Sometimes, if you’re deciding whether to source a particular area of expertise in-house or hire externally, it can feel quite the challenge. But consider the benefits of bringing in a professional from outside your organisation:
- Have new eyes on a problem
External experts have worked with numerous different clients, and witnessed how varied business operations work. So they can introduce fresh and different insights while building firm foundations for improving the way you do things. Plus they can come up with ideas which you may not have thought of. At the same time, they can benchmark what you do against industry practice, leading to successful strategies.
- Zero office politics
Because they stand outside your organisation, external hires can sometimes make speedier decisions, plus they offer a neutral stance and have no emotional investment. This objectivity is often very helpful.
- Access to specialist knowledge
Outside professionals bring particular expertise and specialist attention to your business. Equally, the services they provide are typically highly flexible. Unlike staff on the payroll, you can take them on to match a specific project’s requirements and timescales.
- Clearer finances
Hiring externally for specialist services is cost-effective – you only pay for the work they do. That flexibility means you can scale what you buy up or down as required, and there are limited or no HR responsibilities when it comes to sickness or holiday pay and similar employee benefits.
Reach your growth goals
One good example of an external hire solution worth considering is business planning services. This will give your enterprise an effective framework for growth, by working closely with you to devise bespoke plans to meet your goals and drive growth.
The reality is that without clear goals and a firm strategy, it’s not easy to assess performance or to truly know how you’re doing.
Business planning will benefit you whatever the size of your company and whatever goods or services you provide. It can also help you, for example, to have a plan that enables a new venture to start to see profits, while business (or disaster) recovery planning means an organisation can get over a damaging event and continue to operate, while minimising negative impact. There will be timelines in place, for example, for restoring critical functions.
Clearly, each organisation is different, with its own goals and aspirations for growth. Business planning helps you come up with a unique plan which aligns with your vision for what success looks like for you.
Another way of meeting your goals through an external hire is via a wellbeing speaker. A professional like this will teach staff about techniques for reducing and managing stress, to enhance their mental health so they’re better placed to solve problems and make decisions. Indeed, there’s a holistic approach to all aspects of mental and physical health. The objectivity and distance they bring can be very inspiring.
These speakers are great choices for any event focused on lifestyle or personal development, from company events and conferences to leadership meetings and team awaydays. The resulting positive impact is typically very long-lasting.
So, next time you’re weighing up internal vs. external input, consider the benefits to your business of bringing in these sorts of services from outside.