You’re probably already aware of the many advantages of offshoring: Access to top talent, lower costs, and a key advantage over your competitors. But before you go offshore, there are a few key questions you need to ask your team members first:

What’s the Bottom Line Benefit?

Your financials will often be where you’ll start when it comes to these strategic questions. And it’s easy to see why - you’re likely to save anywhere from 50-60% by hiring offshore talent.

Asking team members to calculate these savings is often a great way to get them onside as they see the benefits of offshoring. It also allows you to confirm that offshoring is the right decision for your business.

Will Offshoring Improve Customer Experience?

We all know how important great customer service is for any business. If you’re hoping to give your customers the best possible service, this is the question to ask.

Offshoring will often improve customer service in the following ways:

Shorter Response Times

When your customers have a problem, they’ll want that problem fixed ASAP. If your staff members are all based locally, they’re limited to work hours within that time zone. When you also have a team overseas, your local team can pass problems on if they’re not solved within their work hours. This means that problems can be fixed in a much shorter time frame - often while your customers are sleeping.

Better Products and Services

It’s no secret that your money goes further when you hire offshore. This means that you get more ‘bang for your buck’ when it comes to the level of talent you can afford to hire. While the average ‘Western’ salary will pay for a mid-level employee, this salary would allow you to hire top-level graduates - i.e. the smartest people available.

This is great news for your customers since the products and services they’re using will ultimately be better when they’re designed and developed by the best of the best.

More Cost-Effective Solutions

We all like to save money, and your customers are no different. When you’re spending less on employee salaries (with the same or better results), some of these savings can be passed down to customers.

This means better customer satisfaction, a greater competitive edge, and increased profits.

Would a Bigger Team Help Our Business?

Do you have any complex processes that could be completed faster with a larger team? Since offshore teams can be built much more cost-effectively, these processes can also be handled faster for less money.

It’s easy to assume that offshoring is simply about making life easier for your team at home, and outsourcing easy, simple tasks. But if you hire the right people, you can actually have your offshore team completing difficult, high-value tasks that will move your business forward.

How Will Our Local Team Feel?

This is a key consideration when you’re thinking about offshoring, but it can easily be addressed through open communication.

Often, your local team will be worried that their jobs are at risk of being taken over by your offshore team. They may also be concerned that tasks won’t be completed properly if they’re given to a team that’s based overseas.

That’s why it’s important to keep your local team top-of-mind, hiring people that they’ll be able to collaborate with effectively. You should also be willing to explain why you’re looking offshore for talent and reassure your local team members that their jobs are safe.

At the same time, check if your team believes that offshoring is aligned with your company values. Often, this is about communicating the benefits effectively, so that everyone is on the same page about what this change will mean for your company.