The Myth of Lower Quality in Offshore Marketing Teams

When someone hears you’ve hired an offshore marketing team or thinking of hiring one, you may get some eye rolls and unfavorable comments. This is because many people don’t understand the benefits of offshore teams. They believe that hiring offshore lowers the bar on quality. Nothing could be further from the truth! Hiring offshore marketing teams gives you access to quality workers without having to worry about geographical barriers. This is extremely appealing to companies looking for the best in the business. It’s important to remember that quality issues are typically the result of process failures, not geographic ones. In today’s business world, quality is driven by expectations, training, and leadership, not passports.

Let’s take a look at some common myths surrounding offshore marketing teams as well as the realities and benefits of having an offshore team on your side.

Offshore Marketing Team Myths

If you have an offshore marketing team working for you, these common myths may sound familiar:

• Offshore=Low Quality

  It doesn’t matter where your candidates are located. Poor hiring practices create poor outcomes regardless of location. Quality depends on the provider’s vetting process. Do they get to really know who is applying? Do they take the time to assess skills? Do they use a video interview process? These are things that can help to find quality employees, no matter where they live.

• There is Poor Communication

  While you may need to be creative to communicate in real time due to time zone differences, the quality of your communication can still be top-notch. It just requires looking for modern collaboration tools. Slack and Zoom are just two examples that make it easy for teams to communicate no matter where they are.

  When real-time communication is not possible, managers and team members can use platforms like Loom to record videos. This allows for detailed communication about a project. It also enables the employee to replay sections if they have questions. This can only strengthen the quality of your offshore marketing team and your product.

• Employers Want Cheap Labor

  While hiring offshore workers can save money, it is not about finding the least expensive workers. It’s about finding the most qualified. When a company does not limit itself to a single geographic location, it opens itself up to workers from around the globe. In this space, you can find workers who best fit your qualifications. Offshore marketers often specialize deeply due to competitive talent markets.

  Many employers are looking to offshore teams to buy time and talent. Companies can access niche expertise. They may not be able to find a world-class SEO specialist for a specific niche nearby, but when they can search globally, they can. Understanding that these myths are truly just that, myths, is important for both employers and employees. So what are the realities?

Realities of Hiring Offshore Marketing Teams

Once you dispel the myths, it’s important to look at the realities and benefits of hiring an offshore marketing team.

• Improved Efficiency and Outcomes

  With the right training, offshore teams can help boost efficiency. Think about it as having a 24-hour workforce. Due to timezone differences, many offshore workers are doing their jobs while your local teams are sleeping, and vice versa. This means work is being produced around the clock. When you close yourself off to hiring only local teams, there is a long window of time when no work is being done. By expanding offshore, you should see a large boost in your outcomes.

• Highly-Skilled Talent Pool

  Offshore marketing professionals know their trade and are ready to use their skills. When you extend your hiring options beyond your regional areas, you can find highly skilled and educated workers who are ready to get started. Many offshore professionals have experience supporting US and global brands.

• Globalization of Skill Sets

  Skill sets have become globalized. A graphic designer in Argentina can have access to the same software as their counterpart in California. This means that they can provide the same products no matter where they are. In many cases, offshore hubs have become more specialized than their domestic counterparts because they serve a global clientele.

• Focus and Scalability

  Offshore teams can tend to produce higher-quality work because of their structure. Domestic in-house teams are frequently bogged down by office politics and endless internal meetings. Many offshore teams operate on a results-oriented structure. Their value is tied to output and KPIs. This creates a culture of high accountability.

How to Ensure High-Quality Offshore Marketing Teams

To get all of the benefits of hiring an offshore marketing team, you have to do some work. You get what you give, and these are some of the things you need to offer:

• ​Treat Offshore Teams as Internal Talent - Offshore teams don’t want to feel like they work for another company. They want to feel part of the big picture. To achieve this, involve them in company emails and chats. Act as if they are in the next cubicle, not across the globe.

• Invest in Training - When you invest in the proper training, everyone knows how to do their job, so everyone wins. You get employees who have a clear vision of their expectations. Employees get the skills they need. This works so much better than handing out tasks to a team that may not be up to speed on what to do. By using universal training, both local and offshore teams can perform their jobs more effectively.

• Thorough Vetting Process - Since you cannot meet your offshore team in person, you want to ensure all candidates undergo a strict vetting process. Some companies hire an agency to do this for them because of the time it can take. Do whatever works for your system and your budget. If you are taking this on yourself, be aware of data security measures and the proper quality control procedures.

FAQ About Hiring Offshore Marketing Teams

What are the biggest challenges to consider when hiring an offshore marketing team?

The major challenges of hiring offshore marketing talent are managing different time zones, potential language barriers, and protecting data security. While these are challenges, they can be overcome. Utilizing communication platforms and implementing IP protection standards can help in the process.

How do I ensure quality with an offshore team?

One of the main ways to ensure quality with an offshore team is to focus on consistent performance tracking. This is not micro-managing. This is implementing software that allows employees to store their work and for you to check it. It can also include regular performance reviews to ensure everyone is on track. This is also an excellent time to ask questions.

What should I look for in an offshore marketing candidate?

Once you have a clear job description, look for strong technical and problem-solving skills, and for highly organized candidates. You also want someone who is a self-starter and requires little supervision.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to hiring offshore marketing teams, don’t listen to the myths! There are highly educated and skilled offshore teams who are looking to work with American-based companies. By expanding globally, your company can get the talent that can catapult them to the next level. Just be sure that you, or an outside agency, is thoroughly vetting candidates to find the best quality team. You also want to make sure that all safety protocols are in place when transferring information globally. If you’re looking for more insight about hiring offshore teams, contact Turnkey. We help companies best organize and manage their teams for maximum efficiency no matter where they are.