How To Choose A Top-Notch RPO Partner

“To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.” Every word is true, for there is no success in business without a competitive workforce with the talent and drive to win. But this is easier said than done.

Why You Need An RPO Partner

The complex and unpredictable recruiting demands are not making it any easier for business owners to find the right talent. Unless this is managed, businesses will face unwanted repercussions such as employee dissatisfaction and higher turnover rates. The aftershocks of this organizational disability will lead to the loss of global opportunities and end in a downward spiral. To avoid these irreversible consequences, organizations have adopted Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) to stay safe and ahead of the crowd.

Moreover, it makes sense to outsource your hiring process to an external provider for two reasons:

• There is an overburden or shortage of talent acquisition expertise within your organization.
• You are trying to create a long-term talent acquisition strategy for recruitment that is solid, reliable, and effective.

Trust us when we say that RPO providers understand recruitment nuances better than your organization ever could. They are talent acquisition experts and can help you address real-world fluctuations in hiring activity for any type of project. They enable you to scale up the team during a hiring surge and scale down when things slow down. They bring in quality talents and ensure to provide a rich candidate experience throughout the recruiting process, which is critical to your employer branding.

So, once you’ve decided to hire an RPO partner, how will you choose the right one? A great deal of deliberation, meticulousness, and thoughtfulness is necessary here.

Our blog further explores the critical factors you ought to consider when choosing an RPO firm.

Key Considerations In Selecting An RPO Provider

RPO is an abundant industry, with numerous companies offering their services. Each company has its own experience, specialisation, and methods of working. To ensure you don’t end up with a one-size-fits-all RPO solution, you need to be prepared with the right questions to ask before you speak to your recruitment services agency and determine whether they can help you in achieving your business goals.

For an easier selection process, here are a dozen key selection criteria:

1. Industry Knowledge:

Which RPO partner understands your business model the best? Are you outsourcing with a partner who specialises in your niche industry? Answering these questions will be your first step. It is important to understand that most RPOs are talent experts who specialize in handling specific industries like IT, manufacturing, development, retail, etc. Be sure to choose an RPO that has experience with your industry.

2. Provider’s Reputation:

An outsourcing company can be popular for good and bad reasons. Any RPO firm dedicated to providing the best services for its clients would enjoy a great reputation. A good reputation also builds trust, which invariably expands their clientele. You can ask for recommendations and zero in on the most recommended provider.

3. Organisational Capabilities:

Recruitment and hiring are meticulous processes that can stretch human resources to a breaking point. It is critical to ensure that your RPO provider is equipped with the necessary technical infrastructure automate your recruiting functions and has the relevant expertise to relieve the recruiting efforts of your in-house HR staff.

4. Industry Experience:

Working with an RPO partner with experience can prove to be a great asset. Obtain information about the number of companies they have served with similar requirements. Their history of successful recruitment projects should give you a good sense of their industry experience.

5. Value-Added Services:

Is the outsourcing company able to provide value-added services that will benefit your business? In addition to the core recruitment services, can your recruitment partner also help you with talent management, analytics, employer branding, workforce planning, assessment, and process reengineering? A partner with a pick-and-mix approach and has the ability to build a customized recruitment strategy based on your requirements should be your first choice.

6. Service Level Agreements(SLAs):

During the RPO process, an experienced firm never follows a one-size-fits-all solution approach. This talent strategy is neither conducive nor result-oriented. To offer tailored solutions, the recruiting agency needs to be capable of negotiating individually with every client.

7. Organizational size:

It is important to have an RPO partner who can work together with your High-volume hiring needs. Your outsourcing partner should not have a problem working with you if you require talent in bulk often.

8. Professional Rapport:

This is an essential criterion since both parties are working for a common objective. A good understanding and professional bonding with your partner is key to making the talent acquisition process a big success and helps build a strong relationship. Therefore, it would be best to determine whether your outsourcing partner is a good match for your hiring objectives.

9. Flexible Approach:

The recruitment needs of every employer vary from time to time, and hence an adaptable, flexible, and accommodating hiring process is what you need to make this investment worthwhile. Whether they serve you on a global or region-specific level, your RPO provider should adjust in tandem with your company’s requirements. You should ensure that your RPO partner is able to source and deliver hard-to-fill positions and flexible enough to adapt the service without compromising on quality. A rigid approach will not be conducive to your hiring requirements.

10. Partnership:

Before you sign the deal and seal the relationship, you need to know if the service provider is willing to work as a contract hire or as a part of internal resources -an extension of your HR team. Identify how their partnership policies and interests coincide with your own. Ensure that your RPO service provider can help you control your recruitment costs to a substantial level. Also, ensure the RPO fills your open positions with high-quality candidates in lesser time, lowering the turnover rates.

11. Client List:

An analysis of a service provider’s past and present clientele is fundamental to know their capabilities. In this industry, good RPO firms are always able to draw impressive client lists. Additionally, it provides you with insight into the capabilities of the firm in recruiting potential candidates.

12. Work Ethic:

As with any other industry, the success of RPO companies depends on their dedication and commitment to work ethics. Understanding their work ethic will help you determine how committed they are to their job and how they strive to bring the best talents to your company.

It is important to understand your outsourcing objectives and determine if your talent acquisition partner will enable you to achieve them. Consider the attributes you would prefer for your business, such as digital presence, teamwork, and innovation.

The Principle group – A One Stop For All Your Needs

Choosing The Principle Group could be the best decision you ever make for your company. As an organization, we are committed to understanding the requirements of your company culture and talent pool. We have served as a trusted RPO partner for over 15 years, proving our industry expertise and commitment to recruiting services. We would be happy to discuss our work approach with you.

Get in touch with our team.