Seeking Employment in Outsourcing? Here's 5 things to consider

As the economy continues to slowly improve, many are looking at opportunities outside their domestic markets and often with companies that are global players.  We particularly heard from jobseekers looking at the global players such as Softtek, Genpact, Neusoft, Luxoft, TCS, Infosys, Cognizant and others.  We also heard from employers and talked to them about how they attract employees.  What are the most important things you need to know about seeking employment with a global services provider?


To find out, I talked to our professional connections on looking for ideas applicable to evaluating global (or multinational) service providers, rather than strictly domestic employers. The ideas range from micro issues, such as knowing the leadership style of your direct supervisor, to macro issues about the company's financials and reputation of its senior leadership.




To help encourage discussion and debate about these ideas, I am going to rank them from 5th to 1st in importance to you, a global job candidate.  




5 – Company Culture


Does the company have a strong record of diversity? Does it employ leaders from outside of its home country? Does it promote women to key positions of authority? Is the company culture primarily top-down or a bit more collaborative and entrepreneurial? What are the stated and actual expectations for your work hours? Is work-life balance something embraced by this firm? Does the company donate money – or employee hours – to advance any social causes?
 


4 – Compensation & Benefits


Some global service providers provide stock options or warrants to employees, while others do not. Is the company public or privately held? What percentage of the compensation is tied to variables goals that are beyond your span of influence? Has the company met its group compensation targets despite the downturn?
 Executive education is also a factor for executives looking to assume more responsibility. Does the company provide continuous education for all of its employees? Does the company have a commitment to provide paid executive education? 
 


3 – Working Globally


Does the company have competitive and generous relocation policies? Does the company provide relocated executives with perks such as housing and transportation stipends?  Where are the company's main offices? How long has the company been in that location? (That demonstrates a commitment by the company to the location.) Does the location provide good quality housing, schools, infrastructure, and security? Could your spouse work in that location – and would he or she be happy there? 



2 – Management


Find out about the reputation of the firms and its leaders. Are executives rotated through different positions to give them a range of experience? Are executives in that organization cherry-picked or recruited by competing firms? What's the leadership style of your direct supervisor? Is he or she flexible and interested in advancing your career? 
 


1 – Know the company's financials


Find out if the company is profitable. How does the company's earnings compare to its peers? What's the target profit margin on a sale? Which lines of business drive its profits or losses? Will you be asked to work in a group that is under-resourced or in need of a transformation?

I am hoping that as many of you look at career options in this economy, you still take the time to make sure that you are looking at the above five keys to evaluate the employer.  Finally, I hope that employers look at this to build an inviting work environment.

________________________________________________________________________________
Atul Vashistha is Founder & Chairman of Neo Group, a global firm focused on global supply monitoring, outsourced program management and sourcing advisory. His latest venture is BestOutsourcingJobs.com, an online job portal focused on outsourcing careers. Atul is also a Founding Board Member of IAOP.