Businesses go with recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) for two reasons: one, they cannot afford to hire internal recruiters; and, two, they’ve just landed a big project, so their internal recruiters are overwhelmed. Whatever your reasons are, know that you will never go wrong if you want to outsource your recruitment process. Even some of the biggest companies in the world are using RPOs whenever they need to hire additional staff.
You can choose to retain a human resource (HR) department or just let a third-party provider handle all your HR needs. The first option will link the third-party provider to your HR department. The third-party recruiters will act as an extension of the HR department. In the second option, you can choose not to have an internal HR department provided that you avail of the full services of a third-party provider.
What Should RPOs Look for in Candidates?
You have the full power to choose the candidates who are right for your company. As part of the process, an RPO company will determine the skills, knowledge, and qualifications that you are looking for in a candidate. You can even set the parameters yourself. When setting the requirements and qualifications, you have to zero in on what you want and also what you will not tolerate.
Some RPOs tend to be irresolute when it comes to candidates for switching colleges multiple times. If you are okay with certain imperfections in the resume, make sure that the service provider understands that. They might reject someone who’s a perfect fit for your organization only because they don’t 100% comply with the “requirements.” They need to know how strict you are with certain requirements before you let them filter your candidates.
What Are the Signs That You Need an RPO?
The first sign that you need to outsource your recruitment needs is when your internal HR is overworked and over-taxed. There is no reason to let your employees suffer during the growth of the company. Needing new people is a good thing because it means your company can afford to pay them. However, if it comes at the price of your current employees’ well-being, do you really think that is worth it?
If you have also entered into a new project and need to hire more people, that’s another reason to hire an RPO. They will have a list of candidates on your table in no time. Under no circumstances should you try to hire as many as 50 or more people for your company and let two or three people in your HR department handle it alone.
Before you partner with an RPO company, discuss it with your management team. What are their demands? Are they not satisfied with your internal HR? Are they not finding the right candidates for the organization? More than anything else, give your employees the freedom to voice out their opinions, especially in matters that could deeply impact the company.
Is Hiring an RPO the Right Move for You?
If you can afford it, there’s no reason you shouldn’t let the experts handle your recruitment woes. Sure, you have a recruitment team of your own, but how much experience do they have in recruiting the right people for your company? RPO combines experience and reliability. Those are what they can offer, together with improved hiring time, increased candidate quality, and reduced costs.
A company will lose approximately the one-year salary of an employee for hiring a new candidate. Imagine if you lose two employees in a year. You could use that same amount to hire the services of an RPO company and get better results. But reduced costs and better hiring capabilities are not the only factors to consider. RPOs can also provide better recruitment metrics, which will empower organizations in managing and training their current workforce.
Will an RPO Solve All Your Troubles?
The common misconception is that an outsource provider can manage and solve all your problems. They are only responsible for the candidates that they send to you, and not for the existing workforce you currently have. Once the employees are onboarded in your organization, they are yours to manage, negotiate with, empower, and train. RPOs are not going to solve existing organizational problems in the office. Instead, they are the support system that you need.
Outsourcing has become integral to business processes and services now. Very few businesses can manage to survive without outsourcing some of their most important tasks. Although in-house teams and departments work well to represent the company, they do not have the necessary experience and depth to find the best fit for a given task.