The notion of outsourcing recruiting can seem unnecessary; particularly for those organizations with a number of in-house recruiters and talent acquisition professionals. However, as the talent market continues to change and candidate expectations grow more demanding, many organizations are beginning to realize that even if they can do it all, it doesn't mean that they should.
When I see an article of clothing that claims to be “one-size-fits-all”, my normal reaction is to look the other way. The idea of a one-size-fits-all item that genuinely fits right seems too good to be true − and, chances are, it is. Whether it's your favorite product, like that piece of clothing, or a service you've come to rely on, it's your favorite because it fits your needs, expectations, and budget at that moment in time.
As a talent acquisition professional, when looking for talent partners to assist in periods of high-volume or niche hiring, you have choices. Like in the clothing example above, you can select a one-size-fits-all solution, or you can create a custom talent acquisition program to meet your unique needs.
Project-Based Approach to Outsourcing Recruiting
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) can provide an efficient workforce solution for your organization's recruitment needs. However, you might not be in the market for a full-scale solution, or you may not have the budget allocated. But what many organizations do not realize is that an RPO solution can supplement certain aspects of the recruiting process while seamlessly integrating into your existing recruiting efforts, without implementing an end-to-end RPO program.
The following examples provide unique use cases for a project-based approach to outsourcing recruiting through an RPO provider. It's important to note that for the sake of this blog, I've purposefully generalized the use cases. Keep in mind, every organization has different recruitment needs, talent acquisition departments, budgets, and goals. If you are considering outsourcing part or all of your talent acquisition process, the best piece of advice I can recommend is to connect with an RPO expert.
Use Case No. 1: Lack of Recruiting Resources
Many companies do not have the budget for a full-blown employment branding strategy, Applicant Tracking System (with all of the bells and whistles), or enough advertising to promote all of your open positions. Additionally, your talent acquisition department may lack the manpower and structure needed to maintain certain procedures and operations to support recruiting efforts; such as curating standardized job descriptions, streamlining application processes, frequent communication and so on.
In this case, it might be beneficial to bring on an RPO provider who can either work in a consultative role, streamlining your recruiting efforts, or to allocate certain talent acquisition duties to the provider. For example, if your company is lacking advanced technology, your RPO partner could provide a technology solution to keep your recruitment process organized and efficiently running through one platform.
Use Case No. 2: Recruiters are Bogged Down
Regardless of the size of an organization, there are certain aspects of the talent acquisition process that might be lacking. Let's say as a talent acquisition leader of your organization, you recognize that your high-performing recruiters are spending too much time on administrative tasks. To remedy this issue, you can bring on a dedicated team of outsourced RPO recruiters to assist with various pieces of the recruiting process. This can range from sourcing qualified candidates, to scheduling interviews, and even onboarding new hires.
Use Case No. 3: Sudden or Rapid Growth
Perhaps you are working for a company that is expanding quickly. RPO programs provide scalable workforce solutions to accommodate for this sudden growth and larger recruitment needs; all while ensuring candidate quality and time-to-hire is not negatively impacted. As an added bonus to this approach, it will free up time for internal HR resources or recruiters to focus on strategic planning to further develop the company.
Whatever the company’s situation or size may be, a key element to success in utilizing an RPO solution is to identify the challenges of the current talent acquisition practice, determine the recruitment needs and goals of the organization, and recognize what RPO services will be just the right fit for the company. So, remember you can take the easy route out and buy the one-size-fits-all shirt, or you can take the time to find the exact right fit.
