Being the recognized leader in nurse recruitment is an important part of RSI’s mission. Whether it’s implementing the newest technologies or applying industry-leading management strategies, we pride ourselves on being able to offer our clients breakthrough recruitment solutions.
Sometimes, however, staying ahead of the curve requires the willingness and the ability to adapt to the ever-changing needs of our clients. As an example, we have recently begun to embrace the evolving trend of “insourcing” as an alternative to the more traditional concept of “outsourcing.”
It may seem obvious (and sound a bit glib) to define insourcing as the opposite of outsourcing, but there are many subtle and important differences. We also recognize that using these terms interchangeably can be confusing. So, for this month’s feature, we will provide a definition, point out the differences, and explain why we think you should be embracing “insourcing” as the preferred term.
How do you define “insourcing”? Let’s start with a definition of “outsourcing.” According to WhatIs.com, outsourcing “is an arrangement in which one company provides services for another company that could also be or usually have been provided in-house.” In other words, one company will contract with (or “source”) another company not a part (or “out”) of its organization. For example, RSI has been hired by a number of hospitals over the years that needed help recovering from or avoiding a nursing staff shortage. Usually, contractors that are outsourced provide their services offsite.
Simple enough, right?
So, then, what’s “insourcing”? A quick search on the Internet turned up this definition from Wikipedia: “insourcing (or contracting in) is often defined as the delegation of operations or jobs from production within a business to an internal (but ‘stand-alone’) entity that specializes in that operation.” Additionally, dictionary.com explains that insourcing can mean “the retention of a service ‘inside’ the organization, keeping a full-service department intact with a complement of regular staff.”
In other words, a company can “outsource” work to another company that is working onsite and, often, directly with its employees. And that’s really the main difference between “outsourcing” and “insourcing.” It’s subtle but it’s important.
What does the difference mean to you? The definition of insourcing, as providing “a service ‘inside’ the organization,” is an ideal explanation of what we do, and that’s why we are embracing the new term. As it turns out, RSI has been an “insourcing” contractor for almost 15 years – we just didn’t know it until now.
We hope you can see the difference between “outsourcing” and “insourcing” and will join us in adopting the new term.