Case Study

Service Outsourcing

Employee Experience

Overview

Outsourcing services is a complex transition for any organisation, and its success hinges on employee buy-in. Keeping employees engaged, informed, and motivated from project initiation through every stage of the transition is critical to ensuring a seamless shift and long-term success.

CLIENT CHALLENGE

A multi-national corporation partially outsourced operational activities offshore, resulting in a 70/30 split between offshore and onshore staff. This transition aimed to optimize costs and leverage global talent. To achieve these goals, it was important to gather feedback and assess employee experience. Post-outsourcing, there was a sense of unrest, and productivity dipped. A subsequent employee survey indicated mixed messages.

APPROACH

Xperience Led Solutions were engaged to help and used The ‘Brilliant If Method’ programme to facilitate various workshops with input from diverse job roles, organisational levels, and locations.

KEY FINDINGS

The analysis revealed several critical challenges impacting the outsourcing transition:

Diverse Workforce, Differing Work Practices – The integration of offshore and onshore teams introduced a mix of cultural backgrounds and working styles, requiring a more cohesive approach to collaboration.
Limited Access to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) – Employees faced difficulties in identifying and connecting with the right SMEs, leading to delays in problem-solving and decision-making.
Communication Gaps – A lack of regular updates on key topics affecting departments resulted in low awareness, disengagement, and misalignment.
Siloed Teams & Knowledge Barriers – Teams operated in isolation, limiting collaboration, knowledge sharing, and resource efficiency.

Recommendation/Actions

A number of trends were identified and recommendations made and subsequently implemented.

Strengthening Communication Channels

Structured communication plans were implemented with regular updates, newsletters, intranet posts, and more regular updates at team meetings to keep employees informed about key changes and developments.

Virtual Town Halls that included interactive sessions allowing leadership and employees to share updates, answer questions in real time, and maintain transparency.

Improved Access to SMEs

A centralised, easy accessible directory was developed of subject matter experts, detailing their areas of expertise and contact information.

A single online knowledge hub was developed with simplified knowledge articles, best practices, and FAQs, reducing reliance on individual SMEs.

Optimising Collaboration and Teamwork

Better use of Unified Digital Platforms and collaboration tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack) to streamline communication, document sharing, and project management.

Promote more multidisciplinary teams to work together on key projects, leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise.

Cross-Team Exchange Programs: Implement short-term work exchanges between offshore and onshore teams to strengthen collaboration and mutual understanding.

Implementing Continuous Feedback Loops

Conduct regular pulse surveys to gauge employee sentiment and further areas for improvement.

Facilitate structured focus group discussions between offshore and onshore team representatives to address challenges and co-create solutions.

OUTCOME

This case study demonstrates the importance of post-stabilisation measures following significant changes such as outsourcing. By identifying the issues and implementing targeted solutions, the company was able to improve communication, foster a sense of community, and enhance collaboration across its dispersed workforce. The ‘Brilliant If’ method proved instrumental in identifying the root causes of the issues and guiding the development of effective solutions. This case study serves as a valuable example for other companies considering or dealing with similar challenges.