“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit, ” noted by Will Durant. For Recruitment Process Outsourcing partners (RPOs) – that is exactly what we do – we are in the habit of hiring and this helps us create excellence for your organization. But it’s not just about high-volume hiring for enterprise organizations. Many of the prime benefits an RPO partner provides are especially useful for small and mid-size companies as well. The real value of an RPO partner is in their ability to represent a brand seamlessly–delivering a streamlined process and creating more efficient hiring– leading to overall improvement of candidate experience for incoming talent. These are some big claims, so allow me to elaborate.
When evaluating RPO providers, it is important to have an understanding of what happens behind the scenes. What process does a particular provider currently have in place? Organizations have unique goals and needs when it comes to talent acquisition. An RPO provider’s job is to first, discern what that organization exemplifies and then accurately represent it. This becomes especially important during an initial interview, where top talent will certainly be evaluating the company similarly, to determine if they are a match. An RPO represents your organization, building candidate relationships per unique brand. Being successful in this approach is vital to incoming talent, and when successful from the start, organizations will be too.
This leads me to how an RPO ensures a brand’s positive reputation in the marketplace. First, communication!
A succinct communication plan makes all the difference. True talent is always in high demand, and keeping candidates engaged in today’s tight labor market is crucial to the success of any company. When an individual participates in the hiring process, there needs to be a mutual courtesy for providing time and energy. Principal candidates may be fielding multiple offers and often have many opportunities from which to choose. As client ambassadors, prompt and professional communication with the candidate(s) is of value. Communicating appreciation for participation in the process as well as open and concise feedback to the candidate(s) not chosen to move forward in the hiring process is also imperative for brand reputation and future opportunities. We all know how impactful a negative online review can be to a brand. The goal is to ensure candidate satisfaction at every stage of hiring.
To successfully execute this type of communication strategy can be time-consuming to a company. The role of an RPO is to alleviate this and other administrative burdens with an established, expert team. Partnering with the right RPO enables a company to keep their attention on the goal; selection of top talent provided by their RPO partner.
This brings us to the second way an RPO provides value beyond volume hiring – removing the administrative burden of the hiring process.
Focus on the details and alleviate administrative burden. Many companies have process challenges easily rectified by partnering with an RPO. The amount of work involved in the recruiting process can feel daunting – sourcing, interviews, background checks, reference checks, onboarding, and more. Hiring talent is a complex process with multiple steps and areas of expertise. This is not always found in traditional HR departments. Outsourcing provides proven methods, an often better candidate hiring experience, and allows for hiring managers to focus on placing the best applicant. With a focus on delivering continuous candidate flow, alleviating pressure from short-staffed hiring managers and expediting hire for the candidate eagerly awaiting the next chapter of their career. Makes for a win, win, win!
Last, but not least – an experienced RPO partner will help you scale your hiring – up or down, as needed.
Scalability is key to long-term success. An RPO provides their partner the flexibility, resources, and experience to scale hiring to conform to the present hiring need. Regardless of flow, an experienced RPO can deliver the high-touch candidate experience required in today’s marketplace, with a seamless transition between hiring periods.
The opportunity for scalability an RPO partner provides can prove a more cost-effective solution over managing the hiring process with an internal team. Going back to Durant’s quote, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Bottom line, RPOs are in the habit of hiring. But, think beyond just volume. RPOs make hiring more efficient and effective at any size company. An RPO partner should be just as focused on HOW they do their job, to create a better hiring experience for both client and candidate alike.
