Outsourcing has become one of the most significant developments in the business scene in recent decades. Even small businesses can expand their operations greatly using the strategy. However, with all that rapid development, companies might overlook many things regarding this business strategy.
One of these is the ethical implications of outsourcing. The issue has become more prominent as the business strategy becomes more global. Let’s take a look at this matter and find out how you can outsource more ethically.
Understanding The Nature Of Outsourcing
Before we get into the ethical issues, we should understand its rationale. Outsourcing as we know it today first appeared in the 1990s. During that time, certain companies started offering their services to others, taking in tasks that these latter organizations do internally.
The draw with these offers is that these new outsourcing firms offered to do the various tasks for a lower cost than when done internally. With such a benefit, companies could divert the savings they gained into other operational needs, making it easier for them to grow.
The digital revolution of the late 90s and early 2000s further accelerated the growth of the outsourcing industry. The internet allowed companies to connect with these firms without meeting up physically. New technologies like mobile devices further made these more feasible and cost-effective.
The Emerging Ethical Issues Of Outsourcing
However, outsourcing’s fast growth also created concerns about impact on the global labor force. That is also where the question of whether outsourcing is ethical. The following are some of the most significant concerns critics raised about the topic.
Exploitation Of Workers
Remember how we said that the biggest draw of outsourcing is the lower cost? The concern is how these firms can even achieve these lower costs. The most common solution for these companies is to look for workers willing to do the task for lower rates.
Thi9s situation already sets up a question of unfair labor practices. After all, you get people with the same talent as an internal team but are paid less for the same effort to accomplish the task. And it goes much deeper from here.
There is also the issue of exploitation. Many of these workers willingly take on multiple jobs to earn their keep. Unscrupulous firms take advantage of this, forcing them to work long hours with little pay. Because of this, outsourcing is often wrongfully associated with the notorious practice of sweatshops.
The Impact Of Globalization
Outsourcing has also become a significant part of globalization, as companies turn to different countries to build their labor force. However, this has also raised concerns from workers in these companies’ home countries.
The biggest complaint is that the move is taking jobs from local workers. As such, the practice is seen as a threat to their livelihood. Because of these, there is a strong push in countries like the United States to limit the scope of outsourcing and bring back jobs onshore.
Security And Service Quality Concerns
There has also been a growing concern about the security risks outsourcing can create. Multiple situations create such a concern. For instance, the security issues might be due to providers not diligently performing their security duties.
These concerns can be indicative of bigger service quality issues. Such situations can be more noticeable when outsourcing globally, as there is often little oversight. That can negatively impact the perception of outsourcing as a whole.
An Ethical Outsourcing Solution
With all these concerns, you might wonder whether there is a way to make outsourcing truly ethical. At Virtua Solutions, we believe it to be so. As such, we made it our mission to provide clients with the highest quality service they can find.
Giving Our Team The Best
Everything starts with being an ethical employer. Having been a part of the outsourcing industry for more than a decade, our founders Francis Guintu and Penny Lat know too well the challenges agents go through. As such, they made sure to help agents overcome these to deliver quality service.
Beyond giving our agents what is due to them, we strive to provide more for them. In particular, we ensure that every Virtua agent gets their benefits. We believe that this is always a strong motivator to encourage quality service.
Virtua also provides them with greater work flexibility. That is our very reason for adopting a fully remote business model. With that, we believe that our agents can accomplish all their duties and stay connected with their families.
Making A Stronger Commitment Towards Quality Service
We have also made it our mission to do more for our clients. For that, we have created a comprehensive engagement process to ensure we can create the right services for clients. And we work closely with you to make this happen.
Another important aspect for us is transparency. As such, we provide clients with a full declaration of the processes we do. You can scrutinize the process and ensure that everything is correct. We also help you better understand various regulations that govern our work. Virtua believes this is the most effective way to earn your trust in us.
Get The Ethical Outsourcing Solution For Your Business
Ethics is more than just a buzzword. It is a crucial element that cements the trust of clients in a business. And we at Virtua Solutions firmly believe that it should always be at the forefront of our service. Discover what more we can offer to you today.