Gaining Executive Buy-In for an RPO Partner

March 30, 2023

​While you’re no doubt aware of the benefits of partnering with a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) partner, the final decision will ultimately come down to your company’s leadership. Sure, you know that RPO is proven to cut costs and time-to-hire while delivering high-quality talent, but how do you convince the higher ups of this value?

To help you build the business case for an RPO partner, let’s discuss how you can persuade your company executives.

Presenting RPO Benefits to Different Leaders

RPO provides advantages for everyone in your organization, but it’s important to remember that different positions have distinct priorities, such as:

• Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are focused on cost savings.
• Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) want better talent in less time.
• Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) need strategic support and market insight.
• Talent Acquisition (TA) Directors focus on supporting struggling TA teams and better preparing for future hiring demands.

You’ll want to tailor your pitch to speak to each executive and their specific challenges or concerns.

Common Concerns About RPO

Before you start espousing the benefits of an RPO partnership, you’ll need to prepare for the inevitable “what-ifs” that stand in the way of change. It’s certainly reasonable for leaders to have concerns, but many people hold common misconceptions, including:

• You’ll lose control over the process.
• The costs will be too high.
• There won’t be any flexibility.

In reality, the opposite is true. Not only do RPO providers offer flexible services that adapt to your current recruitment processes, but they also minimize reliance on external agencies with an all-in-one solution. Plus, the high-quality talent you receive means that you won’t have to worry about the cost of a bad hire — which Northwestern University estimates to be around 30% of the individual’s first-year earnings.

Some executives and internal TA teams might worry that RPO providers will replace jobs in the organization, but this isn’t the case. RPO offers a long-term, strategic partnership that builds off of each other’s strengths. Rather than take over your team’s functions, an RPO partner works with you to leverage the best qualities in both your internal and RPO recruiters.

Building a Better Business Case

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the various concerns leaders may have and the unique benefits they stand to gain, it’s time to develop a solid case as to why your organization should outsource the recruitment process.

Ensure Alignment on Culture and Objectives

Start by assessing the culture and goals of both your organization and your potential RPO partner.

• Are your company leaders ready to invest in a high-quality solution for finding the right people?
• Do your companies share the same values and vision?
• Will your RPO partner ensure candidates have the necessary skills and culture fit to mesh with your team?

Aligning on these points will be critical in laying the groundwork for a successful partnership.

Leverage Data to Communicate Opportunities

Next, you’ll need to clearly articulate and present the value an RPO provider could bring to your organization. While it’s important to tell a compelling story explaining why you need RPO, executives are often swayed more by data and hard facts. Leverage both to provide a transparent view of the benefits. For instance, if a potential partner advertises statistics like a 40% reduction in time-to-hire, include these stats in your presentation.

Enhance Recruiting With a Holistic Sourcing Solution

As the talent shortage impacts all industries, countless leaders are starting to see gaps growing throughout their organizations. According to a McKinsey survey, 87% of respondents say their company is currently experiencing or expecting skill gaps in the next few years. By positioning RPO as a holistic talent-sourcing solution that reduces the need for third-party recruiters, you check all the boxes for executive buy-in — from the CFO and CEO to CHRO and TA Director.

Gain a Long-Term Business Partner

Envision is more than just a recruiting company, we’re a long-term business partner for our clients. As a leading provider of RPO solutions, we have the expertise and experience to deliver flexible, high-quality talent acquisition services that exceed your expectations.

To learn more about how Envision can help you develop a proactive talent acquisition strategy, contact our team today.