Maybe you had a nagging suspicion that there was a move to push IT tasks to an outsourcer. Or maybe it came as a big surprise when the CIO made the announcement. In either scenario you likely weren't prepared for the news and now find yourself panicked over future employment.
Your first instinct is to dust off and shore up the resume, and start calling recruiters. And while both tasks are natural responses, you also need to take a breath and examine the potential new IT roles that could be created within the company's structure, or even with the outsourcer, as well as recognise that the job change provides a real opportunity to map out your next career step.
The first steps
When Steve Kaluzny, a senior infrastructure support analyst for nine years at the Gillette Company, learned that the company was considering outsourcing the help center and his department, it didn't come as a surprise: Company leaders had alerted staff early on. The 30-year-old was one of two team leaders in the department that handled support, upgrades, and projects for desktop computers at the corporate headquarters.
-IT managers let the staff know early on they were considering outsourcing and they bid the services to several companies. The internal support group also participated as a bidder to keep the support staff in house," he related.
The outsourcing bidding and project planning took a year during which Kaluzny and his team kept working at their jobs. When the planning and bid awards were completed, GE won a three-year contract for the computer help desk, as well as on-site infrastructure support for Gillette's Boston offices.
-They didn't hide the fact they were considering outsourcing. I feel that our group was overly optimistic that by cutting costs, not filling vacancies in our group, plus the intangible benefits of having an in-house support staff would prove the winning decision," he said. In the end the decision on whom to award the outsourcing contract came down to costsâ€"there was no way the internal group could compete on price as GE uses a help center based in India.
When he first learned about the outsourcing plan, the North Attleboro, MA, resident got his resume current, registered on major Internet job sites and contacted local recruitment agencies just in case his internal department did not succeed in its effort to win the contract.
-I started working with a local outplacement agency to learn job hunting and interview skills and how to network," he said. Once he was laid off, Gillette provided severance, health insurance through the severance period, and outplacement services for a year. The outplacement benefits proved very useful, Kaluzny explained, as employees were teamed with a job counsellor to review strategy, progress, and tips on the job search.
-There were also a dozen seminars and weekly work teams sessions where you got to meet other job searchers and learn what was working or not working for them," he said.
During the job hunt, Kaluzny seriously began considering starting his own company. He believed there was a niche support market for home users and small business.
-I've always enjoyed working computer and networks and found a greatly underserved market for quality computer support. The dominant players in the repair upgrade field, local computer shops and big tech stores, don't offer home services," explained Kaluzny, president of PC Support Now. As company owner, he's continued his networking efforts to develop relationships with other local tech consultants and has made contacts with professionals across many industries.
In looking back at the outsourcing experience, Kaluzny said the first thing he would have doneâ€"before even refreshing his resumeâ€"was to meet and talk with every colleague in the company.
-I would have let them know I'm going to be in the job market and ask them about any opening and outside company contacts they might have had. [In starting my own company] I learned that networking was critical in a job search and the more people who know you are looking, the better," he said.
In addition to reaching out to colleagues, he said it's critical not to badmouth the current company you're leaving, and not to feel ashamed about losing the job to outsourcing.
-You're going to need your contacts at the company and references," he pointed out.
And above all, he added, no tech professional should believe that being outsourced is a career ender.
-Don't feel locked into your current career. Take the opportunity to re-examine what you want to do or what you want to be," he said.
In retrospect Kaluzny acknowledges that it was very unlikely that his in-house teams' effort to thwart the outsourcing effort would succeed, given the costs savings offered by offshore IT shops. Tom Mochal, president of TenStep Inc., a consultant, agrees with his assessment.
-It's hard to prepare yourself as outsourcing decisions are made on economic grounds, not based on job performance. If your company decides to outsource your function, I'm not sure that there is much you can do about it other than try to get out of the jobs that are most likely outsourced," said Mochal.
