I recently saw a report about staffing at content companies, comparing traditional print staffing and social media staffing. After the multiple rounds of layoffs, bankruptcies and attrition at print publications, revenues and margins are described as very “efficient.” One of the U.S. economy’s great strengths is the ability to increase productivity when times are tough.
My thinking is that “efficiency” and “productivity” are the new euphemisms for under-staffed. We can be efficient and productive because we’re working ourselves to death. The fact that that is unsustainable is lost on a lot of CEOs—or something they choose not to think about because they have no choice. Or think they have no choice.
A better way to think about it is to do what you do best and link to the rest.
I’m writing an article about whether you should outsource your marketing department which asks the question, if someone else can do it better, more effectively and, in many cases, cheaper, why are you holding onto it? If you could focus on your core, do what only you can and should do, wouldn’t that be more efficient and productive in a real sense?
Staffing is an interesting example. Associations have finally gotten into social media. Most of them are doing it with existing staff, which is one reason it took them so long to get off the dime. Existing staff, first, already have things to do and, second, had to learn everything there was to know about social media—re-inventing a wheel that was already turning when associations finally jumped on.
But the bigger problem is that “efficiency” thing. A good social media program runs 24/7. My social media staff works nights and weekends. If you’re a domestic B2B association, you might be able to eliminate nights but not weekends. If you’re an international association or a consumer association, 24/7 is mandatory. As an association executive, you have several choices:
- Completely revamp your work structure and hire some people who work weekends and have two days off in the middle of the week.
- Work your existing staff to death.
- Admit that you’re not really serious about social media and don’t know how to get good results anyway so just let it limp along as is.
- Outsource.
The wise, efficient, sustainably productive options are the first and the last. Change the way you do it, change the way you think about it, solve the real problem. That’s the way to be efficient.
Bravo for writing about this…the first time I’ve seen anyone address this issue. As one of the first (and so far, only) full-time association community/social media managers, I see and feel what you’re saying every day. Social media and community management is NOT a 9-5 job, and it also requires a TON of ongoing learning on a daily basis. It does not scale with traditional association jobs at all, so just “adding” it to existing positions is a nice idea but doesn’t tend to work. However, I don’t think that outsourcing it is the answer–especially at associations I think having someone on staff is essential. But that’s just me
Having someone on staff is essential but it can be outsourced. The necessary flex in the schedule, the fact that it never sleeps all point toward outsourcing some or all of it. Most associations simply cannot staff for that and, with the appropriate guidelines and the right strategy, it can absolutely be outsourced.