To RPO or not to RPO – Is that the question?
Maybe a better question is why? Why create an RPO partnership?
As RPO (recruitment process outsourcing) has become a “hot” venue for resolving recruiting issues, our firm is often asked, what can RPO do for us or how does your RPO model work or, how can RPO help us in China? – this last example is being asked of us by other US companies with Chinese locations because we are most recently exploring servicing a French company’s Chinese locations.
There is no question the advantages of RPO are varied, numbered, and often bring dramatic resolve. An RPO relationship is somewhat amazing because when arranged correctly, it truly brings fast results to issues that have been present for years and often considered incurable. But does this mean it is right for everyone, all the time, in every market?
Our answer is: What do you hope to gain? What is missing, off course, or needs improvement - specifically in the market in question?
Recruitment initiatives are sophisticated, multifaceted and require strategic experienced minds to solve them. One size does not fit all and one solution does not work everywhere. To start or not start your search for a partner would begin with identifying the pain in a market as well as your desired resolve.
This can mean utilizing the same partnership that is working well for a company in California and Chicago or not. It can mean working a cooperative between partners in multiple locations on shore or off—it can mean using one supplier, it can mean using multiple suppliers—-it can mean not using an RPO at all.
RPO partnerships that are most effective are unique. Unique in their culmination and importance of objectives, unique in expectations of who is responsible for what, and recruiting (recruiting being the operative word here) is, by its’ nature, always unique to the geography(s) in question.
So…..To RPO or Not to RPO and with whom, should be evaluated segment by segment, market by market, expectation by expectation and supplier by supplier to determine the unique recruitment steps and processes needed to bring the best results.