Choosing to work with a Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) business is no quick fix.

A restructure of your in-house recruitment team and working with an external organisation means that it is important you pick the perfect partner to work with. We explore further the threats and risks of recruitment process outsourcing you may face but also, give you useful tips on how to manage risks associated with RPO and to help mitigate threats, which should lead to better results.

1. Unequal Commercial Risk

When a company outsources a portion of, or recruitment in its entirety, it is essential both parties define and work towards a common goal. Fundamentally, the RPO should act as an extension of the company – working in partnership to manage any positive or negative situations which may arise. It is vital to highlight the importance of shared commercial risk to ensure each party is committed to proportionate levels of accountability, which might then be reflected in the commercial model.

2. Poor Relationship Management

Businesses are sometimes under the impression that they should be less involved with RPO once processes have been implemented. Rarely is this the case and where communication and engagement problems arise, lower quality of services and strained relationships will follow. If you’re looking to create a reliable, honest and strong alliance with your RPO provider, communication and engagement is key.

3. It Won’t Necessarily Save You Money…

If you’re considering RPO for your business, because you believe this would decrease your costs, think again. Outsourcing does not necessarily mean lower costs, and where this is the case, you run the risk of receiving low quality output. Outsourcing is best utilised with a company who are just as passionate about your company as you are – delivering a high standard of work and who can add value to your business processes by refining them, providing you with greater value for money.

4. Not a Quick Fix

Implementing RPO is a long term solution to achieving recruitment process efficiency. Therefore, building a partnership with a company which will improve your business takes commitment, investment and time. When working with specialist recruiters, you are buying into a system of continuous improvement rather than finding a quick-fix for a sporadic issue. Granted, bringing in an RPO can accelerate the pace of change but results will be delivered as the partnership develops.

5. Is It Really a Good Match?

In order to make the most of the partnership you build between your organisation and the RPO, you will need to ensure the business culture aligns with your own. Often overlooked, this can be crucial in creating a long-lasting and effective relationship because the ethics and working culture of the outsourced company must reflect your own if they are to be an extended arm of your business. This could help to ensure continuity and could be more likely to reflect positively on the level of service, solidifying the partnership as a whole rather than two entities. One way of assessing the fit could be to work on a small collaborative project together which will get you talking to one another, improving your knowledge of one another and giving you a better indication of whether the ‘fit’ exists.

When choosing RPO, there are many factors to take into consideration. There is no “one solution fits all” – if RPO is chosen for the right reasons, your business is one step closer to finding a solution which will increase effectiveness in recruitment and if done correctly, position your business more competitively.

Written by Minal Sthankiya (Marketing Executive)