In the past couple of months, I have come across two ground breaking initiatives that bind together shared services and compassion.
The first is Liberty Source, an onshore outsourcing model employing spouses and veterans of the United States military.
Today there are around 710,000 US military spouses who are “under employed.” Given that most spouses have a college degree or a higher certification, there is a significant opportunity here, and Liberty Source has recognized this.
With their delivery center set up in Norfolk, Virginia, Liberty Source has trained around 100 staff to work on accounts such as AOL and Discovery.
Most spouses find it hard to get work, because they will likely be on the move again in two years (55% of spouses found it tough to secure their latest job), but the Liberty Source model, indeed, welcomes their team members’ departures, operating under a virtual model so team members can stay on and develop their work, unaffected, from Japan or Germany.
Good for everyone –
- Liberty Source is only 12 months old, so it could be too soon to call, but the attrition, so far, is low – 6% instead of the typical 35% you see with more traditional outsourcers. This means knowledge stays, which is ideal for the customer.
- Customers get to make a difference to military spouses and veterans, helping to see that this previously overlooked talent is utilized and nurtured.
This model helps give back purpose. And the proposition gives me goosebumps.
It is similar in spirit to another model I heard more about today. I was talking to the shared services leader of an NGO who explained the NGO’s plan to help 4000 people, mainly in Africa, upskill and find work. His project focusses first on training each of the 4000 people, and then placing each person as an intern within a shared services center or BPO.
The overall intention is that each individual will secure long-term permanent or part-time jobs.
If you are interested in learning more about either model, please feel free to contact me directly at susie.west@sharedserviceslink.com
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