I was asked to fill out an exceptionally badly designed customer satisfaction survey yesterday. From what I could gather (from the loaded questions, leading response options and multiple bias), the purpose of the survey was to provide the company with an empirical justification to get rid of their print brochures and rely more heavily on their website so they could indirectly save the world/environment (and reduce their print budget). Their findings will recommend just that because the wording and inherent bias of the questions will only elicit these findings. Which begs the question why didn't they spend the resources on a print run of the brochure or make a donation to an enviro-org?
There is a moral to this story:
The danger of outsourcing or even in-sourcing activities to people that do not have the appropriate skill set to carry it off.
What I would recommend is getting a professional researcher to work out with them what they want to find out, what is the most appropriate research method and then the same professional can design, collate and present the findings for approximately the same time and money.
In previous roles and throughout my professional life, I've been a contract researcher doing both academic and commercial projects. It's not a black art, it's not particularly difficult but it is an acquired taste or skill. However, unfortunately most people across all disciplines think they can just knock up a survey in 20 minutes and they probably could but I will guarantee you that it won't deliver any information, what you'll be left with is a huge amount of data and nothing to base meaningful decisions.

I don't know whether the person behind this survey was a member of staff or a hired-in researcher, but what I can assume is that the company in question did not get the best person for the project because they limited themselves to their own network.

Every company, large and small, has been a victim to this mindset - better the devil you know and it's prevalent across all disciplines - horrid graphic design, sub-optimal web design, IT etc. etc.
Today we can't afford mediocrity and it's time to start exacting the best possible value for our time and money. So instead I would recommend casting the net a little wider, tendering out to a group of skilled professionals and allow yourself be impressed by their knowledge and experience rather than their address book. There are lots of online and offline networks out there, Flexitimers is one of them, use us but if not use our competitors because I just can't bare to see companies paying (time and money) for poor product in these recessionary times (pardon the cliche).

Labels: Flexible Recruitment, Flexitimers, FlexiTips, freelancing, Opportunties for contracting, Recession, Smart Work

Article in yesterday's Irish Times highlights the obvious advantages for both parties regarding interim employment for executives. That is hiring experienced professionals flexibly. This might be on a part time or contract basis. Why has this not taken off in Ireland? U.S companies have been hiring in experts for years - in times of boom and bust. Its used as a way of checking their thoughts and plans with an expert or using the expert to carry out something specific that needs real depth of experience. Do Irish management teams see this as a threat or as an admission they don't know it all? Besides the expert view - flexible consultants come at a reduced cost and are often more motivated. Recruitment companies are saying its on the rise ........but using agencies means paying for it.....remember Flexitimers is FREE and full of flexible professionals - sound like a match?? YES!

Labels: Flexible Recruitment, Flexitimers, freelancing, online recruitment, Opportunties for contracting, Smart Work

In today's Irish Times there is an article about the CEO Forum that is on next week in Dublin. CEO's from some of Ireland's largest companies are meeting to discuss how to operate in challenging times ahead.

A comment by Brian Long, chief executive of venture capital firm Atlantic Bridge struck me as relevant to Flexitimers "during periods of recession, opportunities tend to open up in the outsourcing space as large corporations pare back, reduce their workforce and then realise that they don't have the "bandwidth" to carry out certain activities such as the development of non-core products. This creates opportunities for smaller players to step in and offer their services". This is also the case for freelancers, contractors and anyone offering themselves 'flexibly' to companies. To read more check out: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2008/1107/1225925537336.html

Labels: freelancing, Opportunties for contracting