Outsourcing: Four Ways to Choose the Best Service Providers

Chavetz noted that bringing in a new vendor is much like hiring a new employee. “You have to establish success metrics and expectations,” he said. “The better you can show them what you need, the better they’ll perform.”

* Look for vendors who’ve done the homework. “I got a cold call from a search agency that had done some research and identified the weak links in my search strategy,” Chavetz recounted. “Incidently, these weak spots were the very things upsetting me.” He noted that he ended up canceling the contract with his then-current search agency because the cold-calling agency had taken time to address his concerns before he had voiced them. “If they’ve taken the time to look into your industry, your company and your metrics, that differentiates them,” he said.