- Outsource this! That's what many IT staffers say upon finding out their companies plan to farm out IT tasks to outsiders, Gartner warns. Even worse, few chief information officers (CIOs) realise the resentment that outsourcing triggers among their IT employees.
The results of this employee unrest, such as lessened productivity, reduced commitment, diluted trust and even strikes, can significantly reduce the benefits the company might get from the outsourcing, Gartner says in a note published in mid-April.
Consequently, CIOs, human resources directors and other top-level executives must take steps to minimise employee discontent resulting from IT outsourcing, according to Gartner.
Among the things a company can do for employees affected by the decision to outsource are designing new roles and providing new skills for them.
"That will reduce employee uncertainty, help to limit the likelihood of job displacement and mitigate the threat of employee backlash" reads the note authored by analyst Diane Morello.