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Outsourcing is good for your career
But UK workers sceptical...

By Sylvia Carr

Published: Wednesday 12 January 2005

Staff fear for their jobs when their employers look to outsource work but the process could be beneficial for their careers, according to recent research from IT consultancy LogicaCMG.

Over 80 per cent of employees surveyed in Europe said they've had concerns - including worries about job security - when their employers considered outsourcing.

Yet seven out of 10 admitted after the outsourcing went into effect, they were more satisfied in their new positions than before; the same number agreed the change revitalised their career. Nearly half also said they view outsourcing as an opportunity to take on a more specialised role than they had previously undertaken.

When it comes to seeing as outsourcing as an career opportunity, though, UK respondents are the most pessimistic of the lot with one-sixth saying they saw the change as a chance to move into new industries. This compares with a third in Germany and the Netherlands and one-fifth in France.

UK employees are also more likely than the overall group to consider moving jobs if the transition to outsourcing is poorly handled, with over a third saying they'd seriously contemplate such a move.

The best ways for employers to deal with staff as they outsource work, according to LogicaCMG, are to talk to staff about why the company is making the change early in the process and to outline benefits to individuals as well at to the company as a whole. Management should also work closely with work councils, allow employees to give feedback and do their best to make present workers feel part of the new team.

The research is based on interviews with 200 individuals in the UK, Netherlands, France and Germany who have employers that have outsourced positions.