What is recruitment process outsourcing or RPO? It’s a business model where a company transfers its recruitment processes to an external service provider. At first, it might sound that small businesses don’t need it. But let me tell you that you are in the wrong and misinformed.
Every company should at least consider getting an RPO service. That’s because the recruiting environment is rather complex. Not to mention that the processes of getting quality hires are getting tough.
To successfully recruit top talents, you’ll have to navigate a tight labor market. You must also become skillful in a set of relevant technologies. Managing and nurturing candidates and hiring managers are parts of the process too.
But don’t worry if you are too busy to do such things! You do not have to be dragged into this process if you are a business owner. What you can do is leave the job to the experts and just pay more attention to other aspects of your business.
RPO recruitment companies have subject-matter experts and talent acquisition is their core competency. The experts know how to navigate the recruitment environment. They also stay updated on the latest recruiting technology. These companies have the resources to scale the recruiting capacity to meet demands.
Recruitment process outsourcing companies bring people, processes, technology, and metrics into talent acquisition. An RPO solution brings a lot of benefits based on what you’re looking for. Some of the benefits include:
- Managing hiring fluctuations throughout the year
- Improving hiring manager satisfaction
- Elevating employment brands
- Improving candidate experience
- Simplifying the hiring process
- Reducing recruitment costs and dependency on staffing agencies
Strategies Used By Recruitment Process Outsourcing
There are different reasons why you may want to partner with an RPO. The Reasons may be tactical or strategic. A company can approach an RPO because they feel that their in-house team is not up to the task.
The need for the partnership may also be due to limitations in hiring as a result of technology or bandwidth. You may also be in need of changing your talent acquisition process. Here are some of the strategies used by RPO human resources.
1. Leveraging Social Media Platforms
Leading RPOs don’t only believe in recruiting the best talent. They also build a relationship with the candidate by engaging them on social media. They do this by regularly sharing recruitment-related news.
They also share free resources and expert interviews that help to keep you engaged. This can help to create a reliable online community. Getting talents from social groups and hiring them is faster and more qualitative.
This kind of strategy serves to separate the best RPO companies from the rest. It also helps in employer brand-building. And bringing in diversity in the RPO talent acquisition pool. This strategy is proof that only those who challenge themselves can grow and be better.
2. Use of Recruiting Technologies
Some RPOs still use the old method of application management which is time-consuming. But the best RPO companies have embraced smart solutions. Recruitment automation tools enable recruiters to save time and make the process smarter.
So whether you want to get more informed about RPO or are an aspiring recruiter, you must know which software is a must-have. Market experts specialize in developing software for different types of recruiting agencies. The software is designed to meet the needs of recruiters. Some of the software includes:
- The application tracking system
- Recruitment marketing software
- Candidate testing tools
Here’s what well-designed recruitment software enables RPOs to do:
- Management of candidates
- Automation of emails
- Interview scheduling
- Job broadcasting
- Career page management
- Sourcing of resumes, parsing, reformatting, and storing
3. Collaborative Hiring
RPO recruiting companies understand that collaborative hiring is the future of the industry. The huge demand for experts usually leaves managers struggling to meet the mark.
Some teams within a company can collaborate with the HR department to find the right talent. As for RPO, they can collaborate with firms operating in a particular niche. This kind of collaboration is important as it expands the network. It also enhances the talent pool and boosts the quality of hires. Collaborative hiring also brings down the “hire to time” drastically.
4. Use of Data to Manage Hiring Processes
Data-backed hiring helps RPOs to strengthen their approach. It also enables them to build better strategies to attract candidates. Thus, whether an ATS is used or not, hiring processes must be structured. You shouldn’t be shooting in the dark randomly.
There’s a lot of data analysis that RPOs do to tell whether their strategies are working or not. The following are some of the data metrics used to analyze recruitment strategies:
- Time to hire
- Applicants per hire
- Cost per hire
- The email response rate
- Applicant’s response rate
5. Interpersonal Communication Skills
Right from the initial phone call, high-quality talent expects a high-quality candidate experience. RPO talent acquisition makes smart use of technology to ease the process. They also deliver high-touch experiences to make an applicant feel important.
RPO companies build rapport with applicants. This helps them to uncover honest and helpful responses during interviews. The ability to establish relationships is crucial to the success of a recruitment process outsourcing hr.
Note that communication and relationship building is important for a recruiter’s career. It’s also important for the experience of candidates and hiring managers. A disinterested recruiter has a huge negative impact on the recruitment process.
Think of the last time you spoke to a customer service person who seemed disinterested. Chances are that the discussion didn’t end well. You may have also been left with a negative impression of the company.
That’s how an applicant feels if a person holding their job opportunity behaves in the same manner. RPO recruiters are well-trained to ensure such an experience never happens.
6. The Ability to Ask Questions About What They Don’t Know
An RPO company must get the most qualified and interested candidates. To do this, an RPO recruiter must be on the lookout for gaps in the understanding of a position for which an applicant is required.
In case a hiring manager makes an ambiguous request, the recruiter must realize that more information is needed. They can then go ahead and ask for it. Remaining silent does not help any of the parties.
To stand out from the rest, RPO recruiters must listen to the challenges faced by hiring managers. They can then provide solutions. This happens even if the RPO company doesn’t have direct control over the challenges. They also act as advisors since they understand the talent market. This knowledge enables them to educate and coach hiring managers.
Final Take Away
Challenges in recruitment processes can hold back a company in different ways. Poor hires, long hiring cycles, and higher costs are some of the challenges. These problems can be solved through a partnership with a recruitment process outsourcing company.
RPO strategies help to improve recruitment processes. To see the benefits, ensure you match your RPO provider with your company values and goals.