With the New Year approaching, it’s time to re-evaluate how you work with your outsourced team. Increasing motivation levels is the key to higher productivity. You’ll often hear people talk about the importance of motivation in a business context. But you may not realise just how drastic an effect motivation levels can have on your business. Back in 2013, a Gallup study discovered that 70% of American workers weren’t hitting their full potential. They put this down to low motivation levels caused by disengagement with their work. They also looked into the monetary costs of these low levels of engagement. Gallup estimated what unmotivated employees cost American businesses. They placed the damage somewhere between $450 billion and $550 billion per year. That alone highlights the costs of a lack of motivation. And there are plenty more stats that show why it’s important. For example, the Hay Group ran its own study. It discovered that offices with engaged employees are 43% more productive. Now, you may think that money is the issue here. If you just offer people more of it, you’ll motivate them to work harder. However, that’s not the case. Only 12% of people who leave a company earn more at their new job. This suggests that money isn’t the primary motivating force in their life. Perhaps you’re wondering why all of this is relevant to you if you’re considering hiring an outsourced team for an engineering or construction project. Why do you need to know about the importance of motivation? The simple answer is that your outsourced team has to confront the same motivational issues as your onshore team. That means you need to focus on keeping your outsourced team engaged. Working with the right partner to build a team is only part of the equation. You also need to work with this partner to keep your outsourced team motivated. Here are six techniques to keep your team engaged and productive:

You may feel hesitant to provide training to your outsourced team. After all, one of your reasons for creating that team was likely to reduce costs. Providing training requires both time and monetary investment. This seems to eliminate the point of creating the outsourced team in the first place. However, you need to think about this from a long-term perspective. You’re going to work with this team on several projects, likely over the course of a number of years. You need them to reach the appropriate standards to ensure quality work. On the motivational level, providing training shows that you care about the people in your team. You’re providing the members with an opportunity to enhance their professional skills. This could lead to them taking on more responsibilities and going deeper into your culture. In other words, training drives engagement within your outsourced team. The members will feel like they’re actually part of your company. This feeling of belonging improves motivation levels, which results in greater productivity.

When somebody feels lost at work, their motivation levels dwindle. Your team members are at their best when you match their tasks to their skills. That was the conclusion of a 2014 study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. When employees understand their roles and work to their strengths, a more harmonious work environment is created. There are fewer conflicts because your team doesn’t make as many errors. In addition, each member feels like they’re actively contributing based on the unique skills they bring to the table. It’s likely that you’ll need an evaluation period to make sure you can assign tasks effectively. The good news is that your outsourcing partner should be able to show you what skills each team member has. Then it’s time to figure out how those skills align with each of the tasks the team must complete.

It’s likely that you’ll use a range of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track employee performance. For example, a sales team may have metrics related to the number of calls made, number of sales, and so on. Your task is to ensure your outsourced team does everything they can to reach the targets you set. That’s where an incentive scheme can come in handy. With an incentive scheme, you offer your team members a direct reward for meeting or exceeding a target. On the most basic level, you can use money as a reward. For example, you may offer a cash bonus based on how far a team member exceeds a target. However, as established earlier, money is not the main motivator for many of your team members. That means you should consider other potential rewards for good performance. For example, if somebody meets all of their targets for the month, you could grant them an extra day off. This rewards productivity with more time to focus on things that matter personally to that individual. Other rewards include experiences, such as cinema or comedy night tickets. You could even offer subscriptions to premium streaming services, such as Netflix and Spotify. The key is to think beyond the monetary and offer rewards that have a tangible benefit. These rewards act as recognition for your team’s hard work. Plus, these types of rewards show that you care about your staff beyond who they are in the office.

Building on the previous idea, we have the concept of team swag. This encompasses almost anything your team members receive as a perk of working with your company. That means it covers everything from branded pens and mugs, through to things like phone cases and other useful items. The key to motivating employees with team swag is to make sure that you choose items people actually need. Think beyond the office and consider what somebody could also use in their personal lives. For example, you could offer water bottles, towels, and gym memberships as part of a company health initiative. This shows your team that you care about their wellbeing. Plus, you benefit from having a happier and healthier team. That’s just one of many examples of how you can use swag to your advantage. If the items you give your people have a direct benefit for them, you’re going to see higher motivation levels.

A lack of focus is a huge issue when it comes to motivation. When your outsourced team doesn’t know what it needs to do, productivity levels will dip. Your people will become frustrated because they’re not seeing themselves make progress. And that issue becomes compounded if they discover they’re working hard on things you don’t need them to do. That’s why it’s so important to have clear and defined goals for your outsourced team. Start with the main outcome of a project and work backwards. For example, an engineering firm’s main project outcome may be a complete set of design documentation. Within that main outcome lies a set of smaller goals. These may include the creation of concept designs, compliance research, and other tasks. Create milestones around these smaller tasks and highlight how completing each brings your team closer to the main goal. Then, assign the relevant person or team to each task. Now, the team has focus and can see how everything it does creates progress. That means they’re motivated to keep pushing to see the project through to completion.

It’s crucial to understand the role your outsourcing partner plays in keeping your team motivated. Your partner almost acts as a middleman between you and your team. They’re as involved with the team as you are. And in many cases, the messages you communicate to your partner lead to changes within the team. However, it’s in the formation of the team in the first place that your outsourcing partner’s skills come to the fore. A great partner will aim to learn everything they can about your business and its culture. They’ll also help you determine which tasks you need to outsource and what skills your new team must possess. This is all essential to building a cohesive team that’s capable of working together productively. Your partner will also use their understanding of your culture to ensure the people it hires align with your vision. An outsourcing partner is more than just an organisation that finds cost-effective labour. Your partner takes an active role in helping you create an extension of your existing team. That’s what Cybalink Solutions specialises in. We provide outsourcing solutions to companies in the engineering and construction industries. And we’ll work with you to ensure you get the most out of the teams that we help you to build.

How are you and your team extension getting along and working towards your goals? Improve productivity and KPI achievements with four simple but crucial tips. You’ve already made the decision to outsource some key engineering or construction tasks to an external team. They’re performing pretty. You can see the time and cost savings reflected in the team’s output. Plus, your onshore team has renewed its focuses on the services you provide and the clients that you work with. But you feel like the offshore team could do better. Now that you have these people in place, your task is to motivate them so that they meet, and perhaps even exceed, the high standards you set for your business. The key thing to note here is that an outsourced team is not some random third party. It’s as much a part of your team as the guys that you have onshore. That means that they need to operate with the same understanding of your company’s mission and values. And just like your onshore team, your outsourced team needs motivating. After all, a motivated team is a productive team. When your people enjoy working for your company, they’ll become highly productive. The team works better, faster, and harder, which means they meet deadlines and achieve your KPIs. In other words, they become a vital part of your company. And of course, that means more time and money saved for you.

First, build a solid foundation for your working environment. That means clarity about your business and their role in it.You want to take advantage of all that outsourcing has to offer. But to do that, you need to clarify your own objectives. For example, if you may choose to outsource some of the administrative work behind an engineering project. That means you need to ask some important questions, such as:

• How will you divide tasks between the members of your outsourced team?
• Is your outsourced team working with in-house employees?
• Do you intend on the team taking over some tasks completely?

Figure out your aims and how outsourcing can meet those goals. Once you understand your goals, you can structure and manage the project. And you can outline tasks for your outsourced team. A quality outsourcing agency will take you through the steps they follow to understand exactly what you need. This will help them to figure out what solution you require to meet those needs.

It’s also important for your outsourced team to feel that they have a place in your organisation. You don’t want them to feel like they’re on the outside. That’s detrimental to motivation. Instead, outline their special place in the office. And be sure to communicate often. Hiring a new team is the easy part. When you choose to outsource construction planners, for example, it’s a simple process to screen specialists. However, you also need to go out of your way to integrate them into the office.

If you’re planning on outsourcing in the construction industry or another highly technical field, you’ll need specialists. It’s important that you understand and respect that your new team are specialists. You can delegate a whole range of tasks nowadays, even if you’re in a highly technical industry like construction and engineering. Outsourcing gives you plenty of options. But you also need to respect your specialists’ place in the industry. You may need to apply a more personalised touch to your team. For example, getting to know each member as an individual could help you to learn more about their education and skills. It could also reveal what matters most to them both work and professional contexts. You can also encourage team members to make recommendations. Put their expertise to work. Their recommendations may increase your business’ productivity and performance. Communication often is also a sign of respect. Keep them in the loop. If you outsource construction planners for your project, alert them of any changes right away. Have confidence that they’ll incorporate the updates the way they need to. Trusting your team members’ judgement empowers them. And compliment them when they do something exceptional. If you do need to criticise their performance, buffer it with positive points. In addition, understand that they are specialists in the field. So, you do need to pay them accordingly. It’s one of the easiest ways to show respect and appreciation for their work. Also, you can find out what drives and motivates your team members. Each person has different motivations. So, this takes some exploratory conversations. Assigning more challenging tasks can motivate members who want more responsibility. Or if you have ambitious specialists, you can help them develop more skills.

How much do outsourcers make? Are you paying your team competitive wages? Studies show that outsourcing is a great cost-cutting measure for companies. But oftentimes, it’s the outsourced workers who bear the brunt of the savings. In one case, in particular, low skilled workers lost as much as 40% of their take-home pay when they chose an outsourced position. This is important to understand in a construction or engineering context. The people on your outsourced team have acquired some degree of specialisation to work in these fields. This means they offer you something that the average outsourced team member doesn’t. The pay that you offer should reflect this fact. Bargain prices sometimes mean bargain work. So, pay your team the equivalent of the value you expect in return. In addition, everyone loves rewards and recognition for a job well done. Not only does it motivate your team. But it also gives them a sense of inclusivity with the rest of the team. Also, remember to pay them for any overtime work. They go above and beyond for you. Paying them overtime wages is a great way of paying them back. Additional training may seem like a strange idea for a reward at first. However, your outsourced team contains people who want to get ahead in their careers. They’re ambitious enough to want to move up and earn more. And training you provide helps them to achieve their ambitions. Offer extra training in areas they’re interested in. Give them the opportunity to move into better-paying positions within the team. You’ll boost their earning power. And you get specialists with more skills to utilise.

Tip #4 – Show Respect and Build Relationships

One of the best ways to motivate your outsource team is to treat them like your in-house team. That means that they’re merely an extension. Even if they’re thousands of miles away. Start by building a relationship with them. Little touches go a long way. Show respect for their time and need for flexibility. Add them to company-wide emails and keep them updated to your long-term strategy. The more you put into working with your offshore team, the more value you get back. Build a solid rapport with them and be receptive to their input. For example, let’s assume that your outsourced team is fairly local to your main offices. In this case, you may be able to invite them to company events. This gives both of your teams the chance to meet, share stories, and create bonds. You also show your outsourced team that you consider them part of your work family. Also, common courtesies are also a must. Say “please” and “thank you” whenever you interact with your team. And try to respect their culture and geographical differences. Often, your outsourced team comes from a culture that’s different from your own. Rather than using it as a barrier, find common ground with it. The general rule of thumb regarding conduct: Don’t be the person you’d hate to work for. Show consideration and respect. It is the first step towards building a long-term relationship with your team.

Things You Should NEVER do with any employee.

There are also certain things you should never do, regardless of whether it’s an outsourced team member or not. Different strategies motivate team members in different ways. But there are also things that are certain to demotivate your employees – immediately. Firstly, be wary about how you word your requirements. There’s potential for miscommunication, especially if there’s a language barrier to overcome. Failing to consider this could lead to your requirements coming off more like demands. Also, be aware of how you criticise your team. It’s okay if you’re disappointed in the results. But you shouldn’t tell them that they need to work better. Instead, try showing appreciation for their efforts. You can ask them to put in a little more effort. But you also need to be a little more specific with your instructions. Nothing alienates a team faster than telling them that it’s “not your problem.” You want to cultivate an attitude of shared responsibilities. Their problems are yours. So, work together to find a solution.

Treat Your Ooutsourced Team Like an Extension

When you choose an outside team, you are getting more than outsourcing efficiency gains. You’re also gaining an extension to your team. That means you have to focus on keeping that team motivated. After all, a motivated team will produce better results, which benefits both your business and your clients. One of the ways to keep your team motivated is to treat them well. Build a relationship and show respect for them. Also, show your appreciation for their hard work with recognition and rewards. Nurture an environment of inclusivity and a sense of belonging. Ultimately, treating your offshore team as an extension will inspire quality work. And it inspires loyalty to your business. Are you ready to explore your outsourcing options?

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