How to develop and manage your RPO relationship effectively

Moving to a recruitment process outsourcing solution offers numerous benefits, not least of which are the access to expert recruiters, streamlined hiring processes, enhanced employer branding, and improved candidate experiences. But you still need to choose your partner wisely and create an environment in which the partnership will thrive.

More and more organisations of every size are turning to recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) as a way to recruit successfully while controlling costs. If you are new to the idea of outsourcing your talent acquisition, take a look at our recent blog post that discusses the scope and benefits of an RPO service.

An RPO team is essentially an extension of your HR department, working closely with HR colleagues to understand their hiring needs, develop recruitment strategies, and execute the hiring process. The team - recruiters, administrators, support staff, and researchers, depending on your needs - is permanently embedded within your organisation, however it is an externally managed service that won’t require additional resources or oversight.

Let’s look at what you can expect from an RPO relationship, what will be involved, and how to get the most value from it.

7 steps to a successful RPO partnership

RPO is about enhancing your hiring process, elevating candidate quality, and driving organisational success. But results won’t just materialise overnight. Like any relationship, you’ll need to lay a solid foundation and work on your communication and collaboration for the best possible outcomes.

1) Assess your hiring goals and need for RPO

Consider your recruitment objectives and challenges, which could include looking at the scale (for example, volume, seasonal spikes, or high turnover) and complexity (for example, different locations, diverse skill requirements, or multiple roles) of your needs.

You should also review your HR department and whether it has the necessary expertise, technology, and resources to achieve your hiring goals. Identify the specific areas where you require support and outline the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will ensure the success of your RPO collaboration.

2) Find the right RPO partner

Research the market to identify RPO providers in your market, and then evaluate each to find the most suitable service. Think about the factors that matter most for your organisation, for example, industry experience, flexibility, adaptability, brand safety, technology, or ethical standards. How do the firms in contention rank for each of these? How successful are they recruiting for positions in your industry and the specific roles you typically hire for?

Look at their track records, client testimonials, and retention rates to find the best fit. A discovery call will also help you better understand how the company would deliver an RPO service with your specific characteristics, and give the main stakeholders a chance to meet and get a sense of each other’s communication styles and personalities. All this information will make choosing the right partner much easier.

3) Define your RPO scope and deliverables

Work closely with your chosen company to define the scope of the RPO services. Determine which aspects of the recruitment process you want to outsource and establish clear deliverables and timelines. This ensures there is a shared understanding of responsibilities and objectives. You should also consider the day-to day practicalities of having the RPO team in your organisation, such as office space, meeting rooms, workstations, and access to internal systems and facilities.

Before you decide to go ahead, review the contract terms and service-level agreements (SLAs) carefully to ensure they align with your expectations and requirements.

4) Establish effective communication with the RPO team

A successful RPO relationship requires colleagues who communicate effectively and maintain transparent channels of communication throughout the engagement. Ensure that your HR team always has open lines of communication with the RPO team. In many situations, your RPO team will be physically based in your office, meaning that this is a much easier task. For remote scenarios, you may need to think of additional ways to enhance collaboration.

Clearly communicate your expectations, provide comprehensive briefs, and maintain regular check-ins to ensure transparency and alignment throughout the recruitment process.

5) Leverage the RPO team’s access and expertise

A close working relationship with your RPO team will ensure you have access to the very best insights, guidance, and industry knowledge, helping you to attract and select the best candidates for your organisation. They will help you to refine job descriptions, benchmark salaries, optimise candidate profiles, and streamline your recruitment strategy more generally.

You will also benefit from the RPO team's cutting-edge recruitment technology and tools. This could include applicant tracking systems, candidate databases, and video interviewing platforms to streamline candidate selection and assessment.

6) Monitor RPO performance and provide feedback

Monitor the performance of your RPO service provider against your agreed-upon KPIs. Give clear and regular feedback on the service, candidate quality, and overall satisfaction levels. This feedback loop will enable continuous improvement and allow you to make any necessary adjustments to maximise the effectiveness of the partnership.

It’s also a good idea to gather feedback from hiring managers and other internal stakeholders about their experience with the RPO team. Regular meetings will allow you to review your progress, discuss roadblocks, and collaborate to find solutions to any issues that arise.

7) Build a successful and long-term RPO relationship

A successful RPO partnership means thinking well beyond the next hiring cycle. For a long-term relationship, your RPO team will need to establish a deep understanding of your organisation's culture, mission, values, and business goals. It’s important to facilitate this knowledge transfer initially and then keep the team informed of any changes in a timely manner so that your strategy can be adjusted.

A good RPO provider will be agile enough to adapt and scale (up or down) as your needs evolve. This ongoing collaboration will facilitate a seamless recruitment process for future positions and ensure a consistent supply of top talent – with succession planning and talent pipelining built into the process.

Trust and honesty are key to making RPO work

Moving to a recruitment process outsourcing solution offers numerous benefits, not least of which are the access to expert recruiters, streamlined hiring processes, enhanced employer branding, and improved candidate experiences. It’s a vital business function that adapts extremely well to being outsourced, with the bonus that it is also more flexible and cost-effective than in-house structures.

But you still need to choose your partner wisely and create an environment in which the partnership will thrive. That means open and honest communication, clear goal alignment, and a collaborative approach. Work towards success with well-defined KPIs, regular performance monitoring, and constructive feedback. As with any relationship, you’ll get back what you put in. 

At Savvi Recruitment, we provide a tailored and flexible RPO service to companies of all sizes. While some larger RPO firms can struggle to deliver in niche roles, we have deep expertise across sectors such as financial services, risk and compliance, asset management, and insurance. The right RPO partner will help you secure the talent your business deserves.