It is worth saying from the outset that outsourcing reception is not right for every company.
If you have a trusted receptionist who has been with you for years, knows every client by name and never lets you down, there is no point in replacing them with an external service.
But if you are reading this, that is probably not your case and you find yourself in one of these situations:
- Your receptionist is leaving and you do not want to go through the recruitment process again
- You have a part-time post that is hard to fill
- Holidays and sick leave leave you without cover for several weeks a year
- You have grown and need a reception, but you do not want to take on more staff right now
If any of these sounds familiar, read on.
What outsourcing reception is (and is not)
Outsourcing means that an external company takes care of filling the post with its own staff. You define what you need and the provider selects, hires, trains and manages the person.
A temporary staffing agency works differently. With an agency, the worker is part of your day-to-day and you direct their work. If there are problems, you deal with them. In an outsourced service, management sits with the provider. If someone is not working out, you call and they replace them, and if someone is off sick, they put in a substitute.
The quality should be the same. A good provider selects professional profiles, trains them in your protocols and supervises them. The result should be as good as, or better than, hiring directly.
The real advantages
Guaranteed cover. This is the main advantage. During holidays, sick leave or resignations, the provider covers the post. You do not have to find a substitute, train anyone in a hurry or leave the post empty for two weeks.
Flexibility. If you only need to cover mornings or three days a week, or you want to scale up in high season and back down afterwards, that is complicated with direct hiring, whereas with an external service a phone call is enough.
Less management. Payroll, social security contributions, holidays and disputes are handled by the provider. You only check that the service is working.
A trial with no commitment. If you are not sure you need a permanent reception, you can start with an external service for a few months and decide later.
The disadvantages
Less direct control. The person is not on your payroll. Day-to-day instructions go through the provider, who holds the employment relationship. If you want someone to feel "part of the team", this is a barrier.
Possible turnover. This depends on the provider. Good ones keep the same person at your company for as long as it works. Bad ones change them every few months, and each time you have to explain everything again.
A slightly higher cost. If you compare a direct employee's gross salary with the cost of the service, the service looks more expensive. But that comparison is misleading, because it leaves out social security, managing sick leave, recruitment costs and training time. Once you add everything up, the difference is smaller, and sometimes outsourcing even works out cheaper.
Dependence on the provider. If the provider is poor and you want to switch, you will go through an awkward transition period. Choose carefully from the start.
What to ask before signing up
Five questions that will give you real information:
What happens if the assigned person is not a good fit? Good answer: "We replace them within X days at no cost". Bad answer: "That does not usually happen".
How do you handle unexpected absences? Good answer: "We have trained reserve staff and a substitute is in place in less than 24 h". Bad answer: "We do what we can".
Who will my contact be? Good answer: a name and a direct phone number. Bad answer: "The customer service department".
Can you show me profiles before we start? Good answer: "Yes, we will send you CVs and you can interview them if you like". Bad answer: "Trust us".
Which companies similar to mine are your clients? Good answer: specific names and permission to contact them. Bad answer: "Many, but they are confidential".
How the cost is calculated
The price depends on the hours of cover you need, whether it is full-time or part-time, and the languages and experience you require. It usually includes everything, from salary and insurance to management and substitutions.
To compare it with hiring someone directly, looking at the salary is not enough. You have to add social security, managing holidays and sick leave, substitutions, recruitment when someone leaves and the weeks without cover. With all of that on the table, the difference is usually smaller than it seems.
The most practical approach is to ask for a quote based on your hours and needs, and do the sums with every factor before deciding.
Is it worth it for you?
The decision is usually clear when you think about it in these terms.
Outsourcing makes sense if the problem is management, in other words if what weighs on you is covering absences, finding substitutes, organising holidays or repeating recruitment every time someone leaves.
It makes less sense if the problem is cost. If your main concern is paying as little as possible, direct hiring is usually cheaper (although the difference is smaller than it seems).
And if what you want is someone who is part of the team, grows with you and comes to the Christmas party, hire directly. An external service does not offer that.
Who it makes sense for
It tends to suit advisory firms that need someone from 9 to 14, industrial companies that want full cover and offices that only need back-up when their receptionist is on leave. In every case, the aim is to sort out reception without adding management to the day-to-day.
If that sounds like you and you are in Galicia, let us talk. We will tell you how we would do it and what it would cost, with no commitment and without selling you anything you do not need.
