Recruitment Process Outsourcing or RPO is a strategic partnership between an organization and a third-party service provider to manage and execute all or part of a company’s recruitment functions and processes. Partnering with an RPO services provider delivers numerous benefits that help companies hire top talent faster and more efficiently.
Workforce Planning
A key first step an RPO provider takes is helping their client plan for future workforce needs through a comprehensive analysis. They will examine the company’s current workforce composition across different roles, locations, levels of experience and other factors. RPOs also assess their client’s future business goals, growth projections, expansion plans, anticipated product launches and more. This information is used to project hiring demand and talent requirements across different time periods. Having a strategic workforce plan in place allows organizations to stay ahead of changing talent needs and proactively recruit for both existing and new positions that may be needed. It ensures the right number of people with the required skills are in place when and where they are required to support business objectives. The workforce plan serves as a hiring roadmap to efficiently acquire top talent.
RPO providers dig deeper into understanding current job roles and how they may evolve. They analyse elements like key responsibilities, required qualifications, competencies and skills. This level of insight helps identify talent gaps and surpluses. It also aids in developing job descriptions that clearly outline what is needed from candidates. The workforce plan is regularly updated based on business and market changes to keep recruitment strategies aligned with organizational talent demands. It guides decisions such as whether to hire for hard-to-fill roles, reskill existing staff or outsource certain functions. Strategic workforce planning is a cornerstone benefit of partnering with an expert RPO.
Talent Attraction
Beyond just finding candidates, expert RPO providers are highly skilled in attracting top talent. They leverage extensive networks of passive and active job seekers cultivated over many years of recruitment experience. RPOs have built strong relationships with recruiters, staffing agencies, job boards, universities and other talent sources. This provides access to large qualified candidate pools. However, the ability to attract talent goes beyond connections – it involves understanding what motivates different types of roles and crafting compelling messaging.
RPOs stay abreast of evolving candidate preferences to deploy the most effective attraction strategies. For example, they know which digital channels and social platforms are most popular with Millennials versus other generations. Understanding preferred communication methods helps RPOs engage candidates through the right channels like text, messaging apps, LinkedIn or Instagram versus older school options. They also keep pace with shifting employer value propositions such as emphasis on culture, growth opportunities, work-life balance, remote flexibility and more. Targeted attraction campaigns highlight benefits most appealing to different roles. Beyond digital outreach, RPOs may organize on-campus events, career fairs and information sessions to generate interest.
The talent attraction expertise of RPO providers yields a large volume of interested, qualified candidates for clients. Rather than companies trying to piece together various tactics on their own, RPOs handle all attraction activities through proven multi-channel programs. This access to robust candidate pools is a major time-saver for internal recruiting teams.
Screening
Once an extensive pool of interested candidates is generated, efficient screening is critical. Screening candidates involves more than just reviewing resumes – it requires assessing if individuals are qualified for the role and a good cultural fit. This is where the screening expertise of RPO providers delivers tremendous value. They have refined screening processes and tools to efficiently evaluate large volumes of candidates against predefined criteria.
RPOs conduct an initial screening that may involve skills tests to gauge core technical abilities. Video interviews provide insights beyond what a resume conveys by observing communication style and mannerisms. Behavioural assessments evaluate traits like collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability and other soft skills that are important cultural indicators. Reference checks from past managers and colleagues offer an unbiased view of work ethic, strengths, and how candidates may fit within the company culture. Background
checks verify the information and flag any red flags.
Through multi-step screening, RPOs identify the candidates that are not just qualified based on skills and experience, but also those who display the right motivations and behaviours to thrive in the role and company culture long-term. They save clients’ time by only advancing pre-qualified candidates most likely to succeed if hired. The thorough screening capabilities of RPO providers yield higher-quality hires.
Offer Management
For candidates that rise to the top after screening, RPO providers expertly manage all aspects of the offer and onboarding process. They leverage compensation research and market pay data to formulate competitive salary offers. RPOs negotiate skilfully on their client’s behalf to secure talent. The logistics of extending offers, following up, and addressing candidate questions and concerns are smoothly handled. Acceptance letters are obtained.
For candidates that accept a position, RPOs then facilitate onboarding tasks. This may involve arranging for background checks, new hire paperwork, setting up systems access and coordinating a start date. Ensuring a positive candidate experience during this critical period supports higher acceptance and retention rates. The offer management expertise of RPOs streamlines what can otherwise be an administratively burdensome process if handled internally. It allows hiring managers to focus on other priorities versus getting bogged down in offer logistics.
Compliance
Ensuring full compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations is another key benefit delivered through RPO partnerships. Recruitment activities may span multiple countries, states or provinces each with their own complex web of labour rules. As recruitment experts, RPO providers intimately understand these compliance landscapes and constantly keep updated. They navigate multi-jurisdictional requirements with ease through standardized processes and technology.
For example, RPOs are well-versed in obligations around areas like equal employment, anti-discrimination, privacy laws, background checks, reference checks, work authorization verification and more. As the acting recruitment team on behalf of their clients, RPOs conduct due diligence like validating candidates’ eligibility to work in locations of hire. They adhere to necessary privacy practices when collecting, storing and sharing applicant information. Having recruitment compliance expertise managed by the RPO gives organizations using their services confidence their hiring activities are legally sound and compliant in all regions. It removes a substantial compliance burden from internal teams.
Conclusion
Partnering with an experienced RPO provider delivers significant strategic and operational benefits. From comprehensive workforce planning to streamlined hiring execution, RPO services help companies acquire top talent more efficiently. Outsourcing recruitment services to an expert RPO allows organizations to gain deep expertise, advanced processes, robust technology and compliance know-how. It strengthens talent acquisition capabilities and supports broader business goals like growth and productivity.
