How Outsourcing Holds the Key to Mitigating US Labor Shortages

Having trouble filling positions that help your business drive revenue and growth? Is your call center scrambling to staff and find qualified agents?

Sadly, you’re not alone, as 42 percent of business leaders are reporting that they can’t fill current job openings, a national record.

Worse yet, half of those leaders state they are seeing few (if any) qualified candidates to choose from.

Despite reaching a record high of 15% unemployment last April, the U.S. recovery has made it harder than ever for businesses to recruit and retain the talent they need to achieve key business goals.

There are numerous reasons why US call centers and businesses in general are struggling to fill their open jobs, such as:

• COVID health concerns and/or pending vaccinations.
• Unemployment benefits hampering a return to work.
• Continued closures to daycare and in-person schooling.
• Workers holding out for higher wages.

But for many businesses looking to grow and recover time is not a luxury—and waiting for the labor crisis to improve is simply not an option.

Nearshore and Offshore Call Centers are Fully Staffed

Here in the United States, the labor market is a constant concern for many business leaders, but beyond our borders it’s simply not an issue.

Nearshore and offshore outsource call centers are largely back to business as normal. While the pandemic-induced work-from-home model is still being utilized by most centers in some capacity, most BPOs are above their 2019 staffing levels.

Additionally, the remote work protocols that were originally implemented out of necessity are now serving to expand their talent pools and create scenarios where scaling on a whim has never been easier.

This, of course, offers an easy solution to domestic staffing woes. It’s a no-brainer to transfer your support services to a BPO in another location. Outsource call centers offer stability, affordability, and (especially in nearshore locations) a service quality that matches or exceeds domestic call centers at a 50% cost savings versus USA call centers.

Biggest Benefits of Outsourcing your Call Center During a Domestic Labor Shortage

No matter your industry, plenty of organizations have already laid the path for huge ROI victories through outsourcing.

The benefits of nearshore and offshore call centers are well documented. And the labor pinch in the U.S. has made this the best time in a generation to move support services to help protect the quality of your service.

Here are some specific reasons why an outsourcing partner is your best choice to deal with current labor shortages:

Fewer Worries Caused by Fewer Choices

Staffing is a numbers game. Any organization needs a large enough pool of candidates to build a suitable stable of hires. And that’s hard to come by in America with today’s current labor market. Plus, even if you find suitable candidates, you need to spend time and resources interviewing, training, and onboarding—time that could be better spent in other areas of your business.

Why not delegate that work to a quality call center partner offshore?

Instead of struggling to find dozens and dozens of local candidates on your own, simply let our dedicated call center partners deploy their agents already on staff.

Cost Savings & Control

Even facing a stalling labor market, cost is still a driving force behind every business decision.

And many leaders are being forced into two unwelcome scenarios: 1) Overpay to attract qualified talent, or 2) Deploy under-qualified staff at a cost they can afford.

But there’s a third option. Outsourcing to a nearshore or offshore call center has always been a smart and effective way to reduce costs without sacrificing quality of service, and it’s never looked more appealing.

Freedom to Grow

Despite what domestic labor numbers may imply, domestic consumers are still active and represent an exciting opportunity across industries.

But without the necessary staff to employ domestically, it’s impossible for businesses to strike while the iron is hot. Outsourcing helps you capitalize on these opportunities rapidly, with skilled agents ready to serve and help you grow revenue and your brand.

Turnkey Security

Highly regulated industries pose many compliance challenges that business leaders must abide by. A labor shortage is no excuse for cutting corners when it comes to security and compliance.

Outsource contact centers provide agents that offer turnkey compliance and certifications, including HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and others—all at a lower per agent wage than the cost of hiring domestic, internal staff.

Remote Work Ready

The unprecedented shift to distributed, remote teams has permeated almost every industry. Luckily, for business leaders, this rising tide is forcing all organizations (especially outsource call centers) to meet an increasingly high standard for remote work deliverables.

By outsourcing to a nearshore or offshore call center, your business gets a remote-ready staff (built on decades of remote experience) instead of trusting a domestic team to fill key roles AND develop remote processes simultaneously.

Outsourcing is Your Best Bet When Battling Labor Shortages

Outsource Consultants is a call center industry insider, our team of experts has over 150 combined years of experience connecting business leaders with outsourcing partners that can provide skilled and affordable labor. And we’re actively helping business leaders thrive despite the current labor shortage.

Not only do we make it simple and easy to compare prices, we’ll make sure that we identify the call center partners that can keep costs down for the long haul, without sacrificing quality of service. Our customers are seeing service improvements, with increasing CSAT scores and higher revenue, following their move to outsourcing their call center services.

In short: we’ve spent years vetting and analyzing the top-performing global call center vendors, so you don’t have to.

Let us show you how easy it can be to thrive and overcome staffing challenges with a risk-free, no-cost consultation.

This article originally appeared on the Outsource Consultants Blog.

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Outsource Consultants is a call center outsourcing advisory firm that helps companies find the perfect fit outsource call centers. Our BPO industry experts simplify your search process by matching you with call center providers that meet your exact requirements. We save time, reduce costs, and find you the right partner, at no cost to you. To get started, request your free cost proposal.