If you’re a director, VP or chief of HR or operations, recruitment has been at the forefront of your mind at some point. Finding the right people to grow your business and deliver on your organization’s goals and expectations is a critical deliverable tasked to you daily.
There are many benefits of outsourcing your recruitment, but making the jump to a process outside of your organization can be intimidating. At the core of any outsourced solution relationship is trust. From there, a partnership is created and results can be delivered. When looking at an Outsourced Recruitment solution, there are several traits which you should expect to see. You want your partnership to deliver quality candidates, an improved recruiting process and result in a scalable relationship that serves as a cost-effective extension to your recruitment team.
Remember that a recruitment process outsourcing provider takes ownership of the recruitment process and delivery of qualified candidates. Whether you outsource some or all of your jobs, this process and delivery are largely based on a strong partnership with mutual accountability. Ensure that a statement of work is in place that outlines these responsibilities.
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When looking for an RPO solution, there are numerous qualities that you should consider to ensure you’re choosing a partner that is aligned with your business goals:
- Industry Expertise. Not all RPOs can support recruitment for all industries. Look for an organization that has recruitment specialties within your target market. They understand the candidates and screening required to optimize your recruitment spend.
- Services Available. Are you having problems finding the right candidates? Is your screening process lacking? Do you need help interviewing the candidates you do find? Maybe your entire recruitment strategy needs a complete overhaul. Ensure you know what the shortfalls of your current program are and align with a provider to fill the gaps and enhance your overall strategy with a suite of services matching your needs.
- Scalability. Are you looking to outsource all or a portion of your recruitment strategy? Most RPOs will allow you to scale your commitment to fit your need. However, be aware that you will always benefit from implementing a consistent program for all candidates. By ensuring that all candidates are screened to the same level of quality, you can better ensure that you will be improving the quality of your workforce.
- Trust. Employees are the face of your business. They are often the first impression between customers and your brand. Make sure that you can trust your provider to communicate your brand, culture and job requirements accurately to your future employees.
Outsourced doesn’t mean hands off. A credible RPO will ensure that you are involved throughout every step of the process. Provide a clear definition of the roles you are looking to hire for and adhere to the process established by the RPO partner to find and deliver these candidates. Remember to get specific with the types of roles you are looking to recruit for. Being upfront with your candidate requirements will help your RPO partner source the proper candidates and ultimately result in a higher quality employee who is hired to do the job they applied for.
Once the candidates have been sourced for your position, you will be responsible for interviewing those candidates and making a selection. Every day in between the initial screening and the in-person interview represents the potential for that candidate to secure other employment. Some RPOs will book the interviews on your behalf, but if not, be sure to follow up with a candidate within 24 hours of the candidate presentation to increase the odds of making a hire.
Regular progress reviews in the form of weekly/quarterly/annual business reviews should be discussed and booked with your RPO partner. Perpetual data collection and analysis is the only way to improve your recruitment process. If you are not aware of the success and problems with your organization’s recruitment, it is very difficult to make educated adjustments to your program. The review of those metrics is key to understanding the value of your outsourced recruiting solution.
Outsourcing your recruitment can yield many benefits and finding the right RPO solution can be challenging. Be sure that you understand the current recruitment and hiring challenges that face your business and look for an RPO partner that understands your needs and can deliver the results to improve your workforce.
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