Corona as a catalyst for outsourcing

Slowly but surely, we are getting closer to the new normal. Whilst the crisis no doubt has been a hard hit on individuals, companies, and whole industries, and we all wish it had never come, it has nevertheless driven evolution forward in many ways. We all know that technology has taken a huge leap ahead with for e.g. communication software like Zoom, Teams and now latest Clubhouse penetrating the market.

What else other than technology has been propelled by this crisis? One fact is that almost everyone is getting very comfortable working remotely from home, when the job allows of course. This brings about new needs and opportunities in many ways, both for employees and companies alike. For instance, employees need a professional and ergonomic work environment at home, and the companies must provide, basically putting in the same effort as they have before to set up an office well. Or do they?

Opportunities arising

An opportunity arising from the fact that companies are now also more comfortable with having their employees work from home, is outsourcing certain tasks and positions to a remote workforce. Suddenly the difference of an own employee working from home, or an outsourced employee working remotely is being eradicated. The mindset is changing. Of course, companies will always have own employees and should make sure those can work professionally from anywhere, but due to the mindset change they will perhaps think twice to see if they can outsource certain expertise to someone else.

Advantages & disadvantages

Pre-corona advantages with outsourcing was clear; access to experienced expert knowledge that is difficult to hire or retain, lower employee costs, more flexibility, and access to a large knowledge pool, just to mention some. One of the biggest disadvantages, especially with remote outsourcing work, was communication. However, with the technology that is now available and the increased confidence in how to use it, this is now a problem of the past.

Do it right

Hence, I can only urge hoteliers to truly consider professional services for niched, expert knowledge positions. Whether it be for revenue management, accounting, marketing, or anything else, working with serious and professional outsourcing companies ensuring high quality, will simply yield better outcomes than trying to hire and foster such talent themselves. In a way it is the same principle as buying PMS developed by experts, rather than trying to spend time and money building a PMS in house.

Act now

With hotels having laid off massive amounts of staff in the past 12 months, I am sure that the need for getting well set up for the return of the guests is rocketing. The smart hoteliers will act fast, and what we are seeing now is just the start of what I believe to be a bigger boom and shift from in-house labour to the use of professional outsourcing services.