Outsourcing computer work and customer service work has become extremely popular lately because it is easy to find someone qualified to help you with your business needs. The types of jobs that are most frequently posted in major outsourcing websites range from basic computer tasks, database work, web design, logo design, software creation, creative writing, finance and accounting.
There are many outsourcing websites that have very good reputations, but our main focus is going to be on Odesk.com. Odesk.com provides three things that make it unique and reliable.
Odesk provides online tests for employees to take to prove their skills. They have a total of 341 different tests that service providers can take. Each test is a forty question, online test. Only 57% of the people who take these tests pass them.
When workers take tests in their skill areas their scores are published in their profiles. You will be able to see the name of the test and the percentage of questions they got right. This type of information is a time saver and such a blessing. It helps contractors find people that really are capable of completing your job. If you find someone who ranked in the top ten percent of the skills tests that you feel they need, then chances are you’ll have a satisfying experience with them.
Odesk.com also allows work providers to give an honest evaluation of the person they are working for. So if you are a pain in the neck to work for, it won’t be long before that reputation will follow you. On the other hand if you are considerate, explain your job well and are patient with your work providers, they are able to provide that feedback for others to see. It’s important that you are a good employer so people will apply for your jobs and feel comfortable working with you.
The third thing Odesk.com does is provide hourly workers with a program that records their work. If you are paying someone by the hour, the program intermittently takes screen shots of the providers’ desktop so you can see what they are working on. This helps you to keep track of what they are doing. Working time is automatically tracked for you. Payments and billing are handled through software at Odesk.com. Your workers get paid in a timely manner and you will receive an invoice for tax purposes.
Outsourcing some of your work to people who have specific skills that you don’t, is invaluable. With the rapid pace of technology improvements, the smart business person will benefit from the thousands of workers that are seeking more work. You may even find that many of the workers are extremely grateful to you for giving them a chance to get started. One worker said, ” I want to tell you that you gave me a lot of scope to work for the first time in Odesk. Thanks again for that. I will be grateful to you ever.”
