Offshore Staffing Services: Key Insights for HR Leaders

While offshore staffing services’ claim to fame was initially its role in cost-cutting, it is currently an indispensable strategy for businesses that need to stay ahead in competitive markets. Offshoring is ingrained in global business landscapes now, so much so that for HR leaders, understanding it is an essential skill for navigating the competitive talent market, boosting operational efficiency, and improving businesses as a whole.

So, in this guide, we’ll explore everything about offshore staffing services that HR leaders need to know — from its very nature to the key steps that businesses need to take to ensure its successful implementation.

Ready to learn more about how your company can take advantage of offshore staffing services? Read on.

What are offshore staffing services?

At its core, offshore staffing (often used interchangeably with offshoring and outsourcing) basically involves hiring employees in another country — typically in the Philippines — to perform specific business functions for businesses in the US, Europe, and Australia. Often managed through a third-party provider, or  your offshoring partner, offshore staffing involves getting employees who integrate into your system’s workflow, just like an in-house team member would.

Let us look at this through examples. Offshore staffing looks like:

• having an IT helpdesk team, based in the Philippines, who works the same shifts as your local office, following your internal processes; or
• Building a software development team who, although they are halfway across the globe, collaborates daily with your local product managers using shared tools and communication platforms.

Of course, the same also applies to other business functions and departments too such as your customer service & sales teams, Human Resource (HR) teams, finance departments, and so on.

Very much like traditional hiring, but in its more (or possibly even the most) cost-effective form, offshore IT staffing service models like the ones illustrated above allow you to retain control over your business operations, maintain a collaborative company culture, and gain access to global talent who would’ve been unavailable to you otherwise.

What are the benefits of offshore staffing services?

With the global skills and talent shortage affecting multiple industries, offshore companies can give companies a competitive advantage. When applied to specific roles and business function, hiring offshore offers the following key benefits:

1. It gives HR leaders access to highly skilled talent.

With a larger and more diverse pool of talent from offshore staffing companies in the Philippines and other countries, you are afforded with more hiring options. This way, you get to connect with potential team members who have strong training in the latest advancements in AI, tech, cybersecurity, data analytics, and other skills relevant to your business. As an added benefit, offshore staffing service providers typically pre-screen and match professionals to your business’ unique needs — saving you valuable time sifting through a pile of applications.

2. Offshore staffing is a cost-efficient option.

This is something most HR leaders already know. The cost of outsourcing and offshore staffing in the Philippines is significantly lower, compared to hiring in-house. On top of reduced staffing costs, depending on the role and the location, the key selling point of staffing models like this is true value for money. Yes, you get to cut down on costs, but you do NOT have to compromise on quality. With fully-trained offshore staff who will work for and with you like they are your own, you get to build a team that meets global standards, at a lower price point.

3. The time-to-hire is faster when hiring offshore staff.

Because the talent pool is larger, offshore hiring is one of the best ways to address the fact that hiring may take months when filling technical roles in competitive markets like the US. Because offshore providers usually have candidate pipelines ready, hiring times are cut down significantly. This way, you get to complete your team ASAP, without having to go through all the tedious work of hunting great talent.

4. Specialized expertise is available to you on demand.

Another key benefit of using offshore staffing solutions is the unique access to niche experts and operational efficiency . If you need an AI-trained developer, a cybersecurity analyst, or a data-driven marketer — just say the word and send through the job description, the offshore staffing agencies will take care of the rest. With flexible engagement and service models, offshore staffing lets you hire for highly specific skill sets, whether you need full-time staff or project-based employees.

As an HR leader, you know just how much these key benefits can significantly improve your people management and onboarding and recruitment process, as well as the overall culture of the company. Is it just us, or is it really sounding like the best option so far?

Which roles can be filled through offshore staffing?

In essence, any role whose work can be completed remotely, you can fill through offshore recruitment. While offshore talent is available for multiple industries, here are some of the most in-demand roles that HR leaders look for in offshore staffing agencies:

• Accounting and Finance
• Administrative Support
• Content Creation
• Customer Service & Sales
• Data Processing
• Engineering Services
• Gaming
• Graphic Design
• Healthcare
• Human Resources
• Insurance Back Office Services
• Legal Services
• Property Management
• Real Estate
• Research & Education
• Retail & Ecommerce
• SEO, SEM, & Marketing
• Software Development & IT
• Supply Chain & Procurement
• Travel & Hospitality
• Virtual Assistant

If there is a role that you’re looking to fill that is currently not in this list, don’t worry, you may still be able to find them through an offshore staffing agency that you can trust.

Now — let’s go to the details.

How does offshore staffing work?

While the process of finding an offshore employee is different for every provider, here’s a general idea of the steps you need to take when hiring through an offshore staffing agency:

1. Define your business’ staffing needs.

Do you need a new team, staff augmentation, or project-based employees? Be as specific as possible about the job responsibilities, working hours, roles, skills, and experience levels that you need from your offshore workers.

2. Choose a reliable offshore staffing company to work with.

Select an offshore partner with experience and track record in your industry, flexible offshore staffing models, and a robust recruitment process. Making the right choice here is key to ensuring the success of your offshore team.

3. Go through candidate selection and interviews.

Once the terms are ironed and the job descriptions are sent through, the next step is for your chosen offshore recruitment agency to present pre-vetted skilled professionals that match your requirement. You can conduct interviews to find the right fit. The best part? Everything can be done remotely!

4. Meet and onboard your new team member!

Once hired, your new remote employee (or remote team) shall be trained either by you or the hiring team, depending on the model you have chosen. Regardless, they will be using the same communication tools and performance metrics as your local staff.

5. Get ongoing support and management.

Moving forward, the offshore staffing agency also handles all the administrative functions including, but not limited to, payroll, benefits, equipment, and office spaces — all while you manage the tasks and deliverables.

Sounds pretty straightforward, right? We know you might be asking — “but what’s the catch?” While we could say that it definitely has a lot of advantages, offshore staffing, like most business operations and processes, is not one without challenges.

But we have prepared for those, too.

Here are challenges of offshore staffing you need to anticipate:

• Time zone and cultural differences which may affect communication and scheduling strategies so the team can stay aligned when it comes to collaboration and decision making.
• Data security concerns, given the fact that internet-based platforms will be used and compliance with relevant IT regulations and infrastructure would be a concern.
• The physical distance gap which may add theS challenge of making sure the remote team offshore always feels included so they could perform their best.

These are some of the key challenges that we have often heard of, but we refuse to dwell on them. After all, proactive planning, the right staffing firm, and clear communication lines can easily solve all of these challenges.

And while we’re on the topic of solutions, we can also talk about best practices.

What are the best practices for successful offshore staffing?

1. Start small, then scale. Begin with a small remote team with a couple of offshore professionals so you can fine-tune the process before expanding.
2. Invest in training your remote staff. Provide onboarding sessions, process guides, and regular feedback.
3. Leverage remote collaboration tools like Slack, Jira, Monday, and Zoom to bridge the distance and build a system that works for the team.
4. Maintain regular communication. Schedule recurring check-ins to (re)align priorities make a lot of difference for remote teams.
5. Of course, celebrate wins. Because your offshore staff are also part of your team, be sure to include them in recognition programs and team celebrations.

With all these in mind, it has become more apparent that offshore staffing services have transformed how companies hire, scale, and operate in rather competitive markets. For HR leaders such as yourself, it’s important to understand the nuances of offshore staffing to secure top talent, manage costs, and maintain flexibility.

Ready to augment your team through offshore staffing?

Look no further.

When it comes to building high-performance offshore teams, KDCI Outsourcing is the reliable offshore partner who is truly committed to empowering teams with the best people.

At KDCI, we specialize in finding offshore team members who have the skills and experience you need, as well as the attitude and cultural fit that will allow them to easily integrate with your in-house team. Whether you’re looking to hire one full-time offshore employee or looking to build an offshore team in the Philippines, KDCI has the right tailored offshore staffing solution and engagement model for you.

KDCI has options specifically made to support your business’ day-to-day operations and overall growth in the long run.

Contact us to learn more about how you can hire your next offshore staff!