An essential component in achieving business growth and development is establishing meaningful outsourcing partnerships. While making connections is straightforward, maintaining mutually beneficial relationships presents a greater challenge.
A Deloitte survey revealed that 78% of businesses prioritised cultivating a good relationship with their outsourcing partners. If two companies are incompatible, it can negatively influence the work being done and the results delivered.
A Grand View Research report found the global recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) market size is expected to reach £15.6bn by 2027. Such significant growth in this area is due to increased demand for cost-effective and scalable recruitment solutions.
The right RPO partner can unlock business agility and deliver the flexibility businesses need to shift priorities and make progressive decisions quickly and easily. It is essential however, to foster a close working partnership from the exploratory stage to realise the best service, results, and return on investment .
For more than 20 years, Omni RMS has partnered with a range of organisations and leading brands to provide tailored RPO and Project RPO solutions. Here, our experts examine five key attributes that go into building and maintaining long-standing relationships that deliver.
1. Cultural fit
At the earliest stage of engagement, both sides should ensure that their cultures align. A focus on company culture and values goes a long way in building and executing the right programme and approach. Shared perspectives create a strong foundation to build a successful partnership that lasts.
2. Transparency
At the exploratory stage, businesses should also establish expectations, time frames and resources to ensure the outsourcing partner understands precisely what is expected and can thoroughly prepare. Failing to provide the right information from the outset could result in an outsourcing partner second-guessing a hiring strategy and failing to deliver. It is a two-way street, and RPO providers should be open and honest about their capabilities and experience to equip the organisation with the information they need to make the right decision.
3. Communication
Communication is critical in establishing a successful RPO partnership. Without clear and frequent contact with an outsourcing partner, a company’s priorities can become misaligned, making agile decision-making more difficult. Regularly sharing goals, challenges, expectations and feedback allow both parties to understand where they are and the direction they need to move in next. This should be more flexible than scheduled catch-ups, with information shared in real-time via preferred digital collaboration tools, email or over the phone.
4. Evaluation & Improvement
Methods of measuring success must be installed from the outset. The right metrics should be identified, with clear benchmarks set throughout the process. Not only does this ensure the RPO provider demonstrates results and value, but it also highlights areas for improvements so any deviations from the shared goal can be fixed. Proactive evaluation and continuous improvement mean small setbacks can be quickly managed before they derail the relationship. Today’s most successful providers go above and beyond any KPI’s or SLAs, keeping the company goals and vision in mind. They think of how their service can help their client far beyond the limitations; how they can contribute in terms of improving collaboration and innovation and should have specific ideas on their contribution as well as strategies and ideas with respect to the future. The best partnerships are value-based and not just simply about reducing costs.
5. Invests in itself
A high performing RPO will Invest in its own people, as the success of any partnership is dependent on the quality of their employees. A high performing team will ensure that an RPO ranks high on all KPIs. 75% of top business performers credit the success of their outsourcing activities to the quality of the provider’s expertise. Identifying how a provider attracts, develops, engages and retains its own talent is just as important as understanding how they will do this for you.
Flexible RPO solutions
By choosing to outsource your recruitment to Omni, we will become an extension of your in-house team, working under your brand to manage all (or part of) your recruitment process, from candidate engagement and sourcing to pipelining, selection and onboarding. Our RPO services span the full recruitment life cycle and are bespoke to an organisation. Find out more today.
