Recruiting the right talent for your business is not easy. It takes planning, effective execution and lots of follow up. That means it takes up a ton of your most valuable resource: time. If you are like so many HR departments or a “HR Team of One” you are already at capacity with all your daily duties, so applying the necessary time to be strategic with your recruitment efforts is not feasible.
Recruiting Process Outsourcing (RPO) may provide an option that saves time and potentially the budget.
What is Recruiting Process Outsourcing?
To best way to explain what a RPO is, it is first important to understand what it isn’t. Often Recruiting Process Outsourcing is mistaken for a placement or staffing agency. While both can play vital roles for the recruitment process, they each serve very different purposes. Staffing firms tend to focus more on a short-term resolution. They work requisition to requisition to fulfill vacancies and specific roles. Recruiting Process Outsourcing focuses more on a strategic, long-term solution when it comes to the talent acquisition process. RPO providers partner to be an extension of the businesses they serve. They can do anything from evaluate current processes to taking on the full cycle recruiting function.
How Does the RPO Model Work?
As stated above a RPO provider is a true partner with the businesses it serves and considers the industry, brand and culture of the client when providing services. The level of relationship can differ depending on the needs of the client. A business can engage fully with a RPO where they perform all the steps of talent acquisition: from creating the job ad and sourcing the applicants, to assessing the candidates and onboarding new hires. Businesses can also incorporate a hybrid model when partnering with an RPO. This level of engagement allows employers to pick and choose the functions of their process they want to outsource to best utilize both their “in-house” and external resources. Organizations can choose to use an “as needed” approach when working with a Recruiting Process Outsourcing provider. This could include a project that assesses the current talent acquisition infrastructure and processes to “one off” projects that enhance programs.
Will it Really be Beneficial for My Small Business?
It can be extremely beneficial for any business, regardless of size. Sometimes there is a level of discomfort when outsourcing any process or department. The unknown can add an element of hesitation. However, understanding “you don’t know what you don’t know” and bringing in experts can be invaluable. The RPO’s main function is solely talent, so it is what they know and what they do best. Their wealth of knowledge helps identify and attract top talent. They can develop a robust talent pool to dip into whenever positions are available. Great RPOs have market intelligence and workforce analytics to forecast workforce growth and changes.
The RPO model can be a cost saver. Having a fractional relationship versus a full-time recruiting staff saves on an overall human capital budget without sacrificing quality. Additionally, there is an added element of flexibility in scalability. You can adjust your relationship to directly correlate with your recruitment needs. For instance, a small non-profit with only 40 employees may have one or two vacancies every couple of months for a majority of the year. However, for three months they host a summer camp that requires them to recruit 25 camp staff members. A RPO could effectively manage the normal staffing needs and then easily flex up to accommodate the high volume of the needs of the seasonal summer camp.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing providers enhance the employer’s brand and the candidate experience. It’s a job seeker’s market, and organizations are fighting for talent. Candidates are judging their prospective employer from the moment they read the job advertisement. During each step of the process, the candidate assesses the interactions which sets the tone for overall engagement. Any misstep or delay can turn a positive experience into a negative one or worse, cost a candidate. A RPO will accentuate your brand and manage each step of the candidate experience with a concierge approach, ensuring compliance and continuity.
When Does an RPO Make Sense?
It really depends on your organization and your strategic goals. There are some indicators that help determine if it may be time to consider an RPO.
- Your workforce is experiencing changes, such as rapid growth or unanticipated turnover; it might be beneficial to bring in fresh perspectives to help you understand and manage the situation.
- The current recruitment team is overloaded and burnt out. Regardless of having an entire talent team or one HR person, who also wears the recruiting hat, if they can’t manage the volume on their own, bringing outsourced help may be the key.
- No one is staying longer than a year. When it seems like it’s a revolving door for talent and employees are leaving as fast as they’re coming in, it may be time to get expert insight from an RPO.
- It’s time for a talent department, but you don’t have the budget for a full-time recruitment operation. A fractional approach from a solid RPO provider, may be the solution.
Wrapping it Up
A Recruitment Process Outsourcing provider can be a potential game changer for an organization. As a strategic partner, there’s the ability to leverage expertise, streamline processes while enhancing the employer brand and candidate experience. Whether it’s rapid growth, high turnover or a need to scale recruitment efforts efficiently, a well-chosen RPO can provide the flexibility, cost savings and quality assurance needed to meet your talent acquisition goals.
