Key takeaways:

• Why work with offshore teams? They bring benefits like lower operational costs, wider access to talent and freeing up your time.
• Make offshore teams feel like part of your organizational culture:
  • Embrace cloud collaboration: Use tools for real-time updates and communication.
  • Include them in social activities: Plan virtual gatherings for team bonding.
  • Encourage open communication: Hold more meetings and be clear about when hours do and don’t overlap.
  • Hire with culture in mind: The right team will be able to align with your goals.

Getting extra help can be cost-efficient when you decide to outsource. An offshore agency can be the best option when you need support but don’t want to invest in an in-house team right now. This is why around 66% of U.S. businesses with at least 50 employees outsource.

One challenge leaders face with offshore teams, however, is making sure they are part of the organizational culture. It can be easy for these teams to become isolated, which impacts how work gets done and the success of the overall business.

By incorporating better communication and cloud collaboration tools, plus hiring for cultural fit, you can strengthen relationships and include offshore teams in your workplace culture.

When you’ve decided to outsource, you are already doing yourself and your company a big favor. Offshoring can be extremely valuable to your business. You will see benefits like:

• Saving money on in-house, full-time employees
• Lowering costs associated with operations
• Streamlining business processes
• Creating a more efficient company
• Gaining access to expert talent
• Freeing up your time to focus on growth
• Establishing a more competitive business

The list doesn’t end there. Offshoring is a reliable way to get the help you need without stretching the bottom line too thin. Offshore teams also bring an important level of expertise to the function you’re hiring for. With the right hires, you can rest assured those duties are being handled by the right people.

To fully enjoy all the advantages of your offshore teams, consider how those departments are integrating with your internal people and processes.

One challenge that comes with offshoring is an inability to manage teams like you would in-house. These employees are working from remote locations, so you can’t just walk over to their desks to see how progress is being made. It can be hard to ensure these teams feel like they are part of your organizational culture with that level of distance.

Here are a few things you can do to improve this relationship:

1. Embrace cloud collaboration

Strong bonds require a high level of collaboration. With offshore teams, investing in the right cloud solutions can help you both manage and include these teams more effectively. Deloitte research recently found that 93% of organizations have adopted or are considering adopting cloud solutions to improve outsourcing.

Cloud-based platforms make it much easier to update documents in real time, communicate and share data when your teams are working remotely.

2. Include offshore teams in social activities

One way a strong work culture is nurtured is through social event planning. Team bonds are established when colleagues can connect over something other than work, or when team-building games and contests bring them together.

In today’s remote reality, these events don’t have to take place in person. One report found that 78% of employees use web conferencing platforms for team meetings already, so extending that to social gatherings, like happy hours or game nights, shouldn’t be hard to implement. Using tools like Zoom for these events is a great way to ensure offshore teams are included.

Just make sure to consider the time difference to accommodate everyone. Consider any cultural differences that could impact social events as well. Ask for feedback about what offshore teams enjoy doing with coworkers. You may even consider planning events that showcase different cultures so internal teams can learn more about who they’re working with.

3. Encourage open communication

A major hurdle for managing offshore teams is overcoming communication challenges. Those different time zones mean that, aside from the challenge of distance, work hours may not perfectly align. These employees may feel a bit more isolated because they’re doing work at different times than the rest of the team.

Make sure these teams know that the communication lines are open. Encourage them to share their experiences, including wins and challenges. Hold regular meetings with them, like one-on-one sessions, to give ample opportunities to discuss how they’re feeling.

Create a plan for addressing the time difference, too. For example, they may be able to send an email any time of day, but make sure everyone knows when the main office is open and closed. Be clear about when hours overlap and the best times to communicate in real time.

4. Hire with culture in mind

The global business process outsourcing market reached $251.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to almost double by 2028. As offshoring becomes the norm, more global companies will be available to you for the services you need.

To create a cohesive, successful organizational culture that includes your offshore teams, you need to work with the right people. When vetting candidates, make sure you emphasize your company values, purpose and mission. Ask each company you’re considering working with what their values are and ensure the two of you can align. Be clear about your goals, your work expectations and the skills necessary to succeed. The right partner will provide a team that can easily integrate with your processes and vision of success.

Prioritizing organizational culture can help you balance the advantages and downsides of working with an offshore team. Make sure these teams feel like they’re part of your company. Integrate better communication and cloud tools that keep everyone connected.

When you need assistance with your Human Resources processes and employee support initiatives, the team at StaffLink is ready to help you. We are a national professional employer organization and can help you maximize the value of your people. We customize our HR solutions to meet your unique business needs.

Request a proposal or contact us at (954) 423-8262 for more information.