How outsourcing can facilitate culture-led growth, according to leaders

It seems paradoxical — the idea that outsourcing aspects of your digital customer experience (CX) can actually enhance your culture. Some may wonder: How can an external partner help to bring out the best from within?

Apprehension about the relationship between outsourcing and corporate culture is not uncommon, but don't let it dissuade you from leveraging the many benefits that a proficient partner can bring to the table. Such a partner will take the time to understand your culture, how it is brought to life and how they can do the same when designing, building and delivering your digital CX strategy.

But the right partner won't stop at merely maintaining your culture. With the ability to source great talent from around the world and an eagerness to co-innovate with you to find new solutions to old problems, the right partner can help you to achieve culture-led growth. It's far from a paradox; the benefits are clear to see.

According to Deloitte, 88% of employees — and 94% of executives — believe a strong company culture is key to business success. Culture can also have a magnetic effect in recruitment: Research from Gallup shows that brands can boost revenue by as much as 33% by creating a culture that appeals to top talent.

Read on to learn more about how outsourcing can help you attain culture-led growth — with perspectives from three TELUS Digital leaders.

Inclusionary hiring is a boon to your business

Inclusionary hiring is both an ethical imperative and an economic one.

Businesses have a responsibility to give employment opportunities to people who've historically been shut out or disadvantaged. Your outsourcing partner can bring guidance, best practices and the infrastructure to help you broaden your talent search.

Upon committing to Everest Group's Impact Sourcing Pledge, Marilyn Tyfting, chief human resources officer at TELUS Digital, spoke on the subject of extending opportunities to high-potential individuals who are marginalized, a concept often referred to as impact sourcing. "To date, hundreds of TELUS Digital team members have been hired and trained as part of our various inclusive sourcing programs. Many hundreds more have been hired as a result of targeted talent acquisition efforts."

There are good reasons to revisit your hiring practices beyond morals. As customer expectations change, and the characteristics of exceptional digital customer experience evolve, impact sourcing helps brands to establish the diversity of thought and perspective that is necessary to stay one step ahead. No matter what you're trying to accomplish — from AI model expansion to fraud prevention — impact sourcing can move you closer to delivering solutions and services that reflect the needs of your customers.

To read more about TELUS Digital's impact sourcing efforts, check out our 2023 Sustainability and ESG Report.

In the competition for talent, fortune favors the innovative

Like customer expectations, the expectations of job-seekers change over time. Brands must evolve in parallel, as failing to adapt and innovate could prompt job-seekers — and existing team members — to look elsewhere.

It's normal for brands to "need some help" with innovation, explains Pamela Rodas, senior director, global talent acquisition at TELUS Digital in an episode of our podcast, Questions for now. Fortunately, a culture of innovation lies at the heart of an effective outsourcing partnership. "You have to be open to changing the way that you operate every six months, and if you cannot keep up, outsourcing is also key so you can ensure you continue focusing on your priorities day-to-day," Rodas adds.

Applying the latest technology and thinking to matters of recruitment is a subject that Albert Galarza, global vice president of human resources at TELUS Digital, advocates for regularly.

"Not only have businesses had to change the way they recruit and hire talent in a post-pandemic world, they have also realized the critical importance of making these processes resilient and agile by leveraging next-gen technologies, digital platforms and cloud architectures to maintain business continuity," said Galarza in a press release for the launch of SPACE, a virtual recruitment platform that provides job seekers with a fully immersive experience.

Galarza continued, "While traditional recruitment processes are often limited and tied to a geographical location, our new virtual platform SPACE removes that barrier while also providing candidates with an immersive view of TELUS Digital's culture to ensure they're the right fit from the start."

This means there's every chance a candidate will hit the ground running and play an important role in supporting customers for our client partners. Plus, by offering a differentiated recruitment experience, TELUS Digital can attract the star talent needed in order to scale in a manner that is aligned with our clients' evolving needs.

Set your team members up for success with automation

Outsourcing providers with experience implementing automation and other digital solutions can enable your team members to do their best work. Galarza expands on the subject in an Authority Magazine interview on Medium: "When properly implemented and maintained, automated technologies such as AI-powered bots and robotic process automation solutions (RPA) can help employees save time and boost efficiency and productivity."

An effective solution can reduce both customer effort and employee effort, explains Galara. "Additionally, RPA solutions can reduce customer effort by automatically capturing data from self-service portals and input it into relevant systems, thereby making it easier to access information for both customers and employees. Because AI-powered bots and RPA can operate around the clock at high speeds, it allows employees to focus on more complex tasks like customer engagement, rather than completing low-skill, repetitive tasks and projects, resulting in higher employee satisfaction."

For some, there may be interest in leveraging automation, but uncertainty about how to start or an unwillingness to take on the risk associated with an investment in technology. But with the help of a capable partner, you get access to experts with implementation experience who can hone the right solutions to your use case and budget.

Enlist the help of a leader in workplace engagement

Achieving culture-led growth through outsourcing is a lot more difficult when your digital CX provider isn't highly engaged.

You don't have to worry about that with us. In fact, TELUS Digital (formerly TELUS International) has been recognized as one of the 2023 Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces® — our fifth consecutive time making the list. The award acknowledges our commitment to cultivating an environment where employees feel valued, seen and heard.

Let's talk about how your culture can take you to new heights. Get in touch today.