The Perks of Outsourcing
At one point or another, you’ve probably had to tackle this question, “Should I outsource?” Whether it’s your marketing efforts, your HR department, or a big IT project, there are arguments for and against.
Maybe you want to grow your company’s capabilities by adding specialist staff, but then the research you do online seems to mostly talk about the benefits of outsourcing (minimizing the negative repercussions).
Well, when it comes to group incentive travel programs, there is one clear answer. To run a successful program that keeps your audience engaged and motivated, you need the backing of professionals.
You may be considering a program for the first time, or you may already be running one yourself. Whichever boat you’re in, take some time to consider these three reasons you should be outsourcing this function instead of trying to do it internally.
Reason 1: Planning Group Incentive Travel Is One Thing, Implementing/Executing Is Another.
While there can be hang-ups and speed bumps while traveling on your own, those problems can be compounded when things go wrong for a group incentive travel program. So, why run a half-hearted program that doesn’t completely satisfy your attendees, when you can run a full-fledged, highly functional trip that delights them instead?
There are many companies out there that try to run their own group incentive travel programs or hire a partner that focuses more on fulfillment rather than execution. The problem with these programs – in a lot of instances – is that they aren’t strategically thought through and/or are not executed to fully maximize the attendee experience.
On the other hand, when you do business with a strategic full-service group incentive travel company, you gain professional staff, whose expertise can make the difference between a truly successful trip and one that may be okay but certainly not what it could be.
Reason 2: A Fully Integrated System and Support Team vs. a Few Internal Staff.
Running a fulfilling and engaging program is tough work, especially when that weight is distributed amongst only a few internal employees. In today’s world, attention spans are fleeting, which means that keeping someone engaged day in and day out is a struggle.
In a 2015 Gallup study, it was found that only a striking 32% of employees are considered “engaged” in their day jobs. That means that you are either distracting a truly engaged employee from their regular duties or you’re placing the fate of your company’s most valuable incentive program in the hands of a “not engaged” employee or even worse, an “actively disengaged” employee.
Instead, invest in your target audience and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having a professional approach to your incentive travel experience with a strategic incentive travel partner.
Reason 3: Real Cost
One of the more common arguments you’ll hear in favor of outsourcing is that the price of hiring an agency is far less than having to expand your internal staff. Salary, benefits, you name it. It all adds up eventually, whereas outsourcing only costs an annual fee. Even if you’re not forced to expand your internal staff, there is a cost to having employees take on the additional responsibilities involved with planning and executing an incentive group travel program internally. If you really take a hard look at the opportunity cost of running a program internally, it rarely makes good financial sense.
Legendary business consultant Peter Drucker gave companies the following advice: “Do what you do best and outsource the rest!” If you’re still wondering what an outsourced incentive travel program/meeting or event would look like for you, that’s okay! Reach out to ROI – Return on Incentives at 870.918.8001 or info@returnonincentives.com and it will be our pleasure to talk you through it.
Sources:
http://stjosephsmallbusiness.com/ten-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-outsource-your-it/
http://www.gallup.com/poll/188144/employee-engagement-stagnant-2015.aspx
https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-dirty-secret-of-effective
http://www.outsourceprofessionalservices.com/why_outsource.htm