How to justify the need for knowledge transfer

Question

I have 7 outsourced employees and 2 employees with a yearly contract. Management wants to get rid of 5 of the outsourced employees as soon as possible and replace them with 5 new outsourced employees for reasons I cannot mention. They also decided against renewing the contract for 1 of the contracted employees. If current outsourced and 1 contracted employees are let go, then there will be no one to train the new recruits.

What I need assistance with is to find a way to justify the following:

1. Postpone letting go of the current outsourced employees.
2. Convince management to extend the contract for the employee I mentioned (contractor).
3. Putting (at least) 1 outsourced employee on a yearly contract.
4. Making (at least) 1 outsourced employee a permanent staff.
5. Keep (at least) 1 contractor indefinitely.

My current challenge: There is no way that is readily available for me to make statistics (or use numbers) to make a case to management. But I can compile the data from scratch.

Also, if anyone knows of/has a template available that help I would be extremely grateful.

Answer 1

"Business Risk". You need to request time for "knowledge transfer", "handover", or as you stated, training.

List the risks of not doing this. How long (estimate a range) would it take an new, ignorant employee to get up to speed?

2-4 weeks? 2-4 months? 12 months? Be prepared to list and justify. You can ask your existing contractors for help with this.

Which tasks will be directly affected (eg by delays or by losing existing staff to training others)? Which will be indirectly affected (eg customers choosing not to renew contracts). Quantify these, and use the phrases "consequential loss" and "opportunity cost" (especially this; the hidden cost of not doing something).

Management will likely disagree with your estimates, but shrug and make sure they're documented. Resist the pressure to change them because there is a deadline for something which will not now be met.