Six Tips for Effective Recruitment Outsourcing -

Finding the right people for your company is one of the best ways that you can add value to your bottom line; and finding the right formula to attract and engage those people is the holy grail of recruitment strategy.

Over the last few years many businesses have developed their own in-house recruitment functions led by experienced talent attraction professionals. While many expected this to see the end of recruitment outsourcing, we have actually seen a continued growth through the evolution of the RPO model.

Very few companies have the resources and expertise to do everything themselves and in-house recruitment managers are now forging new relationships with their external suppliers.

So what does this evolved RPO model look like and how can in-house recruitment managers maximise its effectiveness?

Charlotte Todd-Smith and Mahj Hussain from ResourceBank gave a presentation at the In house recruitment expo in Telford in October 2018 on how to use selective recruitment effectively and Charlotte provided her six tips to build (and maintain) an effective RPO relationship:

1. Extension

We know that we have succeeded when a client stops calling us “ResourceBank” and instead calls us “the {insert company name} talent attraction team”. If you see your partner as an extension of your team and seek to integrate your daily work in any and every way possible, mutual understanding will follow closely afterwards. When it is not about an “us and them” attitude, goals will be shared and success celebrated.

2. Full picture

When you provide your RPO partner with a full picture of your talent landscape, they will have an ideal understanding of the challenges ahead and comprehend the nature of their required contribution. Invite them into your team meetings, ensure that they are asked for feedback and consult with them on strategic decisions. It will pay off.

3. Scalable

Recruitment needs vary due to a whole host of factors, so it is important that your RPO relationship has a scalable dimension. Some RPO providers might attempt to tie an organisation down to a long-term contract, but this can easily lead to tensions. You need to prepare for the downturns as well as the upturns in activity, so building flexibility into your model will pay off in the long term.

4. Transparent Costs

Only accept a transparent, fair and flexible cost model that is fit for your future needs. The cost of recruitment is directly proportionate to the activity, but if you have a close relationship, being honest with costs and budgets should allow both parties to benefit. Overspends will still happen, but at least you will be able to identify why. Equally, the return on investment should be easier to quantify.

5. Engaged

With our client Northgate Vehicle Hire, we immerse ourselves in their business. We shadow their employees to understand their people, getting under the skin of their employer brand (and our recruiters can even valet and deliver the van to Northgate customers when required). If you offer your RPO partner the opportunity to go beyond their recruitment mandate, they will feel a unique sense of affinity for your brand.

6. Partnership

Offering partnership to an external party is never an easy decision, especially when the fate of your people depends on it. The more trust you put in your partner early in the relationship, the higher the probability of a fruitful conclusion. All partnerships need constant work and it certainly won’t be easy, but as long as you communicate openly and honestly, things will work out just fine.

Of course, certain tips will apply more to some companies than others, but we believe in adopting a true partnership philosophy at ResourceBank, so I hope that at least a couple have resonated for you.

Our most successful relationships have started with a small project or just one small area of the talent attraction process. Once we prove ourselves to our client then they see the value of building a relationship with a partner who can deliver a wide range of services to support the overall talent attraction strategy of their business. This “Pick n Mix” approach to recruitment outsourcing is very popular with modern in-house recruitment managers who want to maintain control of their overall talent attraction strategy.