I frequently help talent acquisition leaders decide whether to, or not, to use an external partner for recruitment support. Through these consultations, I’ve spotted many signs where companies choose to get external help. Here are the top five most frequent ones:
1. You need a more diverse workforce.
Affinity bias, subconsciously aligning to candidates whose values match your own, has a huge impact on the throughflow of diverse candidates in your process. A recruitment partner who is measured on it’s performance in retaining diverse candidates through the process will eliminate this for you. We know this, because we do this.
2. Your hiring process is too long.
Particularly where you are hiring niche talent, you run the risk of losing the talent you need which has larger cost consequences. Addressing long processes is challenging for in house teams who are fully occupied ‘doing’ to change processes. A strategic partner who specialises in streamlining and delivering bespoke processes for clients is the ideal way to improve your process without a dip in delivery.
3. You have too many applications to process.
Technology can of course improve this for you – our HR Tech Guru David Parker – frequently advises clients on how to leverage tech for better processes. It’s not all about tech though. For example, our candidate management teams frequently stretch across to our brand experts to advise clients on changing their outreach to reduce the number of applications and increase the quality.
4. You are growing rapidly.
Growing pains are real. There’s an expertise that comes with scaling up and down in tune with demand quickly and efficiently. As a model, in house teams are static and rely on approval processes for new team members and there own recruitment processes which take time. All delaying delivering the talent the business needs. Far better to make use of an organisation who have flexible high skilled talent pools and can get you where you need to be. Even if it’s to buy you time to recruit your own team!
5. You’re missing specialist skills.
Be this in your team or for specific roles in the business. It is expensive to hire staff who have the recruiting knowledge you need. It is more cost effective to access this skill in a central resource through a recruitment partner. Many of the specialist talent you’re seeking are in demand elsewhere too and / or are not actively looking to move. We tackle this all day every day. Especially with technology hiring. We have a number of tools at our disposal to know where to find those candidates who aren’t moving or how to speak to early careers talent about your particular opportunity.
In conclusion, RPO isn’t just about getting the job done and processing candidates through the funnel. It’s about having a wider expert team who are glued to your business and dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation.
