Employers hire employees to help take some of the load of their shoulders and relieve some of their stress. But, sometimes hiring/outsourcing employees becomes more stressful than helpful. So, you may be wondering, where do we go to find people to outsource? Well here’s a list of major outsourcing options we have tried and what we’ve found out about each one. Along with some practical templates to use when posting outsourcing jobs, interview questions, and more.

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* Craig’s List ? This is a great place to find good local people if you live in a big city. Sometimes you get lucky and have someone respond that isn’t local, but you have to watch out or you?ll just end up with a lot of spam mail from wanna-be’s that live inside and outside the US.

* RentaCoder ? We’ve had a lot of success with RentaCoder, but their interface is horrible. The bad really outweighs the good in this situation.

* oDesk.com ?Only oDesk has certification tests for applicants to take so you can measure their skills BEFORE you waste time interviewing them. They also allowed us to see exactly what my team was working on at any given moment through screen capture software. Ding, ding, ding… here’s your winner. oDesk.com is by far your best solution to your outsourcing needs especially when it comes to virtual assistants, data mining and data entry.

So, now that we have our solution, where do we go from here? Well, first things first, you must always remember that your loyalty is to yourself and your business, and to no one else. We know that sounds really selfish, but if your focus is there, then you and your business will thrive and that will allow you to not only provide for your family, but your employees as well. For example: My husband and his father own their own trucking company and they have two drivers that work for them. My husband’s father is always telling him, ?We are running a business, not a charity.? Yes, you are supposed to take care of your employees, but don’t sacrifice everything penny and motive you built your business on to do it.

Secondly, you may be worried about the quality of the work being performed by your employees. What happens when their work isn’t quite meeting your expectations? Well, the simple answer is that its your problem, not your employee’s problem. If you are unable to keep your staff doing exactly what they are suppose to do then it is your fault. You MUST take responsibility. But, you may be thinking, ?I don’t have time to baby sit, I have my own kids to do that with.? You need to find a trusted assistant and you can’t just go fine anyone – you should give the position to someone who has proven themselves as a loyal and dedicated worker. For example: Let’s say we have an affiliate website which has been built, but it’s not getting any traffic or sales. It’s important, but you have so many other things pressing your time that it always is at the bottom of your list.

So, we decide to hire a team to get the site into shape. We have decided to pay hourly, so this means each person doesn’t have to work 40 hours a week. Let’s say your budget is 200 hours per week for outsourcing. Instead of hiring five full timers (40?5=200), you could hire specialists and this will quadruple your staff size, while keeping your budget (10?20=200). This is a great way to set it up especially because if you hired a full-time SEO and suddenly they stop showing up to work, you have to start the entire process all over again. See if you have three ?part-timers? and one doesn’t show, the project can still keep moving along. Once we started treating my outsourcing like we do affiliate marketing, things became less stressful.

Now you see how we treat my outsourcing options, no this is how we hire:

STEP ONE: You need to figure out, ?What do we need??

* an admin to take care of any server issues, logins, database setups, blog installs, etc.

* a researcher (keywords, articles, competition, etc.)

* a writer (articles, copy, blog, etc.)

* an editor (to ensure the copy is correct)

* an SEO (driving traffic)

* a programmer (if needed)

Okay, that’s seven positions. Let’s just take one of them for our example, the SEO.

STEP TWO: You should post the job

You want to specifically state what you want in a potential employee. If you get a candidate who clearly didn’t read the job listing, you should reject them immediately. Because you are after stars here and in the world economy, there are plenty of great and talented people who can’t find work, so be specific and don’t settle. Below is an example of a job posting for an SEO:

Title: SEO Specialist

Job Description:

We are looking for someone who is passionate about SEO and has the skills to propel our affiliate programs to the top using only best practices (white hat) methodologies.

Skill Set Needed:

* Passing grade in the Search Engine Optimization certification exam in oDesk

* Analyze website architecture, content, and make optimization changes.

* Understand the difference between a ‘traffic keyword phrase? and a ?converting keyword phrase?

* Optimize various site components including copy, meta tags page title/descriptions, internal linking, site map, compliancy issues, etc.

* Understand server admin issues such as .htaccess editing

* Follow proper SEO guidelines

* Monitor SEO performance with our custom tracking software

* Be able to provide innovation, key changes, and spot ?problem areas? before they become problems

* Perform competitive analysis to stay one step ahead of the competition

* Improve knowledge of current SEO practices to develop and recommend new SEO strategies.

* Maintain awareness of various SEO resources and tools.

Qualifications Include?

* 3+ years involved with SEO including hands-on optimization and link building.

* A complete understanding of search engine trends and search engine algorithms.

* Must have working knowledge of HTML, XHTML, PHP, CSS, and JavaScript.

* Should be familiar with CMS, Shopping Cart and Ecommerce Systems.

* Possess excellent communication skills and is a cooperative team player

* Ability to manage multiple assignments and meet scheduled due dates.

* Experience with leading search engine ranking, traffic and analysis software.

The very first qualification is that they must take and pass the SEO test in oDesk. Now, we am a big believer that if you require a test to be taken, that you should take that test too. What’s your reason behind this, you might ask. Well if your skill set in SEO is just average and you take the test and pass it, you should feel pretty good. But do you really want to offer compassion to an applicant who says, ?I failed the test, but we could do a real good job for you?? Probably not, so you should shoot for a SEO Specialist who can get a higher grade than you. And if they can’t, they shouldn’t even be considered, because there are too many others out there waiting for their golden opportunity.

STEP THREE: Search for Prospects

Just like the best workers don’t look at the ?classified ads?, you will find that the best people on oDesk don’t always look for openings, because they are busy with their current projects. So it is up to you to seek them out. Use oDesk’s search capabilities to find the right candidates and you should invite them for an interview. Since we want an ?SEO Specialist? click on ?Advanced Search? on the left side of the screen and input the following:

* Search for ?SEO -asp -php -design? and we want ?Search Titles Only? checked ? that way we am only getting SEO Specialists, not a programmer or web designer who thinks they know SEO.

* Feedback score, choose ?at least 3.0?. This way they have completed at least one project and their feedback was average.

* Hourly Rate: we put a minimum at $8.00 and a cap at $25.00.

* Provider Type: we choose ?Individuals? as we have had far better experiences with individuals vs. working with a company.

* Last Activity: Within the last 15 days.

* Tests Passed: Choose Search Engine Optimization (I wish you could choose more than one here).

* Check ?Is oDesk Ready?. If they haven’t done that, they aren’t worth your time.

* English Level: Leave this alone. This is a ‘self assessment? and all those we have fired because they couldn’t communicate in English all had ?5 stars? here.

I am only looking to invite 3-5 of the best SEOs to apply for an interview, so we must use my time well. we look at their title; are they a specialist, or are they good at many things, (SEO, Word, Link Building, Accounting, Washing Your Dog, etc.), but an expert in nothing? The title is the key. All we want to see in the title is SEO related information and that is it. Once you find a good prospect, click the link of their profile to view the details. Go straight to the upper-right section and I?m looking at the hourly rate, Total oDesk hours, their location, and their current assignments.

If their their rate does not mesh with their location (i.e. $20.00 an hour in India doesn’t mesh, nor does $4.00 an hour in the U.S.) that is a red flag. The current assignments are also key when selecting a prospect. If they have five or more, no matter how good they seem, click ?Save as Favorite? and keep moving, because they are obviously too busy right now and if you hire them the experience has failure written all over it. If your really interested, you should wait a week or two and then check again to see if they have opened up.

You should get between 10-25 additional applicants over a three-day period for your job posting.

STEP FOUR: The Interview

The best way to start the interview process is to have them answer a series of questions. These questions will help you narrow down the list and may even help you learn a thing or two. Here is an example of the list that we send (make sure you remove the text in parenthesis before you send them onto your prospect):

1) What SEO tools do you use on a weekly basis? (I want to know how well versed they are in the market and an SEO’s toolset says a lot about them, the same way a carpenter’s toolbox does. This can also enlighten you on tools you didn’t know about).

2) What kind of strategies have you implemented to achieve at least a PR5 for a current client and what is the domain? (Run a backlink check on the site they give you with SEO Elite or another link analysis product. Are there shady links? Paid links? Link Farms? If it looks solid, ask them to put your name (temporarily) in the meta author tag, or place your name somewhere on the home page to verify they have control over the site).

3) What’s the difference between PageRank and ToolBar PageRank? (I love this question. If you get Aren’t they the same? end the interview immediately. They should know the ToolBar PageRank is delayed much like stock quotes are online, but Google measures PageRank continually).

4) How do you evaluate whether an SEO campaign is working? (Hopefully the answer here is conversions and not ‘traffic? or worse, ‘top ranking?)

5) Why does Google rank Wikipedia at the top for so many topics? (Great question which should produce insightful answers, but they should be aware of ?authoritativeness? in the market).

6) Do a Google search on this candidate’s name (If you cannot find them, that’s a red flag. And if you cannot find them, ask why not).

7) Of the well-known SEOs, who do you pay attention to and who are you not likely to pay attention to? (I love this one. They should know the top SEOs in the US and UK, even if they are in India).

8 ) What industry sites, blogs, and forums do you regularly read? (This is a great question and they better rattle off less than a dozen or it is a warning that they spend too much time reading and not enough time working).

9) Tell me your biggest failure in an SEO project (good question ? and if they don’t mention an actual failure, reject them. Everyone fails. we still fail).

10) In what areas of SEO are you strongest? (test these areas heavily to make sure they are really strong in those areas).

11) In what areas of SEO are you weakest? (make sure they actually admit to a weakness. Those who state I?m too organized or we have too much attention to detail are red flags. Everyone has weaknesses).

There you go. That should give you plenty of information to really get a feel for their worth, but yet save you from burying them with too many unneeded questions.

STEP FIVE: Test Project

Once you find someone you feel is good for the position, the next step should be to have them do a test project. The biggest mistake you can make is to give them the site you want promoted, because that would be like giving your sixteen year old the keys to your Porsche and saying, ?Here you go! Have fun learning to drive!? If you have a junk domain, you should use that one, or register one and assign them 5 hours to complete a certain task. Five hours is the maximum you use on a test project. Keep it short, to the point and measurable. You are testing not just their work, but also their communication skills.

STEP SIX: Hiring

If they prove their worth in the test project, you should hire them. According to Howie, never just hire the exact number of employees you need, go above and beyond, by hiring a few extra. Staff can as easily disappear as they appeared, which may leave you high and dry with a major deadline just around the corner. You should never let this happen to you, and the best way to prevent that is by keeping more staff than you feel you need. You can never have too many people.

Pay rate: You should never hire someone just because of money. If someone charges $150.00 an hour but you make $500.00 an hour from their work, is it worth it? Of course, they are worth it. Just like a $5.00 per hour employee that only drives you nuts and never increases your revenue isn’t worth it.

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Training

This is where every business owner gets frustrated. ?I hate training! We feel like we do so much of it, and the turnover is just as high. Well, then do it once and forget about it. We use Camtasia with a simple Plantronics headset to record the trainings. Keep them brief and to the point, and don’t ramble. When things change, you can just go into the file and make your updates. This way, when someone is hired, they can go through your training without you having to spend time doing it yourself.

As you can see, this is a big time saver and they also get you at your best. This type of training will also removes the stress of turnover, because you can plug the next person in easily as you did the first, because the training is ready anytime, Another plus is that if they have a question, they can reference the training material. Once you start doing it this way, you will wonder how you lived without it. Especially, since it is in Flash, they can review it at anytime ? even at 3am when you are sleeping. And since training is so convenient now, you should know that training is never regulated to only the beginning of employment, it should be ongoing and take place at least once a month.

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How to Retain The Good Ones and Find Your Project Manager

I mentioned this earlier in the article, that you can’t just go out and hire a project manager. You have to promote from within. Well you may be wondering. ?Why?? Well its because the project manager has to be a ?workaholic? and share many of the same values as you have, and unfortunately that information isn’t on a resume, and its not just going to come up in the interview. This important little tidbit of information is going to come out, during the first week or two of employment. Here are the qualities that we look for:

1) They show up. Laugh if you want, but in today’s market, having an employee/contractor who shows up every day and who is dependable is gold.

2) Displays a ?keen eye?. They take notice of areas that are problematic and fix them without being told. For instance, ?I noticed the pages you asked me to edit had an old copyright date and didn’t have a link to your privacy statement, so we took care of it for you.?

3) Meets deadlines. This means a project is done by the date you needed it done, and if it’s not, they have a reasonable explanation as to why it isn’t done and when you can expect it.

4) Offers suggestions on project improvement. They communicate how a different approach could lend to more traffic, conversions, revenue, etc.

5) Consistently exceeds expectations. They are low stress, and low maintenance, but still of high value.

Once you have found the one you?d like to become the project manager, you?ll know it and you should approach them with the idea but don’t make them an offer. This will give you time to gauge their reaction. If they have experience in the field and say, ?I?d love it? or ?That is my dream job? then you can proceed with the offer, but if their reaction is, ‘sounds okay? or something that is less than enthusiastic, then you may wish to pull back and wait for another employee to step up.

Key Point: There is a very important part to this promotion. It does NOT come with a raise. As an employer, the biggest mistake we have made is giving raises based on performance. So take it from my experience, the only raises you EVER give are once a year and to keep up with the cost of living. Instead of a raise, you should offer bonuses based on performance. For example, we had a writer who wrote a tremendous piece of copy and the conversion rate was nearly three times better than when we wrote the copy. So we gave her a real nice bonus for it. Her reaction? ?Can we write more copy?? This is the reaction you want. The majority of the time when an employee is given a raise, at first they are very thankful and there is an upswing in their productivity as they see their larger paycheck. But after a while, reality sets in and they realize that even when their week isn’t very productive, their paycheck is still the same size. Employees aren’t stupid, and sadly most of them are willing to just ?coast? if their paycheck is always going to be the same.

But, if you reward their excellent work with a bonus, guess what happens week in and week out? They push hard to get that extra bonus, and you end up with a happier and more productive employee. we am a big believer in taking care of the people who take care of me, but there is a sense of ?entitlement? that has seeped into the work place and sadly, employees feel they are ?entitled? to a paycheck even though they arrive late, leave early, and do little in between. There is very little strong work ethic anymore.

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Firing ? Do it Fast

As you can see, retaining employees is easy by paying them what they are worth, giving them bonuses for great work, praising them verbally and, more importantly, keeping your promises. So that is where the next little bit of advice come in, how do you fire an employee? Did you know a lot of good employees would develop resentment toward you for keeping a bad employee around? Well they do. For example, my sister is a waitress and she like any employee realizes the value of being a team player. Well, her employer just hired an employee who is, lets just say, less than a team player. She expects everyone to help her out, and she reaps the rewards (tips) even if she may have only looked at the people at her table once. She never offers to share or split her tips if another waitress helps her out, and she never offers to help out a waitress who might be swamped. So, this has caused my sister a lot of resentment toward her employer, because she wants him to fire her, but he just can’t seem to see the problem! According to Howie, top performers can fall to poor performers when you fail to keep a promise. This is their way of making things miserable for you until you fire them. This may seem childish, because a drop in performance will hurt your good employee just as much as it hurts you, its still very likely to happen in your work place if you don’t keep your promises. So, how do you fire an employee that isn’t doing anyone any favors by being there? Here are some good tips.

Before firing an employee, change the passwords they had access to FIRST and then fire them. You shouldn’t do it the other way around. After you?ve taken care of that, you can start by taking some advice from Seinfeld.

The best way to end a relationship is like taking off a band-aid. Just rip it right off. Yes, it is painful, but the pain is brief. Since oDesk takes random screen shots of the employee’s desktop verifying they are working on what they should be working on is a lot easier to pinpoint poor performance. A good tip for firing an employee is to never fire an employee over money. If you need to cut expenses, don’t just fire an employee because they makes the most money, you should fire the employee who makes the least ROI and then up from there.

You might even consider firing yourself if you feel that you are unable to do the job right. How do you fire yourself? Well, one way is to hire a project manager and let them handle the day-to-day issues without you interfering or meddling in their work. Keeping yourself and your employees on track can get stressful, so you should know when to walk away, because if you keep at it, your business will suffer drastically. However, you should make sure that if you fire yourself from an area of your company, you have a person who is capable of succeeding in that position, and you should give them the tools to succeed, that way you aren’t just setting them up for failure.

One last thing that is handy to remember is the advice of a marketing guru who said, you should never feel bad if you have to fire an employee. If they cannot give you what they said they would, there is no point in keeping them, because it is hurting both of you if you continue to employ them.

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