Reimagine outsourcing for talent acquisition that works.

Dan Cornett, RPO practice leader, APAC, KellyOCG & Sevenstep

“Changing hiring demands and wildly fluctuating volumes are my number one challenge right now. I need confidence in my talent plans, not just a menu of services and numbers to hit.”

This statement from a recent pulse survey we conducted of talent acquisition (TA) leaders in APAC confirms a common frustration. Roughly 65% of HR and TA decision-makers are not confident that they can secure the right skills, attract and retain top talent, and handle demand fluctuations.

An outsourced solution is perfectly suited to meet the need for flexible, high-quality TA. For permanent hiring, organizations look to recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solutions—but your partner must be more than a one-size-fits all transactional talent provider. Instead, look for a partner that can flex with your specific business model, industry and hiring situation—especially as those needs change. In other words, your solutions partner MUST bring the agility required to handle volatile demands.

How do you determine the right partner? The answer begins with a careful look at the providers available to you. Understand the fundamental expectations of RPO as well the high-value differentiators that will give you the flexibility you need. The result will be a partnership that delivers more than hiring support. It will provide confidence in your talent strategy regardless of what the market brings.

The fundamentals of RPO: faster, smarter hiring.

Companies hire RPOs to boost their ability to hire the right person, at the right time and cost, every time. Whether supplementing or fully outsourcing your hiring process, your RPO is an extension of your team, using its expertise and technology to find talent you might otherwise miss. At its core, any successful RPO must meet the following needs:

• Access to talent: Your provider should have deep expertise in your industry and location. Beyond sourcing through traditional and digital channels, it should leverage data to refine hiring efforts and align roles with candidate expectations.
• Speed and cost: While time-to-fill and cost-per-hire are key RPO metrics, they often reflect past performance. The best RPOs predict future needs and provide realistic expectations of time and costs.
• Quality of talent: A quality solution ensures hiring managers see and hire candidates who perform well, fit the role and stay. The best partners also help refine job roles to improve retention and productivity, or look at all options including redeploying upskilled talent, all as a commitment to fostering an employer-talent relationship built on trust.
• Compliance: Your TA function must navigate location-specific hiring laws and evolving regulations. A knowledgeable provider proactively advises on compliance to mitigate risks.
  
  

High-value differentiators: a confident path forward.

While foundational RPO benefits are crucial, they alone do not ensure success in your TA strategy, particularly when that strategy needs to pivot to a new demand. Agility is everything.

An agile solutions provider forges trust by “meeting clients where they are.” RPO comes in many forms. It could be a full enterprise solution that executes ongoing hiring activity or a project RPO that fulfills a defined initiative, such as hiring for a new product launch or location. It could be hybrid RPO that provides recruiting resources to augment your in-house team, or it could be a modular solution that combines many different qualities to suit your specific needs. Do not assume you cannot afford a “customized” partnership.

Consider the following value drivers that separate exceptional RPOs from the rest.

• Guidance: With AI and technology reshaping job roles, the demand for specific skills changes rapidly. A high-value RPO brings market intelligence, advises on sourcing strategies, and challenges existing plans to improve outcomes. For our clients, we have seen predictive data from our Sevayo® Insights platform enable problem-solving strategies that can put TA in front of its challenges, even predicting hiring difficulty at the beginning of the assignment. This has enabled us to alter our resource deployment and dramatically minimize aging requisitions.
• Agility: A strong partner combines strategic guidance with execution. Whether scaling hiring, supporting employer branding or managing hiring spikes, an adaptable provider can quickly deploy resources as needs evolve.
• Data: Advanced analytics help set competitive salaries, prioritize recruiter activities, and anticipate hiring challenges. While many RPOs tout technology, the best integrate data-driven decision-making for stronger, more informed hiring.
• Total talent capability: A partner that accesses contingent workers can be a terrific advantage, whether or not your current plans involve the flexible workforce. Expanding your options and visibility across all talent types can prove essential to solving the toughest assignments.
• Leadership and culture: A strong talent solutions partner leads authentically, steering strategy and embracing tough conversations when needed. Their culture centers on problem-solving and continuous skill development for the RPO team and intellectual generosity. Here, knowledge is shared and refined collaboratively, within the provider’s team and with the client, to drive the best outcomes.
  
  

Short- and long-term RPOs: opening new doors to talent.

Don’t settle for an RPO that only offers low-cost, hands-off administration. Even if such a transactional solution meets today’s needs, it likely won’t tomorrow. Changing RPO providers midstream is costly and disruptive. Instead, look for:

• A history of both long-term client success and short-term project flexibility.
• Technology that goes beyond chatbots and automation to integrate data and analytics.
• A willingness to engage in deeper conversations beyond a standard RFP.

An RPO provider should be more than an outsourced vendor. It should be a strategic, agile partner that strengthens your talent function with confidence and foresight.

To learn about our MSP solutions in APAC, read "Is your contingent workforce programme a true gamechanger?"