Who’s Next? Making Your Job Outsource-proof

By Doug Davis

Fellow technical communicators, what I’m about to say is not going to win me any popularity contests. It’s the 1000-pound gorilla in the living room. It’s the emperor’s new clothes. Here it is. Ready? Outsourcing is here to stay. But why? Because a whole lot of the time, those outsourcing relationships work out just fine for the companies that choose to pursue them.

Of course, if you end up on the wrong end of a pink slip because of some outsourcing arrangement, you are in for one of the most traumatic times of your life. But if you stay ahead of the prevailing wind, there are some things you can do to help prevent your job from being the one that’s axed.

And just to liven things up a bit, I’ve included some song lyrics in italics. 


In the Beginning...

“The change it had to come. We knew it all along.”

Where did all of this outsourcing stuff come from anyway? The outsourcing fire was fanned by two big trends in our industry. The first was economics. During the nineties, the cost of experienced technical communicators kept going up, up, and up. Then, when profits within the technology sector started to fall, bean counters started looking for ways to cut costs. Outsourcing was perceived to be the answer to their financial woes.

The second big reason was the advent of telecommuting. In our industry’s eagerness to embrace telecommuting, we unwittingly set ourselves up for our jobs to be outsourced. The downside of being able to telecommute is that jobs that are able to be done remotely can be done by someone who is, well, remote. Low-cost computers, high-bandwidth Internet connections, standardization of toolsets, and countless presentations to upper management on the benefits of telecommuting set us up for outsourcing. Ready … aim … shoot your own foot.

So, for those of you whose jobs haven’t been outsourced, what can you do to help reduce the likelihood that your job will be outsourced? Here are six techniques you can use to help outsource-proof your job.

Technique 1. Ex-telecommute yourself.

“I’ll move myself and my family aside.”

If you are a telecommuter, you can easily find yourself out of the rumor loop. Make sure to have regular face time at the office and around the water cooler. Keep your ear to the cubicle wall. Learn what’s happening in other parts of the company. If outsourcing is happening elsewhere, be on red alert. It’s probably being considered on a much more widespread basis.

Technique 2. Suck up big time.

“Smile and grin at the change all around.”

When you were in school, did the teacher’s pet ever get expelled from school?  Hmmm?  It’s not pretty, but sometimes it just pays to do extra stuff for your boss. Offer to edit his/her memos or help with presentations (after hours, of course, lest they think you don’t have enough real work to do). Through doing extra stuff for your boss, you’ll get some extra face time and may even get a tip that something’s afoot. Let them vent to you about the stresses and problems they are encountering, but be sure to keep quiet about what you learn. Information is a precious thing until everyone knows it. Make your move to another job if you need to, and then try to help your coworkers. It’s like what they say on airplanes, “Put your mask on before helping others.”

Technique 3. “I’d like mine with extra SMEs, please.”

“I’ll get all my papers and smile at the sky.”

If you’ve read any of my previous columns, you know that I’m a real advocate of technical communicators becoming subject matter experts. If you know your company’s products and services inside and out, it’s going to be hard for your employers to see you walk out the door with a cardboard box. One reason is that you may take your cardboard box right across the street to their top competitor. Knowing the industry you write about is much more important than knowing about the writing industry.

Technique 4. “Wrong, wrong, wrong … better … nope still wrong.”

“Sit in judgment of all wrong.”

It’s a common scenario for companies to outsource the writing functions but retain employees for editorial and quality control functions. If you think your department could be the target for future outsourcing, it would be wise to align your job duties as closely as possible with that of a lead editor or the last check before the work goes out the door.

Technique 5. Get bossy

“And the men who spurred us on …”

In most cases, the manager is the last person standing. Writers are more likely to get outsourced than editors. Editors are more likely to get outsourced than managers. But, managers, be forewarned. Always be a manager who does real work. Edit something. Write a chapter now and then. Keep your skills current so you will be viewed as a utility player, not as overhead.

Technique 6. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

“Meet the new boss. The same as the old boss.”

Let’s say that all has failed, and your job is about to be outsourced. Consider contacting the firm that’s going to provide the services to your employer and inquire about a job. You may be a very valuable commodity to the outsourcer because you know the stuff they are going to need in order to do the work, and you have an immediate project to work on for them.

Here’s one last thought on the subject of outsourcing. Don’t burn bridges with your former employers. They may need you back later. Then, it will be time for you to decide whether working with them is a good match for your long-term strategic goals. 

(Song lyrics, "Won't Get Fooled Again," Written by Pete Townsend, Performed by The Who. On Wikipedia)

© Copyright 2010, Doug Davis