Outsourcing IT staff in the current business environment has its own merits. However, this is not to mean that such a process is not without challenges. Due diligence must be done before identifying the staff you will work with. There are numerous sites that an enterprise can turn to when it needs to recruit an outsourced team for its IT functions. I will give you a detailed analysis of the top online sites.
Freelancer.com
The site boasts of an ever increasing team of qualified IT professionals. The numerous job postings on the site also serve as fodder for IT professionals. There are three different work models on the site that may serve as catalysts for the increase in freelancer numbers. These are hourly models, fixed price work models and contests. On hourly, this model is based on deducting payment on an hourly basis from an enterprises’ account. All the hours done within a stipulated time frame will then be compiled and sent to the enterprise for approval. On the fixed price projects, the outsourced staff will work on your IT projects and they only get paid for the tasks done according to a prearranged agreement. In certain instances, you may have to pay milestones before the project commences. The final model is whereby the freelancers take part in a contest. With this model, you post your IT project and the freelancers work on it. You will then pick the best project and pay the winning team. Within this site, an enterprise can be assured of getting highly skilled IT professionals who work on a full time basis and so you can be sure that you can achieve your project deliverables on time.
Freelancer has an equally large team of unqualified professionals. Sieving through these large teams can be quite tedious and time consuming when you want to hire. Some of the applicants also use robots to bid making it even harder for an enterprise to use application letters as an ideal hiring tool. Some qualified freelancers on the site may also take on many projects at a given time. This makes it hard for them to deliver their projects on time .They may also do substandard work due to the workload.
When you hire form this site, it is imperative that an enterprise screens its employees more keenly. You can also get their skype /phone details so as to ensure that communication is consistent.
Odesk.com
This site is famed for its ability to attract a huge pool of individual freelancers. This makes it an ideal platform for an enterprise that is keen to work with a small team of professionals. The work model on this site is two pronged: hourly and fixed. On the fixed model, there has to be an initial deposit done by the enterprise on their account. Some of the freelancers may demand to be paid milestones before the task commences. The milestone can only be approved once an enterprise is convinced that the task has been done satisfactorily.
It is much easier to get qualified IT freelancers on this site as opposed to other online sites. Communication on this platform is also easy and more prompt than on other online platforms. This site mostly favors individual freelancers. This site is therefore ideal for small projects requiring minimal employees. However, the site also offers services that allow for enterprises to outsource their IT projects to teams of preselected and highly skilled staff at a premium. The screening process on Odesk is more robust than on other sites. The bids and operations the freelancers do with their accounts are keenly monitored to ensure that it is consistent with the policies of the site. This makes it less prone to unqualified personnel.
Peopleperhour.com
People per hour is another popular online platform that one can consider. The sites mode of operation may be a little bit different than on other online platforms, but once mastered you will realize that it is much easier to navigate. The site works on a two pronged work model: fixed price and hourly. The fixed price model has different variations that may appeal to individual IT enterprises. There is a section for hourlies. This is almost similar to what happens on Fiverr.com. The IT professionals demonstrate their work and you pick the most qualified without necessarily having to post a project. On the second subcategory, you simply post a project and the first IT professional to pick it does it. These are selected from a pool of prescreened and highly qualified professionals. Getting IT professionals from this site using the afore mentioned models may be less time consuming than on the other sites. It also means that you only get to pick the best. As an enterprise, you will also realize that the support staff on this site are more robust than on other sites. This makes it easier for you to ensure that you achieve your deliverables on time. The site is ideal for IT enterprises that are keen to outsource their IT functions to different contractors across the globe as it mostly favors individual freelancers. Communication within this site between staff and your enterprise also is tricky as their messaging system is a little bit slow. In certain instances, you may realize that some of the IT professionals on the site are inactive and so getting in touch with them may prove hard. However, when it comes to ensuring that the project is delivered on time, this site is keen to make follow-ups on behalf of clients.
Conclusion
It is very important that as an outsourcing entity you’re organization has a dedicated team in house of experienced IT professional that will manage the project from freelancer acquisition to project completion. If you do not have these resources in house then there are many specialist companies like GtecMedia.co.uk that provide outsourced project management services to small and medium size businesses in the UK.
The role of the project manager is to interview and hire the best staff for the job, keep in touch with the freelancers and ensure that the project deliverables are met. Your project management team will be in charge of quality control, budget management, project monitoring and managing the outsourced staff. By doing this, you will not only save on costs as you implement the project, but you will also be sure that you will have it implemented on time and in a professional manner.
About the author:
Janet Santos is a team leader at Gtec Media Ltd