Outsourcing helps schools save money without cutting jobs
Outsourcing. When you see that word, you probably think about jobs being shipped overseas, or longtime employees being cut to hire younger – and cheaper – workers.
But outsourcing doesn’t have to be a dirty word, and it can actually help schools and districts save money without laying off existing staff.
By bringing in a support services firm like SSC, schools can:
- Keep the current, knowledgeable staff already in-house
- Increase productivity
- Stop worrying about workers’ compensation, skyrocketing fringe costs, and free up human resources to focus on other responsibilities
- Save money – 15-20 percent – which can then go to other critical needs, like arts programs and teacher pay
- Most importantly, improve the look of your schools and make your district more competitive in recruitment and retention
How?
We have developed a detailed transition plan honed through the successful onboarding of hundreds of thousands of associates over many years. This experience has taught us that honest, open, continuous communication is the key to taking employees from a place of fear and resistance to embracing the positive new reality our solutions bring and delivering a new, higher level of performance.
SSC leverages its expertise and resources to achieve significantly higher productivity levels using technology, training and management resources that are beyond the reach of in-house operations.
Eighty percent of a support service’s department budget is labor. Higher productivity means fewer workers – and a lower cost – but an increased quality in facilities management.
But wait, you’re thinking, you said we could save money without cutting a bunch of jobs.
You’re right. That’s where attrition comes in.
Gradual employee transition happens naturally, at a rate around 10 percent annually. As worker productivity increases, vacant positions can be eliminated while maintaining a high standard of work. Staffing levels go down without forcing employees out of their jobs and without breaking promises with the school community.
In this structure, cost-savings are attained in a way that’s sustainable and respectful of existing employees, and that maintains good morale and a spirit of teamwork.
When Lake Travis Independent School District in Texas transitioned custodial services to SSC in 2015, 92 percent of staff members also decided to make the transition, and the district was able to save 18 percent of its prior year’s custodial budget.
“The positive feedback has been overwhelming,” said Johnny W. Hill, assistant superintendent for business, financial and auxiliary services at Lake Travis ISD.
“In my opinion, the three main factors that set SSC apart from the rest of the crowd (are) their level of commitment to employees during the transition period, their commitment to providing the highest level of services to the educational entity and, finally, their commitment to providing a cost-effective solution to their clients.”
Want to learn more? Get in touch with us to see if outsourcing support services makes sense for your facilities.
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