- Offshore RPO services providers can tackle your recruitment challenges.
- Clearly define your goals to get the most out of an offshore RPO partnership.
- Don’t settle for less; ensure your RPO provider meets your high standards.
Recruitment for any business can be challenging..
For example, if you are running a staffing firm, you could have trouble going through dozens upon dozens of job orders. There’s also the possibility that you may be taking a longer time filling up vacancies.
For enterprises, going through an upscale may require you to get more staff on such short notice or when turnover is high and you need to fill roles quickly —both are undertakings that could easily overwhelm inhouse HR teams.
These challenges can be overcome by seeking the help of a third-party recruitment solution.
The Challenge with Traditional Recruitment
There is nothing inherently wrong with going about business recruitment the traditional way. However, there are instances where going about it the traditional way may not be suitable for a particular situation.
One example would be the need to hire several people within a short period of time, such as when a business is starting to expand. Going through several applications and screening them can be tedious and difficult to do properly with the time constraints.
Another perfect example would be the lack of expertise when you need to hire people in specialized fields. If your recruitment team does not know much about information technology or programming, finding a qualified individual to hire can be challenging as you may not know what to look for in a candidate.
Your hiring process may also take relatively long, which can put you at a disadvantage because other recruiters could have already beat you to the top candidates you could have contacted if you moved quicker.
These are just some of the many problems of traditional recruitment, but these are enough reasons to make you consider shifting to a different recruitment method.
The Function of an RPO
Recruitment process outsourcing, also known as RPO, is a type of business process outsourcing where an organization delegates part or all of its recruitment tasks to a third-party provider.
RPO can be done onshore, near-shore, or offshore.
- Onshore RPO: Outsourcing recruitment to a provider within the same country.
- Near-shore RPO: Outsourcing to a nearby country, such as the United States outsourcing to Mexico or Latin America.
- Offshore RPO: Outsourcing to a provider in a distant country, like India or the Philippines, often for cost savings.
Regardless of location, RPO providers support various aspects of the recruitment process through these functions:
- Resume Sourcing: RPO providers can take care of finding and screening candidates for you. They sift through resumes, screen potential hires, and present you with the best matches. All you have to do is make the final choice.
- Software Management: Many staffing firms rely on software to manage job orders and fill positions. An RPO provider can optimize your software usage, making the entire process more efficient and effective.
- Offshore Staffing: RPOs can help staff your firm with talented individuals who align with your business goals or assist in linking your clients with the right candidates. Since many roles don’t require on-site presence, RPOs can broaden your search to find qualified candidates worldwide.
- Administrative Support: Admin tasks can be time-consuming. An RPO provider can handle these chores for you, such as formatting resumes, scheduling interviews, maintaining your database, and tracking metrics. This frees up your time for other important business functions.
- Full Life Cycle Recruiting: Let an RPO provider manage the entire recruitment process, from hiring to onboarding, for your firm or your clients. They handle all the details, ensuring the process is efficient and thorough, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Advantages of an RPO Partnership
Given that RPOs specialize in the hiring process and its various steps, it makes sense that there are several benefits that come with collaborating with an RPO. Some benefits include:
1. Cost Reduction
On average, the cost of hiring one candidate is $4,700. Whether you’re hiring a handful of candidates or dozens of them, this would already seem like a substantial amount. With the help of an RPO, you can help bring down the amount you spend on your recruitment process. What’s more, they’ll also be able to help make recruitment more cost-effective for your business, not compromising the quality of your hires for added savings.
Related Reading: How Offshore RPO Companies Lower Recruitment Cost
2. Skilled Staff
Manpower and technology go hand-in-hand in the offshore RPO field. So, it only follows that the people manning the technology used to search for the best-fit candidates have to be efficient and skilled. Fortunately, several RPOs are staffed by individuals who will be able to work well with you and help you meet things such as your key performance indicators when it comes to hiring.
3. Minimal Time, Maximum Output
In relation to having a team of highly skilled individuals working with your RPO of choice, your recruitment partner will be able to help get all your recruitment needs as efficiently as possible. With their roster of staff and technology at their disposal, getting the candidates you need will happen as quickly as possible. This saves you a lot of time and helps you keep up in the fast-paced business world.
How to Select the Right Offshore RPO Partner
With all these benefits in mind, partnering with an RPO provider may seem like the best solution when it comes to solving your recruitment-related troubles. What’s more, partnering with an offshore RPO may seem advantageous as their services are more affordable. However, while this may be the case, there is still one thing you need to keep in mind: not all offshore RPO services are created equal.
Much like choosing candidates to hire, you also need to know which RPO provider would be the best one to partner with. By doing so, you ensure that you get the best service for what you are paying for.
Fortunately, there are ways to help you choose the ideal offshore RPO for you.
1. Know Why You Need an Offshore RPO
A business might have several reasons why they might consider an RPO, let alone an offshore one. There are no wrong reasons.
However, it is essential to know why you need an offshore RPO. Knowing why you need it is the first step to selecting the right offshore RPO partner because you bring forward your expectations from them. As they are your partner, you will be working with them closely. The better you communicate what you want, the more effective the partnership will become.
For example, you might need an RPO to help you fill multiple vacancies. However, as screening candidates may be troublesome, having their help in processing them can make things less burdensome. You may also need one because you don’t know where to start your search for possible candidates. Another good reason may be due to the fact that you know that you don’t have the adequate resources for a dedicated recruitment team.
2. Understanding Your Hiring Needs
It’s essential to know what you need in the hiring process. This will involve taking a good look at your business and also where you want it to go.
One good way to do this would be to establish what your business’ recruitment process is like. Is it effective? Does it help you meet the goals you set? Does it need improvement? If so, in what areas do you need help? Do you even have the capabilities of hiring the people you need?
These are some questions that you can ask to help you take a good look at the hiring state of your business. Once you get to answer these questions, then you’ll have a better understanding of what help your business will need from your recruitment partner.
3. Identify What You Require From Them
Once you’ve figured out why you want to partner up with an offshore RPO, you will then be able to know what you want them to help you with. For example, an offshore RPO may be able to provide you with assistance in the following fields:
- Industry Knowledge: Having an offshore RPO partner that has knowledge in specific industries is a great advantage as they will know where to look for the staff you need. Whether it’s fields like market research to sales, having a partner with industry-specific knowledge will aid you in picking out the best candidates for your vacant positions.
- The Right Tools and Technology: Offshore RPOs will be heavily reliant on technology, especially that of the digital kind as you will be working with them virtually. So, it only makes sense that they should have the appropriate tools and technology at their disposal. This will make it easier for them to do the work they need to do, resulting in a hassle-free recruiting process for your business.
- Streamlined Recruiting: Efficiency is key. So, the sooner you get those vacancies filled up, the sooner you can achieve the goals you’ve set for your business. With that in mind, partnering up with an offshore RPO that streamlines the process as much as possible is definitely something you would want.
- Represent Your Business’ Identity: Considering that your offshore RPO partner will be hiring on your behalf, it’s important that they represent you well. After all, what they show is what people will perceive your business to be and making a good impression is always important. So, it’s also essential to have a partner that will understand your business and its identity as they will be your representatives in the recruiting market.
4. Now, Choose
Once you’ve figured out the reasons why you want to partner up with an offshore RPO, what you’ll need their help with, and your expectations of them, you can start searching for the best one to work with. Since you will be working closely with them throughout the recruitment process, it only makes sense that you also take the time to look for the one that best fits your needs.
Related Reading: How To Select The Right Offshore RPO Partner— A Step By Step Guide
The Challenges of Choosing an Offshore RPO
Choosing the right offshore RPO can still be challenging because there are still a number of factors that may come into play regarding how well you can work with them. Some challenges include the following:
- Differing Time Zones – Having an offshore partner can be difficult as the time zone difference may make it difficult to find the right time to schedule things like interviews and meetings.
- Language – Depending on where your offshore RPO is based, there may be a significant language barrier that may make it difficult to communicate with them effectively.
- Quality Control – As you are working with a partner that’s not physically present, finding ways to assure that their output is the quality you expect of them can be tedious.
- Data and Technology Concerns – Working with offshore RPOs means being heavily reliant on technology, which can be vulnerable to a lot of things. The software could be faulty at times, which could lead to delays in output. Your data could also be in jeopardy depending on how secure your partner RPO is with it.
Some Best Practices for Choosing an Offshore RPO
Keeping the challenges of choosing an offshore RPO in mind, you have to ensure that you do what you can to find the best one to partner up with. That way, it becomes easier for you to weed out the ones that might not work best with you. The following practices are some ways you can do that.
- Using Reviews – One of the best ways you can find out if an offshore RPO is worth partnering with is by looking at what other people have said about them. By using the reviews that others have of a particular partner, you can already have an idea of what they are like and if they are worth considering. An offshore partner can be difficult as the time zone difference may make it difficult to find the right time to schedule things like interviews and meetings.
- Set Your Expectations – Whether you’re still choosing or are already working with your chosen partner, it’s important to set your expectations from the get-go. Since you are paying them to help you with your recruitment needs, you have to make sure they know what you want them to do for you. So, make sure your expectations are clear and that they understand what you want them to do for you.
- Clear and Effective Communication – Another important thing to do is to ensure that you understand one another. That means making yourself clear and communicating your needs effectively. Make sure they understand you and you understand them as well. The best way to make the most out of your working relationship is to attain synergy between both parties.
Final Thoughts
Recruitment can be daunting, but offshore RPOs offer an affordable and efficient solution. However, it’s essential to choose the right partner. Setting clear expectations and maintaining effective communication are key to a successful partnership.
If you’re looking for the ideal offshore RPO, contact us at Sysgen RPO. We’re ready to help you tackle your recruitment challenges and achieve your business goals!