Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is a business process whereby an employer transfers all or part of its recruitment processes to an external service provider. The provider assumes ownership of the design and management of the recruitment process and the responsibility for results. An external provider may supply its own or may assume the company’s staff, technology, methodology and/or reporting. Recruitment process outsourcing provides qualified candidates (finds, screens, assesses) with minimal involvement from HR staff. An RPO provider brings efficiency and flexibility to the recruitment process, relieving employers/HR professionals of administrative duties. This service is especially popular with employers who require candidates with specialized and/or technical knowledge.
How does recruitment process outsourcing work?
Recruitment process outsourcing involves an agreement that outlines the scope, timing and cost of the project. It generally includes daily administration, strategic guidance, talent consulting, generation of job descriptions, facilitation of interviewing, assistance with salary negotiations, onboarding support and an applicant tracking system. The RPO provider identifies qualified candidates and presents them to the company, who then interviews and makes a choice. The candidates recruited are often exclusive to the client.
What are the advantages of outsourcing the recruitment process?
Outsourcing recruitment provides companies with a range of benefits.
- Measurable Results: Predetermined KPIs drive the project making results easy to collate and measure. Real-time data guide recruitment tactics.
- Cost Effective: Hiring an outside agency often costs less than establishing an internal team for recruiting and hiring. Only required resources are utilized and economies of scale are realized resulting in hard and soft cost savings.
- Flexibility: The RPO process is flexible and scalable to accommodate the fluctuating requirements of a project.
- Speed to Fill: Recruitment outsourcing reduces the time to fill vacancies due to project focus and a well-executed, diverse sourcing strategy. The RPO provider identifies barriers, continually improves processes and ensures accountability.
- Quality candidates: All candidates are vetted through a personal interview, software assessments, employment references and background checks ensuring a company only interviews the top talent available. An outsourcer assists an employer in standing out to high-quality candidates in tight labour markets and specialized fields.
- Diversified talent pools: RPO providers have established partnerships with organizations, networks and colleges and thus attract a diversity of talent. A provider can assist a company in meeting its diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
- Compliance support: RPO providers keep pace with changing regulations providing compliance support in all stages of the recruitment.
- Quality technology allows RPO providers to track candidate status, improve communication (between employers and applicants) and deliver an efficient and effective hiring experience.
- Decreased turnover: Consistent, streamlined hiring and onboarding processes ensure that new employees are engaged, making it less likely they’ll leave the organization.
- Positive candidate experience: RPO providers have strong relationships with talent pipelines and help their clients build brand recognition/reputation by providing a positive candidate experience.
- Global reach: RPOs often support globalization, expanding their search into other countries while standardizing sourcing, hiring and onboarding processes.
Recruitment outsourcing services help employers maximize their budget and improve productivity and retention.
What are the characteristics of a good RPO solution?
A good RPO solution offers:
- Scalability: the ability to adapt and manage any size of a recruitment project.
- Flexibility: different approaches can be adapted to each client’s unique budget and needs.
- Expertise/experience: specialized knowledge of a client’s industry and strong relationships with talent pools/pipelines.
- Technology: use of advanced, automated recruitment technologies.
- Open collaboration: clear communication and effective collaboration regarding recruitment needs and talent acquisition.
These characteristics are the hallmarks of good recruitment outsourcing services.
Why consider outsourcing recruitment?
Today’s recruiting situation is complex (tight labour market, difficulty eliminating bias, talent shortage, problems attracting candidates, skills gap, demand for remote work, etc.). RPO providers know how to navigate this environment; staying current with recruiting technology, developing resources to scale recruiting, establishing candidate pipelines, managing hiring fluctuations, reducing total recruiting cost, lowering time-to-fill, elevating employer brand, improving candidate experience, simplifying/streamlining the hiring process and saving time for other duties. How could you not outsource your recruiting?
How to choose an RPO provider:
As there are many recruitment process outsourcing providers, it’s important that you find the one that is right for your company. Reputable RPO providers:
- Offer consultation to determine your company’s needs
- Utilize innovative solutions for the unique needs of each client
- Customize programs to meet the unique needs of your company
- Learn and align with your business’ mission and culture
- Understand talent market trends
- Have well-developed candidate pipelines/pools
- Make use of data to deliver results
- Are able to scale with your organization as you grow
- Strive for clear, effective communication/collaboration
- Employ current recruiting technology
- Utilize a streamlined hiring process
- Fill positions with qualified candidates in a timely manner
Do your research. Spend time with possible providers. Ask questions. Take note of methods and offerings. This helps determine which RPO provider is the best choice for your business.
Well-executed recruitment process outsourcing (placing the right people in the right positions in a timely and cost-effective manner) enhances a company’s effectiveness and offers a competitive advantage. It benefits all; employers are provided with quality candidates in a cost-effective transaction, employees find positions they are satisfied with and are thoroughly onboarded, the company’s brand reputation is enhanced and the business is positioned for success.
Interested in recruitment process outsourcing for your company? Equation Staffing Solutions offers a customizable RPO service to fit your needs. With scalable services, on-site or remote associates and proven processes, we have the flexibility to create the solution you need, functioning as an extension of your existing team. Call us at 1-844-367-9618. We are a reliable, innovative, collaborative agency here to support you in your search for a position and/or personnel. Our experience will assist you! Contact us today.