When faced with a task that requires a specific set of skills, many associations are outsourcing the work rather than bringing on new staff, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the association management company SmithBucklin.

SmithBucklin hired market research company Ipsos to poll 360 association and professional society executives about outsourcing practices. The results, released Wednesday, found that the most common reason associations outsource was to obtain workers with specific skills.

By far the skills in most demand were graphic design, multimedia and video services, with 52 percent of respondents saying they had outsourced for this reason. Editorial/publishing and advertising skills tied for second, with each at 27 percent, while membership services was a close third at 26 percent. (Respondents could mark off more than one answer for any question, so results don't tally to 100 percent.)

"Association executives realize they cannot hire and employ every talent they need to deliver against the important work of their organization," Carol McGury, SmithBucklin executive vice president, event and education services, said in a statement. "By outsourcing solutions for specific needs, they can ensure that their organizations thrive while serving the best interests of their members."

Fifty-three percent of respondents said they outsourced to bring in people with specific skills, but it was far from the only reason for outsourcing. According to the survey, 34 percent of respondents said they outsource to supplement in-house staff. Twenty-seven percent said they outsource to save money.

The survey also asked executives to look into their crystal balls and predict what benefits they would see from outsourcing in the next two years. The majority of respondents—70 percent—said outsourcing allowed them to access specialized talent. Fifty-eight percent said the practice would allow them to increase organization capacity, while 54 percent said it would increase staff flexibility. Forty-eight percent believe it would help them reduce costs.

The full survey can be viewed at http://bit.ly/1hXhvxT

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