Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is when a company chooses to outsource part or all of its recruitment operations to an external provider, such as Omni. They typically do so in order to reduce costs, access advanced recruitment technology and scale their recruitment as needed. Our guide to RPO will help explain how RPO works and is able to deliver these benefits in 6 simple stages.
A RPO provider can take control of your entire recruitment strategy from end to end, allowing you to focus your time and energy more productively elsewhere. Alternatively, they might focus on a single project or element. As part of the process, they will take on the values and culture of your brand, providing a seamless experience for candidates. Over time, an RPO provider can become a trusted partner.
What are the stages of RPO?
Following years of experience in the industry, an RPO provider is able to build up an extensive database of information about interesting individuals within the sector. An entry could include information on academic achievements, notable skills and career history as well as any details of previous conversations. This level of data far exceeds that of most company HR departments. Furthermore, RPO providers know how to make the most of social media, whether it be LinkedIn or Facebook. They have the time and expertise to search such sites to find the talent you’re looking for.
One of the most time-consuming aspects of recruitment is screening candidates. This can include fairly general checks to establish the validity of the applicant’s CV and thus whether they are a suitable candidate to take forward to interview, as well as any more specific tests that a company might require. For example, certain industries are legally required to carry out criminal background checks. Candidates may also be asked to complete tests or exercises which assess their level of technical knowledge as well as interpersonal skills. RPO providers can both organise and analysis the results of these activities, providing you with as much insight as possible into an individual before the interview stage.
Aside from examining what they know and what they’ve done before, RPO providers are experts in establishing whether or not a candidate will be a good culture fit for your company. By working with you in partnership over a longer period of time, they become intimately with your brand values, mission statement and team dynamics. A traditional recruiter is unable to gain such insight in the short period of time they work with you.
Interviewing can be a stressful prospect. With multiple things competing for your attention, you wouldn’t be alone in feeling under prepared when entering a room to conduct an interview. An RPO provider helps to take the pressure off. They will not only provide you with a detailed brief on the individual but can assist you in crafting questions that get to the heart of what you want to know about a person. From the candidate’s perspective, the RPO provider (looking like your company) will be a reassuring and dedicated presence, ready to answer their questions about the process. If an offer is extended to a candidate, the RPO provider can provide knowledgeable advice during salary or benefit package negotiations.
When it comes to refining your recruitment strategy and internal processes, analysis by a RPO provider can prove invaluable. Part of their role is to ensure that from end-to-end, your recruitment process is as efficient as possible. In order to make recommendations, they will constantly be analysis your cost to hire, time to hire, retention rates and candidate satisfaction.
The fee structure of a RPO agreement will differ to that of a traditional recruitment agency. Most standard recruiters are hired to complete one-off pieces of work, filling a single or small handful of vacancies. As a result, they charge a one-off fee. In contrast, a RPO provider works on an ongoing consultancy basis and charges accordingly, either by the hour or on a monthly retainer.
RPO, or Recruitment Process Outsourcing, is a strategic approach to talent acquisition where organisations outsource some or all of their recruitment processes to an external provider.
In traditional hiring, organisations typically manage recruitment processes in-house, from sourcing candidates to onboarding. This often requires significant time, resources, and expertise from internal HR teams or hiring managers. However, traditional hiring methods can sometimes struggle to keep pace with changing talent demands, especially in industries facing skill shortages or rapid growth.
RPO offers a holistic and strategic approach to talent acquisition. RPO providers like Omni act as an extension of an organisations brand, assuming responsibility for recruitment activities such as candidate attraction, sourcing, screening, assessment, and even onboarding. By outsourcing these functions to specialised experts, organisations can benefit from industry knowledge, resources, and technology to give access to the best talent at pace.
One of the key differences between RPO and traditional hiring lies in the level of specialisation and scalability offered by recruitment RPO providers. RPO partners often have dedicated teams of recruiters who specialise in specific industries or skill sets, allowing them to access niche talent pools and identify high-quality candidates more efficiently. Additionally, RPO solutions are highly scalable, meaning they can quickly adapt to fluctuating hiring needs, whether it’s scaling up recruitment efforts during peak periods or adjusting to changing market conditions.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) can significantly enhance your Talent Acquisition strategy by providing specialised expertise, scalability, and strategic partnership. Here’s how:
Specialised Expertise: RPO providers have dedicated teams of recruiters who specialise in various industries, roles, and skill sets. These experts possess in-depth knowledge of the labour market, industry trends, and sourcing techniques, allowing them to identify and attract high-quality candidates efficiently. By leveraging their specialised expertise, RPO partners, like Omni, can access niche talent pools and ensure high-quality people for your organisation.
Scalability: One of the key advantages of recruitment RPO is its scalability. RPO providers can quickly scale recruitment efforts up or down based on your organisation’s hiring needs. Whether you’re experiencing rapid growth, seasonal fluctuations, or project-based hiring spikes, RPO can adapt to accommodate your changing requirements. This flexibility ensures that you have the right resources in place to meet demand without overburdening your internal HR team or sacrificing recruitment quality.
Cost-Effectiveness: RPO recruitment can offer cost savings when compared to traditional hiring methods. While there may be an initial investment in outsourcing recruitment to an RPO partner, the long-term benefits often outweigh the costs. RPO can help reduce time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and turnover rates, resulting in overall cost savings for your organisation.
Strategic Partnership: RPO goes beyond transactional recruiting by forging a strategic partnership between the RPO partner, like Omni, and your organisation. At Omni, we become an extension of your employer brand and we work closely to understand business objectives, culture, and talent requirements. This collaborative approach allows RPOs to tailor recruitment strategies that align with your organisation’s goals. By working as an extension of your HR team, RPO providers can provide valuable insights, leading practices, and innovative solutions to help achieve talent acquisition objectives.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is a strategic approach to talent acquisition where organisations outsource some or all of their recruitment processes to an external provider, like Omni. The partner is known as the RPO provider and assumes responsibility for various aspects of the recruitment process, including candidate attraction, candidate sourcing, screening, assessments, interview coordination and onboarding.
Recruitment RPO is about leveraging specialised expertise, technology, and resources to streamline the recruitment process and improve hiring outcomes. Rather than relying solely on internal HR teams or traditional recruitment agencies, organisations partner with RPO providers to access a broader range of talent to enhance efficiency and drive better results.
The specific services offered by RPO providers can vary depending on the needs and preferences of the organisation. That’s the beauty of RPO. Some organisations may opt for end-to-end RPO, where the RPO provider manages the entire recruitment process from start to finish. Others may choose to outsource specific elements of the recruitment process, such as candidate sourcing or interview scheduling, while retaining other aspects.
There are several key advantages:
Access to Specialised Expertise: RPO providers have dedicated teams of recruiters who specialise in various industries, roles, and skill sets. This expertise allows them to identify and attract high-calibre talent more efficiently than internal HR teams or traditional recruitment agencies.
Scalability: RPO recruitment solutions are highly scalable, meaning they can quickly adapt to fluctuating hiring needs. Whether your organisation is experiencing rapid growth, seasonal fluctuations, or project-based hiring spikes, RPO can flexibly adjust to accommodate your changing requirements.
Cost Savings: RPO can offer cost savings compared to traditional hiring methods. By outsourcing recruitment processes to an external provider, organisations can reduce time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and turnover rates, resulting in overall cost savings for the business.
Strategic Partnership: RPO recruitment goes beyond transactional recruiting by fostering a strategic partnership between the RPO provider and the organisation. At Omni, we work closely with our organisations to understand their organisation’s objectives, culture, and talent requirements, allowing us to tailor recruitment strategies that align with the organisation’s goals and values.
