How to minimize HR-related expenses under crisis conditions

How to minimize HR-related expenses under crisisOutsourcing means transferring of existing
conditionsbusiness functions to an external contractor.
"Payroll expenses is a normal and the mostAccording to Karina Stepanyan, the Executive
considerable liability of any business", says MaximPartner of the ACCENTOR Consulting company,
Stepanov, the President of the AVENIR GROUPthe classic formula of outsourcing is "I only do
of companies. These expenses, being virtuallyfunctions I can do better than others; I outsource
permanent, can make up to 10% (for high-techthe functions which are better done by an
manufacturing) and up to 90% (for consulting andexternal contractor".
service companies) of overall businessThe most popular outsourced business
expenditure. For this reason, not only under crisisadministration services are: financial and tax
but in favorable economic conditions as well it isaccounting outsourcing services, preparation of
of utmost importance for top managers tomanagement and financial reports in accordance
optimize staff expenses.with International Financial Reporting Standards
Today every top manager is equipped with a(IFRS), payroll outsourcing services (calculation and
variety of instruments to establish the mostpayment), outsourcing of HR administration and
optimal system of the company's staffing indocumentation management, outsourcing of legal
terms of quality, cost, control and existing risks.advice and support and a number of different
The most popular are recruitment, staff leasingtasks which required establishing internal agencies,
and transfer of certain business functions tohiring employees and investing considerable funds
outsourcing. The key differences between thein their professional development and
above methods are characterized by the list ofmanagement.
functions to be performed by the employer.Being a relatively new technology imported from
During the recruitment process, candidates arethe West, the outsourcing of business processes
searched for, evaluated and selected by the(Business Process Outsourcing or shortly BPO)
employer or by a specialized recruiting agency.gained ground mostly in big cities – Moscow
The employer recruits the selected specialists,and St. Petersburg. At the present time, however,
does all the related administrative paperwork,outsourcing is growing popular in other cities and
ensures personnel management and controls theregions of Russia and in capitals of some CIS
quality of the resulting work.countries, mainly in Ukraine (Kiev) and in
If the employee is leased (the process can alsoKazakhstan (Astana and Alma-Ata/Almaty).
be referred to as outstaffing) – the serviceThe major evident advantages of the business
rendered by specialized agencies – theadministration outsourcing are as follows:
specialist is searched for and selected by the1. Contracting a specialist, you obtain the
leasing agency. The leasing agency hires theknowledge and experience of the certain
employee and provides the employee to the clientspecialist, while by contracting an outsourcing
company to complete certain tasks. In this case,company you obtain the whole company's
the company retains management function andknowledge and experience.
controls the resulting work while the leasing2. No specialist hiring, replacement and professional
agency undertakes to do all the administrativedevelopment expenses.
work related to the specialist leasing process.3. Elimination of operating management, control
Later, the company can hire the successfuland administration functions.
employee for a certain agreed compensation to4. Permanent personnel expenses become
the staff leasing agency. The amount of thisvariable.
compensation is normally equal to cost of the5. Flexibility in staff number management.
specialist search and selection with the recruiting6. Elimination of work interruption, flexibility of
agency.working schedule.
The service of providing temporary personnel isBusiness Process Outsourcing Services is the
very similar to the personnel leasing services andoptimal solution for small businesses and for newly
is mainly of short-term character. The service iscreated companies. Administrative load is a major
most frequently used to temporarily replace asetback and a considerable financial liability at the
secretary, an accountant, IT specialist on sickstart-up stage. Outsourcing is also effective in the
leave or on vacation.following areas:
And, at last, the outsourcing when the outsourcing1. Company registration (incorporation),
services provider not only provides its employeesorganization of business (Start-Up)
to complete certain tasks but is also responsible2. Representative office or branch opening
for search, headhunting, selection, evaluation and3. Limited acceptable staff number
professional growth of a specialist and controls4. Temporary projects
the quality of the resulting work. The outsourcing5. Seasonable phases of the production cycle
company hires the employee and does all6. Optimization of expenses
administrative paperwork (HR administration7.
services).