There is one question that keeps coming back when settling work to external forces: do you choose for outsourcing or do you insist in choosing outstaffing? But before making a decision, it’s a well timed moment to look into the subject. What are the main differences between outsourcing work and outstaffing? Time to dive in deeper.

What outsourcing can do for you

Choosing for outsourcing means that you hire an external partner to work on a project standalone, meeting your requirements. The outsourcing partner manages the project from beginning to end and is responsible for an optimal workflow. You can concentrate on your regular business operations, while the outsourced work is being done and delivered to you when ready.

You don’t have to take into account equipment, resources or qualifications. This is all being looked over by the outsourcing partner. But whilst this sounds ideal, there are some cons to choosing for outsourcing work. It takes away direct participation or control on certain projects, which not everyone is equally keen on. Hourly rates are usually also higher for outsource workforces, compared to regular employees. So when considering outsourcing work, please take in account the following factors:

Pros outsourcing Cons outsourching
  • – Almost no management work
  • – No hiring efforts
  • – Equipment is already provided.                                       
  • – Less control on outsourced activities
  • – Outsourced workforce can be more costly then regular employment

The value of outstaffing

Another possible choice when looking for a remote work solution, is opting for outstaffing certain tasks. The main difference between the earlier mentioned outsourcing and outstaffing, is that the latter focuses more on individual workers instead of complete projects. When outstaffing, you hire external people that contribute to work remotely, but do communicate with in-house teams to do so. You keep control of all the work being done and give outstaffed employees tasks according to your company’s needs.

The outstaffing company takes further responsibility for finding the right professionals for the job and maintaining their employment and administration. Choosing for outstaffing does mean that you spend more time managing all projects and maintaining optimal communication between regular employees and the remote workers. This in part is a time costly task, something you don’t have with outsourcing work.

In short, take notice of the following points when considering outstaffing work:

Pros outstaffing Cons outstaffing
  • – Full control of all projects
  • – Good collaboration between internal and external workforce
  • – More flexible hiring model
  • – Managing projects takes up more time
  • – Communication can be a stumbling stone

 Choosing between outsourcing vs. outstaffing

Both outsourcing and outstaffing bring some appealing benefits to the table when it comes to working with a remote workforce. Outsourcing is ideal for bigger projects that can be done by an external partner altogether, while outstaffing gives you the ability to hire remote workers that expertly fit in with the rest of your team. Before making a decision, it is wise to take a second look at the task at hand. The size of that work and the expertise needed can give the definitive answer of which method of remote working suits your needs best.

OnlyRemoteWorkers can help you achieve an optimal workflow within your company. We are an outstaffing company operating with a large international remote workforce. By accounting for everything from recruitment till placement, we help improve results, minimize risks and help lower costs within your company. We stand by to aid you in your search for the right remote workforce for every type of job. Want to know how? Read how we work.