If your role was being offshored

[TinTrump]

I think it's noble and correct to take that professional attitude, and also to work out what is financially viable.

But the services you provide appear now to have been undercut in terms of cost by a competitor. As you say, the company doesn't appreciate the extent of the work you provide so let them discover that after you've left.

You have to happy with the terms your business operates on. Yesterday I was called about a role with a company I contracted at 3+ years ago. The offer was working as an employed consultant through an IT outsourcing company, at practically half the previous rate. My answer was no. In another month or 2 I might have to accept such a deal but for now I can afford to decline, and am happy to do so.

[SueEllen]

This is kind of what I'm thinking too, but I want to be as professional as possible. It's true that clients have no responsibility towards us, and we shouldn't expect it anyway. I just know that they are making the wrong decision because they don't know how much work I cover, and professionally I feel obliged to do something about that.

Seriously don't tell them anything and walk around with a smile.

Document your work using the best English possible - remember words in English have multiple meanings so writing a very comprehensive and long document would be worthwhile - then let them get on with it.

In 2 years time when the work is screwed up and the person who said off-shoring was a good idea has moved on, they will be seeking you or someone else to sort out the mess.

[2BIT]

Seriously don't tell them anything and walk around with a smile.

Document your work using the best English possible - remember words in English have multiple meanings so writing a very comprehensive and long document would be worthwhile - then let them get on with it.

In 2 years time when the work is screwed up and the person who said off-shoring was a good idea has moved on, they will be seeking you or someone else to sort out the mess.

I wouldn't do anything to purposely muddy the waters, if they can manage fair play if they can't then it was kind of predictable, this is why I suggested giving the client the doc, that way they could agree that it has the coverage and is comprehensive enough - don't risk damaging your reputation

if the off-shore peeps are like the guys I've worked with they have required very strict parameters to work within, they've needed heavily scripted processes and have been unable to deviate or use any initiative - therefore providing comprehensive docs will do good for your rep but won't be a magic bullet for the off-shore peeps but if they do manage then fair play you'll be long gone!

[perplexed]

End of the day, if the role is being offshored, it's almost certainly down to the head bean counters, not people you work with ( unless you work with the head bean counters ).

Be professional, write that document, means you can then leave without burning any bridges.

When the offshoring inevitably fails, then a) you've still got a positive relationship for the future and b) people you work with directly will almost certainly have a high regard for your abilities. Just because they happen to work at Client XXX now doesn't mean they always will - so should your CV ever cross their paths again, could well benefit you with other roles elsewhere.

[Wanderer]

I had my last permie job off shored, it was pretty soul destroying to see a bunch of people who really had no clue try to take on what our team had built up over many years, you know they are just going to run it into the ground.

Any ideas or opinions would be welcome

Do exactly what they ask you to do, document exactly what they ask you to (and no more) then leave. It will take a year or so of blundering around before they figure out that their cheap offshoring deal is actually giving them pretty rubbish results. By that time, the one who engineered the deal will have taken his fat bonus for cutting costs and done a runner too.

Bottom line is: Your job is gone, you need to find a new one.

For work from home contracts, I'd offer a 10% discount off my standard rate. I guess everyone's different on this.

[MarillionFan]

would you offer to work off client site, say at home, for a lower rate? And what rate - if your daily rate is say £500, would you take £150/£200/£250 to work at home each day?

I know it's a wide angled question but I'm just trying to work out :
(a) if it's financially worthwhile .... and
(b) whether the client would actually go for this, or still prefer to offshore to their main centre in India

Any ideas or opinions would be welcome, bearing in mind that this post is not in General!

If your role was being offshored, it means that you are replaceable. In which case, forget dropping your rate and start cross training into another area.

If it's pure development or a skill which is easily learned & requires no 'intelligence' then you seriously need to make a move horizontally. You will never compete on skills alone.

[escapeUK]

You should try burning bridges, its very satisfying. If people treat you badly, acting all "professional" just validates their behaviour, do you want to be a door mat?

[Ignis Fatuus]

You should try burning bridges, its very satisfying. If people treat you badly, acting all "professional" just validates their behaviour, do you want to be a door mat?

A life lived in fear is a life half-lived. Tell 'em to shove it.

[xchaotic]

small businesses buck the offshoring trend

Just wait it out - soon enough India will be outsourcing to "cheap" Europe...
More seriously focus on things that are not easily outsourced far away, simple, eh?