How is ‘Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)’ different from ‘Traditional Recruiting’?

Businesses are changing at a very rapid pace and many of these changes can be attributed to the technological & operational advancements that are occurring in different segments. Irrespective of the size, organizations are now looking more closely at the P&L (Profit & Loss) statement since there is always scope to improve the human & operational efficiency across different ‘business verticals’ in any organization. Human Resource (HR) Department is one such department which plays a critical role in building a culture within an organization. The HR team is primarily responsible for employee onboarding, conducting interviews, and salary negotiations. However, with the advent of technology, especially HR Chatbots, a lot of roles that involves mundane & repetitive tasks are now being handled by the HR Bots e.g. HR Bots can approve leaves, resolve minimal issues in salary-slip, etc. There are many other areas in the HR function where operational efficiencies can be incorporated. One responsibility which can be completely offloaded from the HR team is ‘Recruiting’ and this is where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) can be an ideal fit.

The first question that comes to mind is ‘How different is RPO from traditional recruiting?’ Before this we answer this question, it is important to understand the nitty-gritty of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). In the simplest form, RPO is a form of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) where an organization transfers all the roles & responsibilities related to ‘hiring & recruitment’ to a capable & proven ‘RPO partner’. Companies that provide RPO services have a number of years of experience in recruitment, candidate screening, negotiations, etc. and this expertise helps them in bridging the talent gap that exists in different industries. Some of these RPO partners are also traditional Human Resource Management firms and this operational knowledge in the HR space can be of great help to their customers. Firms like ManPower Group have experience & expertise in verticals like Temporary Staffing, Permanent Staffing, Leadership Training, as well as RPO. Since they cater to all the requirements related to Human Resource Management, having an RPO partner like ManPower Group can ease the burden from your resident HR team who can now focus on other HR functions.

The approach followed by an RPO partner or RPO provider is different from a traditional recruitment agency as the RPO partner follows a ‘cognitive approach’ based on the requirements & culture of their client. Unlike traditional recruitment agencies that only look at fulfilling job requirements for their clients; RPO partner plays a pivotal role in shaping the HR functions in their partner’s organization. In a nutshell, traditional recruitment companies only look at one aspect – bridging the gap between their clientele & job candidates i.e. it is transactional. On the other hand, having an RPO partner onboard is more of a long-term & strategic decision for the organization. The RPO market is witnessing a huge demand from startups/SME’s & big organizations. Due to this demand, many small recruitment agencies also tag themselves as RPO Providers. These kinds of recruitment agencies do not have any ‘RPO expertise’ and are there only to gain a small part of the market share.

While choosing an RPO Provider/RPO Partner, it is highly recommended that your organization opts for an RPO partner that has the right team & extensive amount of experience in the RPO industry as your organization would be engaging with them on a long-term basis. This is where ManPower Group, one of the best recruitment agencies in India can play a key role in managing the HR functions in your organization since engaging the best RPO partner can reap early, as well as long-term benefits!