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January 15, 2025

Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) involves partnering with a third-party talent acquisition service provider. The operation is designed to align top-performing talent funnels with a business’s unique needs, supported by the RPO service’s recruitment industry expertise.  RPO offers distinct advantages to employers facing challenges in local and global talent markets. For instance, only one in four Australian executives believe they can fulfil business demands with their current talent model. This indicates a need for strategic recruitment models, scalable talent strategies, and a greater focus on agility in recruitment — all challenges outsourcing recruitment can help resolve.  So, how does RPO work, and can it dissolve hurdles in your talent recruitment model? Let’s explore RPO’s in-house, industry-wide, and localised talent acquisition solutions.  What Is Recruitment Process Outsourcing? In RPO, a third-party provider undertakes part of — or the entire — recruitment process, delivering on a business’s hiring needs. Once the contract is signed, the provider begins candidate sourcing, screening, and assessment with minimal involvement from in-house HR staff, or as required. RPO invites fresh perspectives, skills, and attention to workforce planning while allowing HR staff to focus on core responsibilities and strategy.  Some of the benefits of RPO are:  Reduced Time-to-Hire In markets where the labour force is growing faster than job openings, such as Singapore, employers grapple with increased screening requirements and lower overall candidate quality. This often leads to prolonged time-to-hire. RPO experts engage advanced screening tools and automated processes to reduce hiring timelines — even in a noisy market.  Scalable and Agile Approach A recruitment process outsourcing solution is customisable to accommodate the employer’s specific needs. Depending on recruitment goals, you can access end-to-end service, project-based RPO, or consultation solutions (more on this below). Plus, the agile and scalable nature of RPO means you can easily change track as needs evolve.  Enhanced Recruitment Metrics RPO experts can measure quantitative data such as cost-to-hire and time-to-hire, or qualitative metrics such as candidate quality and satisfaction. This data can more accurately forecast future hiring needs and carve out a more efficient, strategic recruitment process.  Elevated Candidate Experience By building strong relationships with a working talent pipeline, RPO experts improve the candidate experience. Whether through timely communications, time-to-hire reduction, or otherwise, these advantages uplift your employer brand, appealing to a spectrum of skilled professionals. Boost DEI Representation Recruitment outsourcing teams often partner with diverse networks and organisations. These professional matrices offer employers access to diverse talent pools, helping tap into underrepresented hires and achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals.  How Does RPO Work?  The goal of RPO recruitment is to act as an extension of a business’s HR or talent acquisition teams, becoming a key player in your recruitment function. This process usually starts with an agreement outlining the project’s scope, duration, and cost. Following this is a period of collaboration, exploring hiring challenges and goals, as well as job descriptions. The external provider will then take the postings to market.  The recruitment agency gathers applications and screens talent with an applicant tracking system (ATS). In the case of any misalignments suggesting the job description needs refining, the RPO team will circle back with the hiring manager to make necessary changes.  An RPO team will identify top candidates for the employer to vet. They may set up the interview process, make the first offer, and handle initial negotiations with successful candidates. Often, an RPO recruiter also supports organisations during the early onboarding of new hires.  Types of RPO Models Various RPO solutions accommodate diverse hiring needs and challenges. Whether you require a talent acquisition strategy rehaul across your entire recruitment function, need hires for a new business division, or simply want to reach DEI or employer branding goals, an RPO partnership provides flexible solutions. Here’s a look into some engagement models:  End-to-end RPO: Full lifecycle recruitment outsourcing is where the RPO team undertakes all aspects of the recruitment process from start to finish. This process includes finding and screening, interviewing and selecting, and onboarding talent.  Project RPO: If you need additional support for hiring projects — such as clearing backlogs — while maintaining your internal recruitment team, Project RPO can cater.  On-demand RPO: On-demand RPO helps curb temporary, fluctuating, or unpredictable needs, such as seasonal workforce spikes or launching a new department. Talent acquisition consulting: Consultation services can help your company leverage strategic initiatives, such as adapting to modern recruitment challenges or identifying opportunities for growth and development in your process.  By working with an adaptable RPO provider, you can pivot between the scope, scale, and nature of the recruiting service required, depending on your evolving business needs.  What Factors Impact the Cost of RPO?  Most RPO agencies offer numerous payment models to accommodate employer needs. These can include cost-per-hire (i.e., an employer pays a fixed fee per hire), cost-per-transaction (i.e., RPO service charges separately for each stage of the hiring process), and more. While the dynamic nature of RPO services and cost models lead to variable pricing, here are some factors that may influence RPO costs: Type of RPO required: A full-service solution such as an Enterprise RPO will cost more than a project or function-based RPO.  Positions, skillsets, and regions: Hiring for hard-to-fill positions, specialised or senior-level roles, or in competitive markets and geographic areas, typically incurs increased RPO costs. Length of engagement: As a general rule, the longer the ongoing engagement of your RPO partnership, the more costs will increase. Of course, this also depends on the project scope.  Additional services: Requesting extra services from your RPO company may incur additional expenses.  Why Consider Recruitment Process Outsourcing?  Recruitment challenges come in many forms, but they all share one common factor: they hinder business growth. Whether you’re lacking qualified candidates, sustaining high hiring costs, or new hires jump ship early and unexpectedly, roadblocks can derail even the most well-intentioned recruitment strategies. RPO systematically addresses these issues with customisable solutions that respond to nuanced organisational demands. Here are some common challenges found in the talent acquisition process and how RPO can help:  Lengthy Time to Fill Lengthy hiring cycles can cost businesses money and morale. RPO providers reduce time-to-fill by introducing specialised and streamlined processes, leveraging recruitment tech, and tapping into vast, mature talent networks. This ensures that the right people are hired quickly and keeps businesses on track with their recruitment objectives. New Hires Quitting Early High turnover rates often point to mismatches between job roles and candidate expectations or underdeveloped onboarding procedures. RPO teams conduct in-depth assessments and screening processes to match candidates with roles where they’ll thrive. Additionally, RPO providers often assist with onboarding, creating a smooth transition that improves retention. Difficulty Finding Qualified Candidates In competitive industries or specialised fields, sourcing qualified talent presents a major hurdle for businesses. RPO providers bring industry expertise, innovative sourcing techniques, and extensive talent pipelines to deliver high-quality candidates who can meet requirements. In Japan, for example, skilled labour shortfalls in industries such as nursing, food service, construction, and transportation are expected to exceed 800,000 by 2028. Geared with knowledge of cultural customs, regulations, and language, RPOs in Japan can provide targeted local and global solutions to help businesses impacted by talent pipeline shortages.  High Hiring Costs Without a clear strategy, recruitment costs can spiral out of control. RPO providers operate with cost efficiency in mind, using proven, data-driven methodology to optimise recruitment budgets while delivering measurable ROI.  Lack of Performance and Engagement Metrics Recruitment performance and engagement metrics are the drivers behind strong data-backed decisions. Without the right tech solutions to track and measure recruitment initiatives or internal processes, there’s no clear map to achieving recruitment goals. An RPO consultant can provide talent analytics, identify gaps, and address areas for improvement to streamline future processes. RPO Challenges and How To Manage Them No solution is without its hurdles, and RPO is no exception. But, by partnering with an RPO service provider that aligns with your vision, you can manage or even eliminate them. Below are some matters to know about before getting started with RPO, and how the right partner can mitigate them.  Culture Clash Outsourcing recruitment can potentially lead to misalignments in organisational culture and values. The key is to work with a provider that takes the time to understand your business’s ethos and aligns its processes with your goals. A collaborative approach ensures a seamless fit between the RPO team and your internal HR and can ultimately achieve a better culture fit for new hires. Key takeaway: Look for a partner willing to invest in understanding your organisational objectives, culture, and long-term plans. Long-Term Buy-In Hiring needs rarely remain unchanged long-term. Therefore, securing buy-in from leadership for an ongoing RPO partnership may present challenges. A flexible RPO provider will offer engagement models that evolve with your needs, driving value at every stage to build confidence in the relationship. Key takeaway: Partner with a provider offering scalable solutions, from end-to-end services to project-based RPO. Meeting Industry-Specific Needs Some industries require highly specialised skills or face unique recruitment challenges, such as regulatory compliance or skills shortages. An experienced RPO provider with expertise in your industry and local employment market can deliver innovative hiring solutions to navigate labour shortages.  Key takeaway: Search for an RPO provider who understands your industry’s nuances, has experience in your local employment market, and has extensive local talent networks.  Relinquishing Control Handing over part of your recruitment process to an RPO consultant can feel like a loss of control. The best RPO providers naturally embed themselves into your team, working as an extension, rather than a separate division of your recruitment function. They maintain open communication and collaboration to ensure your recruitment goals are met without sacrificing oversight. Key takeaway: Work with an RPO provider who is transparent and clear at the outset. Request regular updates and performance reports to track progress and ensure accountability. The Business Case for RPO Growth potential: RPO drives wider business objectives, offering more than just a streamlined hiring process: It’s a strategy for growth. With faster hiring cycles, you can fill critical roles promptly, saving costs, reducing downtime, and driving revenue. Cost efficiency: Maintaining an in-house recruitment team requires significant overheads. RPO eliminates these fixed costs, providing expert recruitment services on a scalable, as-needed basis. Increased workforce productivity: Where a staffing agency may deliver talent, RPO delivers talent that drives results. By aligning the right candidates with roles, your organisation can benefit from increased productivity and engagement — and lower attrition rates.  Flexibility: Traditional recruitment teams can struggle to scale or pivot in response to shifting demands. RPO providers thrive in this space. Whether you’re scaling up for seasonal hires or navigating hiring freezes, an RPO partner can flex with your organisation’s needs. Recruitment metrics: The success of any recruitment process boils down to data. By tracking time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and candidate quality, RPO solutions produce clear insights into what’s working — and what isn’t — allowing businesses to make meaningful changes.  Leverage technology: Advanced ATS, AI-driven candidate sourcing, and data analytics tools are the tip of the iceberg. These RPO tech solutions enhance hiring efficiency, reduce time-to-fill, and improve candidate quality. Further, automation frees up internal resources for strategic decision-making.  Overcome Talent Acquisition Hurdles With RPO Recruitment doesn’t have to be a bottleneck for your business. RPO offers a flexible, agile solution to tackle talent acquisition challenges head-on. It delivers value in organisational productivity, recruitment goals, long-term workforce planning, and more. By partnering with a specialist RPO provider like Envision, you can access local industry expertise, the latest in recruitment tech, and a trusted partner who can respond to your hiring demands. Our experts will demonstrate how a collaborative approach and a commitment to your success can drive the outcomes your business needs.  Talk to experts today and explore how Envision RPO can elevate your recruitment strategy.

December 11, 2024

Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) is when an employer outsources the responsibility of recruiting talent to a third-party service provider. In tight labour markets across the APAC region, RPO brings fresh talent, skills, and attention to talent acquisition, simplifying the workload for in-house hiring managers and HR staff.  Additionally, RPO introduces specialist perspectives into your recruitment procedures. It fills potential knowledge gaps and optimises processes, fine-tuning your workforce for more productive outcomes. This is especially true in rapidly growing markets, including tech, finance, and IT, with RPO needs driven by increasing adoption of digital infrastructure and specialised skills demand. This article will explore everything you need to know about RPO and how it can boost your business’s long-term efficiency.  RPO Benefits: 10 Key Business Cases RPO delivers tangible value to multiple facets of your business, from optimising resources to streamlining processes and increasing representation. When combined, these influences positively impact everything from granular tasks to core business operations. Let’s explore the benefits of RPO in real-world scenarios.   1. High-Quality Talent An RPO recruitment team’s primary objective is to provide you with top hires, even in notoriously difficult labour markets. With an extensive network of professionals, they can also create a talent pool, ensuring you have qualified candidates in the pipeline when a position becomes vacant.  2. Cost Efficiency An RPO provider supports you in hiring and retaining the best talent. With performance typically measured by time-to-hire, cost-of-hire, and quality-of-hire, RPO solutions ensure vacant positions remain open for a minimal time, saving costs and boosting productivity.  3. Optimised Resource Allocation With streamlined processes and industry expertise, an RPO service not only decreases talent acquisition spend but can free up internal recruitment resources to focus on HR and retention initiatives. More efficient resource allocation leads to enhanced productivity and a more positive candidate and company experience.  4. Positive Candidate Experience A WorkPro survey revealed that 44% of candidates wait less than two weeks to hear back from an employer after a second interview. Yet, in 2023, over 25% of employers maintained a timeline of 46-60 days from requisition approval to verbal acceptance. Because an RPO solution decreases the time-to-hire threshold, a candidate’s recruitment and onboarding experience becomes streamlined and smooth, helping employers secure the talent they need.  5. Filling Specialised Roles Recruitment process outsourcing helps companies tackle hiring challenges in skilled roles. In a climate where employers experience difficulty attracting experienced applicants (18%), applicants with technical skills (16%), or applicants in general (14%), support in filling specialised roles is no longer a nice-to-have — it can be critical to a business’s continued success.  6. Enhanced DEI Opportunities Balanced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires — including people from a spectrum of gender, ethnicity, demographic, physical-ability, and neurological backgrounds — are well known to enhance a business’s productivity. RPO solutions can assist you in making strategic DEI hires to achieve an optimised and representative workforce.  A 2024 Diversity Council Australia survey found that just 71% of employees feel they belong as part of a team — a decrease from 77% in 2021, and 78% in 2019. This means DEI hires are increasingly important in recruitment from both a business and candidate standpoint.  7. Elevated Employer Branding Employer branding makes a significant difference in talent quality and retention. However, not all employers have the in-house expertise to create a sound employer value proposition. An RPO provider helps you define your value to prospective employees and market your business to candidates — even in tough industries.  8. Metrics and Analysis Data provides the foundation for an efficient long-term talent acquisition strategy. Your RPO recruiter will likely have recruitment technology and predictive talent analytics to gain insights about your business’s hiring needs and talent pipeline. These insights equip you with a data-backed approach to candidate sourcing and workforce planning.  9. Agile, Scalable Recruitment Recruitment efforts are rarely consistent within an organisation. Sometimes, you may require high volumes of permanent or temporary hires, whereas other times, months may pass with limited need. RPO creates structures within a business that complement variable recruitment needs, and scale up or down according to company objectives.  10. Global Compliance Employment laws are consistently shifting and companies are increasingly tapping into the global workforce. For instance, permanent recruitment processes in Japan can vary significantly from those in Australia, meaning compliance is an important factor to consider in your recruitment strategy. An RPO partner’s expertise ensures businesses remain compliant for both local and global talent acquisition. Types of RPO Recruitment Every organisation has unique talent acquisition needs and hiring challenges. Whether you need end-to-end recruitment solutions, seek support in hiring for a single division, or require assistance with one aspect of your recruitment process, an RPO partnership can help.  Here are some of the types of recruitment services an RPO company offers: End-to-end: Full-service RPO is an ongoing solution that covers the lifecycle of your recruitment process. Between employer branding initiatives, candidate sourcing and screening, and interviewing and selecting talent, end-to-end services oversee the entire hiring process, enhancing your recruitment function.  Project and on-demand: When you need the best workforce solutions for short-term talent needs, project and on-demand RPO offer the benefits of an end-to-end approach on a timeline that suits you. This is ideal for situations where your hiring manager or internal teams lack the resources to deliver on hiring needs.  Consulting: Develop comprehensive solutions to address your recruitment goals with guidance from an expert recruitment team. By collaborating with your executive leadership and stakeholders, RPO solutions craft a complete strategy to address issues and refine your recruitment process.  Outsourcing recruitment is a simple extension of your internal team, allowing you to customise your RPO model and seamlessly meet your business targets. RPO Pricing Models The cost of RPO depends on the project’s scale and employer goals. Trends in RPO show a shift toward flexible pricing models, designed to accommodate fluctuating hiring demands, seasonal spikes, or evolving business goals. Below are some of the different pricing structures you can access: On-demand is where RPO experts deliver on an agreed number of roles over a fixed period.  Full-service RPO is where an outsourced recruitment team takes the lead, directing the entire recruitment process.  Function-based RPO, also known as project RPO, means the service provider undertakes a specific part of the employer’s onboarding operations, such as hiring for the sales department.  Regardless of your hiring need, you can connect with an RPO team to discuss your goals and find the right solution for your business.  Choosing an RPO Recruitment Partner Certain characteristics make for a strong RPO partner. Companies that offer different engagement models provide the flexibility to ensure recruitment initiatives deliver within timelines and budget. Scalability means your partner can provide RPO solutions that address your specific needs — as and when they fluctuate.  Most modern RPO providers leverage technology to enhance recruitment capabilities, facilitating strong data-backed decision-making regarding current and future hiring needs. A good partnership brings a high level of experience to the table, offering local and global expertise required to meet your recruitment goals. Finally, outsourcing recruitment should be a collaborative process, ensuring deliverables are aligned with your values and objectives. Getting Started With RPO Recruitment process outsourcing is a comprehensive and agile solution that helps businesses overcome diverse talent recruitment challenges. It provides a foundation for workforce growth and stability, supporting a business’s long-term trajectory.  Envision is a leading talent-sourcing partner in the Asia-Pacific region, with experts who can seamlessly integrate into your organisation and craft tailored strategies from within. If you’re interested in working with RPO experts to achieve enhanced productivity and development, connect with our team today.

July 10, 2024

How many of us can honestly say business is running as smoothly as it could be? Between fragmented operations, over-extended budgets, underperforming sales, and missed deadlines, it’s the rare unicorn who proclaims business couldn’t possibly be doing better.  On the labor side, employees are responsible for producing deliverables at capacity. But on the operational side, leadership is required to fill positions with talent that can deliver efficiently and consistently. So where are we going wrong? Diligent and effective talent is the spinal cord of a well-functioning business. Many businesses are scratching their heads about how to make quarterly and annual targets, while legacy hiring practices continue to integrate less-than-ideal employees. We’re here to dissect the talent acquisition audit and discuss how to identify whether your business needs one.  What is a Talent Acquisition Audit?  A talent acquisition audit takes a deep dive into all aspects of a business’s talent function, examining existing processes and providing recommendations. Areas of strength are magnified, while weaker spots are fortified or overhauled. This ultimately leads to more effective hires, long-term talent solutions, and enhanced productivity. Focus areas are broken down below:  Identify Skill and Knowledge Gaps: Internal audits determine your current talent and indicate areas where your business strategy may need additional support. Enhance Employer Branding: Increasingly, how your image as an employer appeals to potential candidates is critical to attracting the right people.  Recruitment Forecasting: An audit takes a look into current and future hiring needs to accommodate growth and succession planning.  Hiring and Onboarding Processes: Are recruits receiving the support they need? Is there any way tech solutions can bolster your strategy or economize resources? An audit will identify gaps and areas for improvement.  Why Audit Your Recruitment Practices? Talent acquisition no longer falls under HR responsibilities. The recruitment landscape is evolving with greater opportunities for global hires, decreased tenure, and increased movement toward lateral, rather than linear, career trajectories. The augmented scope of talent acquisition requires a distinct skillset from specialists in the field.  By closely scrutinizing which processes produce tangible, objective results, businesses can solve gritty hiring challenges, develop high-functioning teams, and remain competitive in the market.  Consider this: It costs a business at least 33% of the employee’s salary to find their replacement. That means for an employee on a salary of $75k, it’s a $25k spend — and the figure creeps even higher with seniority. An internal audit performed by a specialized talent acquisition consulting team reduces the figurative and literal cost of outdated recruitment processes. The Benefits of a Talent Acquisition Audit With a humming talent acquisition strategy, you can maximize potential candidate competency within your business over the long term and align your direction with strategic objectives. Here’s what you can expect:  Streamlined Recruitment Efforts Fragmented hiring processes involving too many (or the wrong) people will give way to a precise, actionable, and repeatable process that produces lasting results. A consistent cross-departmental recruitment framework helps hiring managers make unbiased decisions about the best fit for the role and elevates your business’s employer brand. Discover High-Quality Candidates Find the people you actually need. Putting the right messages in front of the right candidates attracts high-level job seekers into your talent pipeline — those with the skills and experience required to excel in their role within a company. Plus, you’ll quickly determine an applicant’s suitability for the role based on competencies, character, and your company’s current skill distribution. Maintain Compliance With Laws and Regulations Recruitment’s regulatory environment is constantly shifting, with new inclusion, pay equity, and AI frameworks introduced almost daily. A talent acquisition audit examines your processes and communications from the inside out, ensuring practices are updated and legally compliant. Elevate the Candidate Experience According to Forbes, nearly 38% of employees quit in their first year on the job — and more than 40% of that group depart in the first 90 days. Does that have you on the edge of your seat? Offering a smooth, supported hiring experience sets the tone for recruits, encouraging a positive attitude and high commitment levels.  Gain Actionable Insights from Data An audit report provides valuable insight and analytics showing what’s working across your recruitment efforts and what’s not. With the opportunity to work through challenges and refine your approach, you can tangibly enhance your potential for success. 7 Signs You Need a Talent Acquisition Audit Talent acquisition audits are not always the most obvious solution in an underperforming business. However, often, they’re the most necessary. Here are seven tell-tale signs you need an audit:  High turnover rates: If staff tend to leave as fast as they come, it may point to potential communication gaps at the outset. A specialist evaluates how roles are advertised to create realistic expectations and target genuinely motivated prospects. Extended time-to-fill: Positions that remain vacant for extended periods can slug operations and add pressure to employee workloads. An audit analyzes where your ideal candidates are searching for positions and targets those spaces to reduce vacancy and handover timeframes.  Difficulty attracting quality candidates: This can indicate a need to revamp or strengthen your employer brand as it relates to recruitment.  Poor candidate experience: If you’re fortunate enough to receive negative feedback about the hiring experience from a new recruit, it’s likely not an isolated incident. An audit helps streamline processes and support employees from the get-go.  Low-quality hires: Struggling to find the right person is bad, and hiring the wrong person is even worse. A talent acquisition consultant equips you with the tools to consistently identify the most qualified prospects from your pool of applicants according to predefined criteria. That way, you can accurately evaluate candidate compatibility before you commit. Inconsistent hiring practices: Variation between departmental recruiting practices or hiring managers leaves little space for cohesion or objectivity in decision-making. This can later manifest in misaligned or unproductive teams.  High recruitment costs: With the volume of recruitment software and technology available on the market, you shouldn’t need to spend serious money attracting talent. An audit takes a look into where and how you’re sourcing candidates and recommends more cost-effective alternatives.  Take Your Talent Acquisition to the Next Level With RPO A talent acquisition audit offers a single, broad-reaching, and comprehensive fix to resolve hiring challenges and create an enduring impact. Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) provides your business with an external team of experts that analyze your recruitment strategy and provide recommendations to resolve enduring hire challenges — without the need to recruit an in-house specialist.  Envision RPO offers solutions to optimize your hiring strategy and ensure recruits consistently meet your organizational goals. Our experts can integrate into your business to understand your culture and produce a fully aligned blueprint congruent with your long-term goals. Reach out to our team to kickstart your RPO journey today.