Is It Good to Work with Several Nearshoring Vendors?

Working with few nearshoring vendors at the same time – good or bad?
Depends!

A standard workflow for the nearshoring relationships comes simple:

  1. You shortlist some vendors;
  2. You step into MOU or just NDA/Non-solicitation agreement to launch the recruiting phase;
  3. You make your judgements on your vendor based on quality of communication you have with them and, many cases (not my advice but this is how it works!) – quality of the candidates they show you;
  4. You stick to the vendor of your final choice – at this stage you are not shopping around anymore, and you focus on building Relationships with someone you chose.

There are some (rare enough but still – some 7% of our clients) who continue working with few (many) vendors, worldwide or, worse, on the same candidate market. The question comes whether it is good or bad or neutral?

Very much the answer would depend on what service the client aims to receive. From what we had worked with, my conclusion is that if the client continues hiring through multiple vendors competing each other on the same market – this only means a need for the “sourcing” agency, and in many cases – with no strategic plans on staying on the market.

Clients who sacrifice their image in the eyes of the candidates (as multiple vendors will be “touching” same pool of candidates) may do that, as most likely their intent to stay on the market is temporary. They squish the vendors to get most of the market, they attend their short term goals, and they may move on.
I respect this approach but I always warn on consequences (something that ruZZian regime does not take into account). And consequences here are that in 2-3 months of the approach, the candidates start denying any talks on vacancies for this client, simply because they could have already communicated on such matters before.

Having a variety of choices is good at the start. Date first, marry second, okay. But running multiple vendors in the same region always mean there will be no thorough relationship with the vendor, there will be no proper dialogue on many ongoing things that actually demand this higher level of relationships. With rare exceptions, of course.

Are such clients bad? No they are not. We are happily working with them, too.
Do I agree on their approach? I should not, the client’s strategy is their decision. My opinion is expressed, when I am asked on this, or when I talk to my people :D

Get the service from Cyril S, Nearshoring Expert, or from Mobilunity’s CEO, or maybe from them both – choose whatever you wish! :)

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