadlines, and availability.
I tend to search for freelancers and invite them to a private job rather than advertising a job publicly because it is less overwhelming for me that way. I’ve tried putting out public jobs and found sifting through the barrage of applicants far too time consuming.
Inviting candidates to a private job keeps the pool of applicants manageable, but it does require some time upfront to search for suitable applicants. Get creative in your search terms because the way you describe the task or skills might not match up with the terms your candidate has used and you don’t want to miss anyone who is a fabulous match.
When you’re going through the ‘possibles’ – read their profile (and read between the lines), check out their portfolios, see if they have a presence on social media and get a feel for who the potential candidates are.
Once you have a handful of potentials – send out invitations to the job –some reply and some don’t. Then it’s a matter of weeding out the applications with an interview.
When it comes to the interview process, it depends on the job. If it’s a small job, the interview might just be a matter of checking out previous work and having a chat on Skype or within the Upwork platform. For larger tasks or ongoing work you will probably need a face to face or verbal conversation (video call). It’s a chance for both parties to check each other out, ask questions and see if there is a synergy there.
Trial jobs are a great idea, and I find myself using this method more and more especially if there are a few candidates. I love trial jobs because you get a glimpse of how they work. For example, are they punctual? Do they follow through on commitments? Do they communicate well? Do you like the style of work they produce? Does it fit with your company/brief?
3. Gut Instinct
Be prepared to follow the subtle signs of whether you like someone or not. This takes practise for most of us. There have been times when I have sent an invitation or given a trial to someone who I had a niggling doubt about, and it just didn’t work out – all it did was waste everyone’s time. Not everyone is going to be a fit for whatever reason – work with the people who you give you a good vibe.
4. Be business like.
At the end of the day, hiring someone to do a job is a business transaction. It might seem obvious to many, but for me, I have to resist the urge (at times) to be a Mother Hen and give someone a chance or continue a relationship when I know deep down that it’s not right.
5. Keep Communicating
Keep in touch, give clear instructions and feedback. Rinse and Repeat.
6. If at first you don’t succeed, wait and try again. Freelancers come and go. A few years ago, I found it near impossible to find a good writer in spite of many searches and many trials. Then a couple of months back, I did the search again and voila I now have three great writers doing regular work for us.
Has it worked?
It’s probably been a few years now that I have consistently used VAs through Upwork and it’s interesting to observe the changes in the way I approach the process and the changes in my thinking.
Now, before I even start looking for my prince – I sit down and ask myself “what do I need and what skills do they need to have?” I will describe the job by putting myself in their shoes and thinking of all the things they need to do the job right. If it’s a longer-term job, I will talk to all the applicants and/or set up a trial.
I am learning different skills and stepping out of the belief that I have to do everything myself. I’m thinking about how I communicate with my VA’s, what systems I need to put in place (instructions, processes, templates) and co-ordinating projects at a different level.
I now have an Infographic guy who takes my instructions and creates wonderful images. He is responsive, and we communicate well – it’s almost magical.
I have a VA who helps me get our content out onto Social Media platforms saving me hours of work each week. I can attest that instructing her on what to do does not take as long as doing it myself (something I vehemently believed before I hired her).
I have also found some clever and skilled writers.
In total honesty, my baby step journey to outsourcing had more to do with the changes I needed to make in my thinking than the process itself.
So if you’re thinking that you need help and wonder if outsourcing will work for you, I recommend that you give it a go. Don’t be frightened of the toads but arm yourself with the know-how to recognise them before you kiss them.
