A year into working with Sigrid, it was obvious — she was an absolute star. 🌟
She’d gone above and beyond, and I knew she deserved a proper promotion and a pay rise. So, like any reasonable business owner, I reached out to the BPO to ask if I could bump up her salary and, oh, by the way, could they clarify how much of my monthly fee actually went to her base pay?
Cue absolute pandemonium. 🚨
I was hit with a tsunami of emails about price increases, additional charges, and thinly veiled threats about “contractual obligations.” Red flags everywhere. So, I did what any slightly alarmed but determined agency owner would do—I dug into my contract.
And that’s when I found it.
If I wanted to hire Sigrid full-time, I had to pay three months’ costs as a release fee. That’s $9,000 USD! Absolutely bonkers, considering I’d already been paying *60% on top of her salary* every month.
Now, I’m no financial genius, but even my half-empty coffee cup could see that if I just paid the fee, doubled her salary, and employed her directly, I’d break even in a year. And after a chat with Sigrid—who, bless her, was as loyal as ever—I asked if I could put my full trust in her to stay for at least a year.
Spoiler alert: it’s been well beyond that. And what a decision that was! 🚀
Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Fall Into the Same Trap!)
1️⃣ Always get a full breakdown of costs from your BPO. Ask for salary details, service fees, and any other relevant costs upfront. If they’re cagey about it, that’s a massive red flag. 🚩
2️⃣ Check your T&Cs like a hawk. Some contracts have sneaky clauses that allow them to charge your card without explicit approval. No one likes unexpected surprises—especially when they cost thousands.
3️⃣ Take control of your hiring whenever possible. If you can, pay an upfront introduction fee rather than an ongoing markup. And always negotiate guarantees like a 90-day replacement policy.
4️⃣ Make sure your BPO isn’t using *your* time to train their staff. If they’re making your employees sit through hours of training on *their* systems, they’re effectively stealing time from you. Not on my watch! ⏳
5️⃣ Work with industry specialists. Whether you’re in recruitment, marketing, tech, or anything else, make sure whoever you partner with actually understands your field. It makes all the difference when finding top talent. 💡
At the end of the day, hiring offshore can be an absolute game-changer—if you do it right. Getting Sigrid on board full-time was the best decision I made, but the road to it was an expensive lesson in reading the fine print.
So, to anyone out there navigating the BPO minefield—stay sharp, ask the right questions, and don’t let yourself get bamboozled by the corporate nonsense. You’ve got this! 💪😆
