Outsourcing is defined as a method of hiring an outside service provider to perform specific tasks for you. Yes, it's like hiring an employee. The difference is, in outsourcing, you will only have to engage the worker's services for the duration of the project instead of having to employ him for a certain amount of time. Additionally, the pay is usually pegged per project instead of the number of hours the worker actually suffers work. Companies have been outsourcing work for decades. As early as the 1950's, when telephones became an item that was present in most households, established enterprises have been contracting housewives who were looking for some additional income for their families to do particular work that they could carry out from the comfort of their own homes.