Recruiting talent for your organization can be cumbersome. It can be overwhelming for your in-house team if there is a huge demand for new hires to fill up vacancies in your company. Recruitment poses different challenges, expectations, and opportunities for your in-house team. This is where recruitment process outsourcing comes in. Recruitment process outsourcing makes the job a little easier for your in-house recruitment team by offloading some functions from them.
While recruitment process outsourcing may not always be the right solution, there are times when the decision is based on some misconceptions. These myths will get in your way of finding the right recruitment process outsourcing provider. In this article, we shall debunk 10 myths on RPO to help you make an informed decision when choosing the right outsourcing partner.
10 Myths On Recruitment Process Outsourcing
- No Direct Control
- It Is Expensive
- It Only Works For Large Organizations
- One Size Fits All Approach
- It Is Win-Lose Situation
- Involves Complicated, Long Term Contracts
- It Dilutes Employer Brand
- Candidate and Applicant Experience Is Not A Priority
- It is Transactional And Does Not Focus on Quality
- RPO Is Just Temporary
10 Myths On Recruitment Process Outsourcing
Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) frees your in-house recruitment team from having to handle the tedious task of finding the right candidate to fill certain positions in your company. But while RPO is not for everyone, some businesses which opt to outsource recruitment tasks are based on some misconceptions. Here are 10 false assumptions that can seriously impact your choice of an RPO provider.
1. No Direct Control
One of the misconceptions about recruitment process outsourcing is that you will lose control of your company. While it’s true that you will lose some functions, you will still have full control over the outsourced tasks. In fact, you are the one who will define the processes and expectations as well as the metrics at the start of your meeting.
Although the provider will handle the talent acquisition process and help with the decision making, it will still be you who will have the final say as to who you will hire for the role. While the outsourcing partner might not be located in the same office as yours, they are accountable to you.
You do not lose control of the process but streamline the procedure. The provider will work with your in-house team in meeting your human resource needs and demands. Choosing the right outsourcing provider will help you maintain the right level of control over the process.
2. It is Expensive
Another common misconception in recruitment process outsourcing is that it entails a heavy investment. The truth of the matter is that outsourcing will lead to reduced recruiting costs. Outsourcing may not always be the least expensive option but there are several ways the provider can bring down costs:
- Faster and more precise sourcing
- Decreased agency spend
- Reduced time-to-fill
- Lower turnover
- Overall improved efficiency
Recruitment process outsourcing can help optimize financial and operational efficiency over time and for the long haul. RPO can reduce recruitment costs by 50%. It has been proven that recruitment process outsourcing helps reduce recruitment costs by 15 to 40 percent on average for companies of all sizes.
Your outsourcing partner will have a vested interest in reducing overall recruitment costs while increasing the quality of hires. A good recruitment process outsourcing firm offers reasonable pricing and gives you value for your money. You will gain access to people who have the training in finding the right people resulting in quality candidates.
3. It Only Works For Large Organizations
Because of the misconception that RPO is expensive, there is also an assumption that the process is a service that is only designed for large organizations. This is not true anymore as small and medium-sized businesses are also now more interested in outsourcing their recruitment needs.
In truth, recruitment process outsourcing fits organizations of all sizes. The provider can customize their solutions according to your needs. Thus, even small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from recruitment process outsourcing based on their needs and budget. By partnering with an outsourcing team, you get the option to scale up or down your requirement needs.
Gone are the days when recruitment process outsourcing was exclusive for large businesses. Many service providers are now offering services that fit your recruitment needs. Thus, if you need people for your expansion, you can count on RPO to give you what you need.
4. One Size Fits All
With RPO, you don’t have to outsource your entire recruitment process. While it can be all or nothing, it does not have to be. There is no such thing as “one size fits all” because the provider can handle only your current needs. The RPO provider does not have to cover all your recruitment needs. Are you looking for temporary staff or just to augment your current ones? Whatever your recruitment needs, RPOs can help fulfill your requirements.
The outsourcing provider will help determine the best course of action to take when it comes to your recruitment needs. They will evaluate your current process, identify what you need, and customize the solution to help your organization meet its goals. RPOs can be flexible enough to meet your company’s unique needs. You don’t have to completely outsource or replace a full process.
Thus, it is not true that RPO is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Work with the provider about what steps you can take to beef up your recruitment process. The outsourcing firm will serve as your partner so they will help decide on the best steps to take for effective recruitment.
5. It Is A Win-Lose Situation
There is also a common misconception that RPOs are a scam where only the provider will profit and the business will lose its investment. This isn’t the case. Providers offer strategically designed solutions that can benefit both you and the provider. It is actually a win-win situation for all parties involved. The provider can help you build a positive image when it comes to recruitment.
One reason for such a misconception has to do with the applicant who will be hired. However, RPO firms are knowledgeable about hiring top and high quality talent depending on your industry. They know what to look for when hiring talent for your organization. Look for a provider that has a good history in talent acquisition. This way, you will know that you will find the right fit for the position you want to fill.
With RPO, there is no such thing as a lost investment. The provider will make sure that you get your money’s worth when hiring talent for your team. The provider will help you decide on a solution that will best suit your business requirements.
6. Involves Complicated, Long-Term Contracts
This is another myth. The truth of the matter is that you can be successful with RPO for both your short-term or long-term needs. They can have a team ready to work in no time at all. The provider can fill your immediate hiring needs but they can also build a future talent pipeline to address future manpower needs. The length of the contract will be based on your company’s needs.
Whether you are looking to fill only a certain number of hires or do not have enough resources to meet your monthly manpower requirement, RPO providers have the ability to meet your hiring needs. Look for a provider that will be flexible in meeting the needs of your organization and can set various contract lengths depending on the length and volume of hiring.
RPO providers customize their solutions based on your needs, whether it’s short-term or long-term. Avoid providers that utilize a cookie-cutter approach when recruiting. RPO providers should help you find the right solution for your recruitment needs, not the other way around. Do your research when searching for an outsourcing provider to partner with.
7. It Dilutes Your Employer Brand
Not true. On the other hand, it enhances your employer brand. RPO providers design solutions that encompass strategies that create well-rounded employment brands to attract external candidates and retain employees while improving the candidate experience and increasing hiring manager satisfaction.
In addition, providers consult clients on how to enhance perception of their employer brand. They also monitor the client and their top competitor brands for benchmarking purposes. They then use the results to improve communication and messaging. Also, providers leverage vendor relationships to further support your local brand development.
RPO providers also immerse themselves in learning the culture, vision, mission, values, and brand of their clients. As they are also your business partners, they strive very hard to become stewards of the employer brand of their clients.
8. Candidate and Applicant Experience Is Not A Priority
While many employers do not think of candidates as customers, RPO providers put candidate experience as one of their top priorities. Research shows that while most candidates and applicants expect to be contacted whether they will be hired or not, many of them are not actually contacted, putting them into what is called the “candidate black hole.”
Not reaching out to candidates and applicants when they expect you to can hurt both employer and consumer brand. RPO providers are well aware of this and will ensure that candidate experience will be a priority in the partnership. They assign a dedicated HR team to serve as the contact point. The dedicated team will manage the gap between an accepted offer and the candidate’s first day at work.
The RPO provider will build a relationship with the candidate on your behalf and will do what it takes to cure most recruiting challenges and avoid any disappointments with solutions and results.
9. It Is Transactional And Does Not Focus on Quality
Unlike most staffing agencies, which are mostly transactional, RPO providers track qualitative metrics such as hiring manager satisfaction, quality of hire, and candidate experience. In addition, they will also frequently and consistently provide you with a report on these metrics. They will work on ensuring the satisfaction of new hires while reducing recruitment costs.
The main goal of an RPO provider is to ensure that they hire quality and long-term candidates. They will spend time, energy, and expertise in sourcing, screening, and onboarding permanent staff to ensure that your business gets the best talent. They will also prepare a ready talent pool to ensure that if a new position becomes vacant, there is a talent ready to join and become onboarded.
Lastly, the RPO provider will maintain a diverse talent pool for your future needs. Research from Harvard Business Review reveals that companies that focus on diversity perform better. 45% of businesses reported growth in their market share from the previous year. This diversity in the talent pool will offer huge boosts to your business.
10. RPO Is Just Temporary
RPO has seen tremendous growth in the last few decades and it is expected to grow bigger. In 2019, the RPO industry was valued at $5.48 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 18.5% from 2020 to 2027. Fueled by technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, the sector is expected to grow even further. RPO has also evolved to meet the changing needs of clients.
RPO offers many benefits, so it is not just a fad anymore. It is definitely here to stay and surely you want to be where the action is or risk being left behind by the competition. Because of these benefits, more businesses will adopt RPO and get access to quality talents. As more businesses look for an affordable and efficient way to address their needs, RPO will always serve as a solution they can always rely on.
Without a doubt, it is very clear that RPO is not a temporary fad as some businesses believed it to be. It is a practice that is here to stay and will continue to grow. It will continue to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of customers.
Debunking these myths is the first step for businesses to enjoy the many benefits that recruitment process outsourcing offers. These providers have the necessary tools and techniques in ensuring that the best people will work for your business.
Outsource Your Recruitment Needs with airisX
Recruiting new employees for your team is a notoriously time-consuming process. Hiring an external outsourcing provider like airisX allows you to remove yourself from the tediousness of having to go through hundreds of resumes and bad interviews to find the right candidate that meets the criteria of the employee you are looking for, allowing you to focus on what matters in the recruiting process – doing the final interview for the right candidate, and making the final hiring decision.