HR Outsourcing in a Down Economy
The mid-way point of 2009 has come and gone and the economic forecasting remains positive, however the statistics still remain grim. Unemployment remains at a 20 year high, consumer spending is at the lowest levels since the early 1980s, and disposable income has sunk to levels not seen since 1947. To add to this, health care reform has the country in a tailspin, especially the large populations of employees who make their living in the healthcare industry. Concerned employers wonder how it may impact their businesses in the short and long term. As the economic downturn continues, employers across all market sizes report their top business concerns or threats to their business:
Threats to the Business
- Diminished productivity due to deflated employee morale and leaner staff
- Dropping revenues and unpredictable cash flow
- Increasing layoffs and the potential for rising lawsuits
- Increasing insurance for healthcare premiums and operating expenses
Employers, both large and small, are not prepared to watch and wait from the sidelines. They have taken matters into their own hands to offset rising operational costs and dropping profits through the use of outsourcing. “Outsourcing” is defined as, “the procuring of services or products from an outside supplier or manufacturer in order to cut costs.” Almost every employer engages in at least one form of outsourcing. In recent years, and continuing through the recession, Human Resources and Accounting top the list as key areas where businesses can immediately realize cost savings and operational efficiency. Because both of these processes are not core functions of the business itself, a return on investment or business case for outsourcing to a third party is easily made. To learn more about the key drivers behind Outsourced Accounting click here
HR Outsourcing Industry Continues to Soar
Human Resource Outsourcing is a business strategy that allows an employer the means to reduce overhead expenses, reduce employer liability, and improve employee productivity. While some employers may select to outsource only specific HR functions like payroll or recruiting, others have opted for a comprehensive, single source solution. To learn more about the differences among HR solutions and providers available to the market, click here.
HR Outsourcing continues to gain momentum as a viable solution for challenged businesses. According to IDC, a global research firm, outsourcing Human Resources functions has become the fastest growing segment of the broader business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. It grew close to 70 percent over the past 6 years, with companies worldwide spending more than $103.3 billion.
Additionally, Centripetal Consulting Group obtained information from Everest Research Institute, an independent research and analysis organization which states that North American HR outsourcing transactions reached $25.4 billion by the end of 2007, an increase of 19 percent over the previous year. In 2008, despite the slowing economy, HRO transactions grew an additional $2.9 billion, an increase of over eleven percent over the previous year. Everest Group, the parent company of Everest Research Institute contributes to this growing number of business utilizing an outsourced HR strategy. Centripetal Consulting Group is currently working with this 70 employee firm to select the right HR outsourcing technology partner which will enable the company to streamline and automate employee related transactions and internal processes.
Why Outsource?
While large corporations feel the impact of a recession, these factors are magnified for small businesses and their recovery time is significantly longer. Public corporations may report diminished returns for their shareholders and are subject to public scrutiny. A small employer can easily go out of business overnight. This is frightening for everyone because small businesses or the SMB market are the lifeblood of the economy. These businesses are run by innovative and motivated entrepreneurs who invest their personal savings, time, and livelihood. They need protection more than a large company, yet many times either cannot afford the internal HR resources or aren’t really aware of their true exposure as an employer.
One of the reasons for the continued growth in HR outsourcing may be attributed to employers who had not considered outsourcing in the past, are now seeing the benefits of HR outsourcing as a means to reduce overhead and cut operational expenses. They’ve been forced to slash headcount. This creates a “do more with less” environment which can compromise productivity. But from a legal and compliance standpoint, employers feel vulnerable to increased regulation associated with employee terminations. The changes to COBRA are one example. This fear has motivated employers to consider the outsourcing to alleviate the burden of dealing with employment related compliance and administration.
The key for small employers to successfully navigate through a recession is to stabilize revenues and improve employee productivity. The cost associated with labor and employee benefits are reportedly the two top line items on the balance sheet, thus making HR accountable and responsible for maximizing employee productivity while minimizing costs and risk. Employers look to HR outsourcing as a means to achieve these objectives:
- Stabilizing operating expenses increases company value and calms corporate anxiety.
- Streamlining operations reduces unnecessary overhead and cuts wasteful spending.
- Lowering insurance premiums reduces overhead and expenses.
- Minimizing employment risks reduces the potential of lawsuits and complaints to the federal and state agencies, and the resultant legal fees and judgments.
- Training and motivating staff increases employee morale and improves productivity.
Despite the recognition by many small employers as critical priorities to their success, most simply cannot afford to institute the necessary changes. Even the most efficient employers will be unable to devote the time required to make meaningful changes to corporate policies and procedures. Partnering with an HR Outsourcer helps an employer achieve relief. According to Hewitt Associations, a world-wide provider of HR consulting services and research data, the most common reason for engaging an HR Outsourcing firm is to reduce overhead. Companies clearly recognize the value of utilizing an outside resource to conduct various business-related activities, as compared to maintaining these functions internally. Other reasons to outsource include:
1. Access to outside expertise
2. Improving service quality
3. High cost of remaining up-to-date with rapidly changing environment
4 Eliminate high volume of low-value transactional activities
5. Reduce management distractions away from core business
6. Leverage existing staff to focus on key competencies
Although there are several “flavors of outsourcing”, the providers are not all created equal. However, there are two main types of HR Outsourcing providers: Traditional HR Vendors and Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). Some employers may select to outsource specific functions, others have opted for a comprehensive solution. To learn more about the variety of the HR solution offering, click here.
Traditional Human Resource Vendors
Traditional HR vendors are firms that specialize in one particular service area, such as payroll, benefits brokerage and administration, recruiting, or training. In a traditional outsourced model, the employer selects a mix of HR vendors to perform specific function that encompass all of their outsourcing needs. To learn more about both the benefits and downside to this approach click here.
Professional Employer Organizations
The second main type of outsourcer is a PEO or co-employment vendor. In this relationship, the PEOshares many of the responsibilities of being an employer on behalf of their client. Through co-employment, small organizations access the economies of scale enjoyed by large corporations. In contrast to traditional HR vendors, the PEO provides a wide array of HR services, effectively consolidating multiple vendors under one roof.
The four key service areas include:
- Human Resources compliance and administration
- Employee Benefits and administration
- Workers’ Compensation insurance and safety consulting
- Payroll and tax filing services
This type of employment arrangement can offer several benefits to an employer, especially in a down economy. Many times a PEO can be a savior to a business owner who cannot afford expensive health premiums, is overwhelmed with paperwork, or is concerned with maintaining HR compliance. Click here to explore if a PEO is a good fit for your business.
On the flip side, an employer may only benefit from a co-employment arrangement for a short period of time as it no longer seems financially compelling to fully outsource the HR function. This trend may occur once the economy strengthens or changes in healthcare occur. Because the PEO performs all HR transactions, it is sometimes confusing or difficult for a company to determine their true costs for each of the services delivered by the PEO. Even if you do determine that it makes sense financially to leave thePEO, it can become even harder to piece the right vendors together to unbundle from the PEO. For help in this area click here.
Recruiting Top Sales Talent
It is sometimes very difficult to discern a quality candidate when you are in the interview process. This is especially true of salespeople who communicate for a living. Most salespeople come across very personable and make it tough to decide whether they truly will benefit your organization or if they are just a nice person. It was once said to me by an old sales manager that all salespeople are “just a little bit off”……. after all who would honestly CHOOSE to spent their career being constantly rejected? Surprising several. These days, I definitely find truth in that statement and as a sales recruiter it is my job to separate the true talent from the truly desperate.
How I Find and Evaluate Top Talent
My Network. In sales it is all about who you know, who they know, and what people know about who you know. I look to the people I trust in business to send me the names of potential candidates before I do anything else. Once I have some quality leads it is easy to build rapport based upon the referring person’s recommendation. In this case, I have moved past sourcing active candidates and into recruiting passive candidates. These are the salespeople that are consistently #1 and #2 in sales rankings and don’t have time to talk with a recruiter because they are out closing so much new business. A great tool to use in this capacity is LinkedIn, Click Here (Check out if we know any of the same people!)
Candidate Referrals. Your best candidates usually produce your best referrals. Salespeople are ego driven and will certainly not pass along the name of someone that is not at least as good as them. It is key to ask early and often for referrals. I even compensate for these because they are so valuable.
Once I have located candidates, I have a method for qualifying them further.
Proof of Performance. Many salespeople love to talk about the success they have had….. It is my job to determine if it what they claim is really fact. Before submitting a candidate to my client, I ask for all supporting documentation of sales success. I want to know where the stand in the rankings, the biggest deal they’ve ever closed, and what they have forecasted to close. From here, I utilize my resources to verify as much information as possible. The truth really is in the numbers, at least from a sales managers perspective. If the salesperson has documented repeated success, chances are it was not by luck.
Creativity and Uniqueness. I challenges my candidates to answer questions around why they feel like they are better than the next salesperson. I am curious to know what they do differently then their peers and why it works. This involves everything from sales process to contract negotiation. I need to know why people buy from them and how they have adapted during challenging times. If I am not hearing new ideas, I begin to wonder about the long term success probability.
Manageability. I must truly understand the management style that my candidate is most successful under. It is amazing the diversity that I find in this area. If I cannot match a candidate with my client’s management style, I know this will not be a successful match for either party. It is also important to understand what may be going on in a candidate’s personal life that may end up affecting their performance. It is better to uncover these issues up front so management is aware and can react accordingly.
Professionalism. I feel that a salesperson must take pride in how they appear in business if they are going to be successful. Outward appearance is a direct reflection on how one feels about oneself and the confidence that they have about their company and/or profession. A positive professional appearance is essential in my criteria for evaluating sales success likelihood.
