Five Questions When Considering RPO

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is when a company transfers all or part of its permanent recruitment to an external provider. An RPO provider can act as an extension of a company’s HR or Resourcing function, sitting on site with the client providing a holistic hiring solution. By outsourcing your organization’s talent acquisition process to RPO experts, you will have a more extensive evaluation of what the unfilled roles involve and an increased likelihood of finding ideal candidates to join your team.

However, before a company can experience the benefits of RPO, they need to determine which RPO solution is going to work best for them. There are different types of RPO to meet different kinds of unique company requirements – there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to RPO. 

In order to evaluate and figure out which RPO style will be the most effective for your organization, start by asking and answering the following five questions.

What is my hiring volume and what will it be in the future?

Your first consideration should be hiring volume. If you anticipate increases in your hiring volume in the future, that will make a difference when it comes to the efficacy of your RPO strategy. As hiring volumes grow, issues may arise, and your internal hiring functions may become overloaded. When that occurs, companies typically rely more on external sources, resulting in higher costs. 

What additional value does my talent strategy need to deliver?

To determine the best RPO approach for your business, take a look at how well your internal recruiting process performs. Be sure to include cycle time, monthly requisitions filled, on-time delivery, open requisitions, and headcount in your evaluation. It’s integral to understand exactly where your company excels and also where improvement is needed. 

What do I need to invest to maintain a world-class talent function?

In order to achieve and maintain a high-performing hiring process at your organization, you must put a great deal of effort into ensuring that you are following best practices. This requires investment of time and resources on your part. Sourcing methods are ever-changing, and not keeping up with those changes will hinder your recruiting efforts.

Which RPO model is most aligned to my needs?

There are four main RPO models. They are as follows:

• End-to-end RPO.
• Project RPO.
• Selective RPO.
• Recruiter on demand (ROD). 

By researching and understanding these four models, you’ll be able to select the one that best fits your needs and thereby maximize value gain. 

Who is the best provider to deliver our talent model?

Each RPO provider is different. Consider an RPO organization that has a complementary culture to your company and flexibility. It’s also vital to find an RPO provider that will grow with your company, as RPO programs often span several years.