When You Should Outsource Your eLearning Writing Content
Unfortunately, despite the increased resources, internal eLearning content writing initiatives still don’t come up to par, and course sponsors and administrators look to outsource some of that work.
What are the signs that your eLearning writing content could use a bit of outsourcing assistance?
7 Signs To Look For
Sometimes, it’s not the number of resources that matters. Despite adequate staffing and budgeting, your eLearning content projects might still not be living up to learner expectations. You need to monitor for signs that there’s trouble brewing and get help as soon as possible.
Here are 7 signs that indicate you might need outsourced help with your eLearning content writing:
1. Overworked And Exhausted
If your in-house team is constantly signaling you that they are overworked and exhausted, it’s time to get some help. By pushing your staff to the limit, you do not only risk burning them out, but you might also stifle their creativity; this is a much-needed characteristic for eLearning content writers.
You could either look to temporarily outsource some work, or opt for a policy of strategically outsourcing specific elements of your eLearning on a long-term basis. Whether it’s task-based outsourcing or long-term partnerships, the earlier you spot the need and address it, the better it will be for the health of your business.
2. Missed Deadlines
Both businesses and professional content creators often work to tight deadlines. But if your teams continue missing deadlines for important projects, it’s a sign that they need help. Whether your team produces eLearning content for in-house consumption, or they service external clients, outsourced resources can help them better meet tight deadlines.
A great solution to meeting tight deadlines is to outsource eLearning writing content while maintaining course design and Project Management in-house.
3. Poor Quality
Oftentimes, “loyal” team members shy away from admitting they need help. Despite the odds, they’ll give it all for the company. However, the symptoms proving that something is wrong often show up in terms of poor quality. If an otherwise “well-staffed” and “highly-trained” team of professionals starts delivering poor quality content, that might be a sign that your eLearning writing content needs some outsourced support.
One option might be to outsource eLearning content writing and use the skills of internal staff, who know your clients and processes better than any outsider, for quality control.
4. Low Repeat Customer Ratio
As hard as it is for content producers to find great clients, it’s equally challenging for clients to find skilled content producers. So, if your engagements are often single project relationships, there might be an issue with your content production team. Clearly, after just one assignment, clients feel they won’t be getting the best from your team. Perhaps that’s a sign for you to look to outsource some of your content needs to a third-party with broader content writing experience than that of your existing team.
Your in-house team can then focus more of their attention on service management, client needs, and customer satisfaction while leaving the bulk of content writing to outsourced professionals.
5. Frequently Decline Work Requests
Do you find yourself frequently saying “No!” to your company’s HR department when it comes to requests for new courses? Are you constantly turning down lucrative eLearning content writing contracts from customers? The problem might be that you have tasked your team to capacity. It’s time for you to consider outsourcing some of that content writing to outside agencies.
The beauty of outsourcing is that it does not have to be a “permanent thing”. By establishing a network of pre-vetted outsourcing contractors, you can pass on any work overflows as and when your internal team feels overwhelmed. You’ll never have to decline a work request, ever!
6. Challenging Ramp Up To Important Milestone Events
Do you notice that you constantly face seasonal challenges (say, when creating eLearning content when a client introduces new products or services in the summer, winter or holiday season) with content writing? If so, then a seasonal outsourcing ramp-up/ramp-down strategy might be right for you!
Are you unsure that your team will be able to deliver on an upcoming learning module development milestone? If you see some critical eLearning content writing milestones coming up, but don’t think you can handle them, it’s better to up-staff your team with an outsourced capacity well before things get worse. The reverse would be disappointing to your clients or scurrying for good outsourced resources at the last minute.
7. Budget Constraints
Is your boss constantly cautioning you about exceeding your eLearning writing content budget? Do you find that you spend more money creating eLearning content for clients than what you bid for the project? If that’s the case, then you should evaluate a more cost-effective option for some of your writing engagements; outsourcing!
Outsourced writing services are cheaper because you don’t pay for tools, training, employee benefits and overheads, then that becomes your outsourced partner’s responsibility. Most outsourcing contracts are fixed-fee engagements. Instead of worrying about managing your budget, why not manage those fixed fee contracts so you’ll never be over budget on your next eLearning content creation project?
Finding The Right Outsourcing Partner
If you recognize many of the signs highlighted above, like things you see within your own content creation team, then it’s time for you to consider outsourcing.
