Companies in growth mode in every industry routinely face some of the same questions, touching on subjects like: “What direction are we heading?” “What are our competitors doing?” and “How can we maintain the same level of service with customers as we expand?”
But the question likely to generate the most discussion is, “Should we partner with a contractor or hire additional staff internally?” No matter where they stand in the debate, most people feel strongly about their position, which is probably why advocates for one side or the other have passionately pleaded their case in boardrooms and break rooms across the country for decades. While there are certainly advantages to growing your internal team, we wanted to talk today about the benefits of going with a contractor and the advantages outsourcing can bring to your business.
You can minimize your financial obligations
For any business, in any industry, adding and carrying internal staff can be an expensive proposition. While most people might think only of salary, there are plenty of other budgetary components to consider. Factors like employee benefits, equipment, uniforms, and overhead all drive up the total cost of hiring and retaining an employee. Meanwhile, when you contract employees, much of that goes away. Sure, you’re paying for the workers’ time and expertise, but there are usually no benefits or ancillary costs.
Outsourcing = speed
One of the biggest benefits of partnering with a contractor is the speed at which they are up and running. Let’s say you want to add 100 new employees for a project. It could take a utility several months to go through the advertising, interviewing and onboarding process to add that many workers at one time. Conversely, a contractor could have that many people ready to go in a matter of days or weeks. And because those workers are employees of the contractor, they’ve likely already been vetted, which means your project can start quickly.
For highly skilled, specialized workers
In addition to getting workers up and running fast, outsourcing offers yet another personnel-related advantage over hiring for in-house roles: Specialized skill sets. Depending on what type of workers you need, chances are you can find a third party that’s uniquely positioned to take on that task (i.e., AMI installation). Instead of having to hope you can find and hire workers capable of getting the job done, why not partner with a contractor with employees brimming with specialized experience?
It doesn’t impact your current staff
If you’re growing and things are going well, the last thing you want to do is shake up your existing workforce and do anything that could impact momentum. By hiring additional staff, it’s possible that your current employees will feel burdened with having to train new employees, leading to a dip in morale. And with those current employees pulled in different directions, their production could also suffer. By hiring a contractor to fill the gaps, there’s no concern about existing employees being stretched thin since the contracted workers won’t need the same type of training and onboarding as someone green.
Outsourcing provides the ultimate in flexibility
Whether you’re gearing up for a new project or just the busiest time of the year for the business, it’s normal for the need to add new people to ebb and flow. Unfortunately, hiring internally simply doesn’t enable you to be nimble and agile—unless you plan to terminate those workers when the project is complete. A much better option is to work with a contractor who can supply you with qualified, skilled workers for as long as you need them. This empowers the business to staff up or down as the work dictates without the payroll or reputational hit.
Utility Partners of America is a leading ally of utility companies nationwide
For more than two decades, Utility Partners of America (UPA) has worked alongside utility companies and energy cooperatives as a contracted partner. Through our experienced and knowledgeable team, we offer a variety of services that are flexible, scalable and delivered to the highest standards. To learn more about what we do and why you should contract with us, contact us by filling out this form or calling (888) 667-1411.
