a growing Australian civil infrastructure leader embraces RPO for a talent advantage.
cost reduction, workforce insights and faster time to hire showcase the benefits of an outsourced recruitment solution
client
a growing civil infrastructure solutions provider in Australiathe challenge
Due to an infrastructure boom in Australia, a civil infrastructure solutions provider was experiencing rapid growth, transforming a small business into an employer of choice within a competitive talent sector. As a result, the organization needed an effective talent acquisition solution that would reduce cost per hire, provide access to talent more quickly and efficiently, and support decision-making through deep talent market insights.the solution
Partnering with Randstad Sourceright, a part of Randstad Enterprise, the company implemented a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solution that brings a proven process for attracting, assessing and hiring a variety of blue- and white-collar roles, in particular for regional and project-based hiring.key results
- Agency use, the most costly form of talent acquisition, has dropped from 100% to just 6%, significantly reducing hiring spend since the RPO was implemented two years ago.
- Satisfaction among both talent and hiring managers is consistently high, reaching 4.7 (out of 5) among candidates and 4.1 (out of 5) among managers.
- Time to fill for all roles is above target levels, with white-collar hires being made within 21 days, just half the target. Similarly, blue-collar roles are filled in 23 days, well below the same goal.
- Talent market data and insights provide essential levers to inform the right hiring decisions.
an infrastructure boom boosts talent needs
At $100 billion, Australia’s infrastructure spend has doubled during the past decade. This robust growth has been both a blessing and a burden for one specialist contractor that delivers civil infrastructure, urban development, landscaping, sports field construction, road profiling and asphalt paving solutions to various sectors. As a result, the company is in a growth phase, transforming a small business into an employer of choice within a competitive talent sector.
Prior to its relationship with Randstad Enterprise, the company relied on recruitment agencies to fill all of its roles. Due to hiring increases, this was unsustainable. With volume spiking on project wins, the company needed a more cost efficient and effective way to fill a variety of roles that range from civil engineers to project managers to HR specialists and skilled laborers.
Moreover, as the organization expands, workforce planning has become increasingly complex to manage; predicting the outcomes for a growing number of tenders can be tenuous. This posed concerns for company leaders, who are committed to retaining and redeploying employees as projects are completed.
These challenges are typical for organizations undergoing rapid growth. Often, internal recruitment processes are unable to keep up with demand. Talent leaders are pulled in too many directions to dedicate sufficient time and resources. Additionally, growth requires continuous investments to process, technology and expertise, all of which need to be done quickly.
a solution for now and the future
Facing the enormous challenges of fulfilling its ambitious mandate, the company realized a need for deep talent acquisition expertise that only a specialist could bring. It partnered with Randstad Sourceright, a part of Randstad Enterprise, to implement an end-to-end recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solution to address its pain points. These included the high cost of agency use, prolonged hiring cycles, access to relevant talent and lack of market insights. By leveraging talent market insights and establishing pools of qualified talent, this creates readiness to staff projects as soon as tenders are won and scheduled.
To help the organization reach its talent and business objectives, Randstad Sourceright coordinates with company leaders on building a strong talent acquisition foundation that integrates people, processes and technology. This includes providing hiring managers with process clarity and discipline. They also focus on the keys to success: transparent communication, clearly defined roles and mutual accountability — all hallmarks of a partnership approach.
Data-driven insights bolster the framework for all talent decisions, and the organization now has full visibility of attraction challenges and the evolving Australian labor market landscape. As a result, business leaders are more invested in the recruitment process and lean into these insights to make better choices. This, in turn, has also strengthened the company’s employer brand and talent attraction effectiveness.
a developing strategy for growth
As a first-generation RPO program, the company’s journey with Randstad Sourceright has been both successful and instructive, offering up three important learnings about nurturing a successful talent acquisition partnership:
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- Collaboration is key.
Randstad Sourceright’s RPO team is seamlessly integrated with the client’s internal teams. This enables candidates at all touch points to consistently experience the company’s culture and employer brand. This collaborative effort provides an exceptional talent journey and positions the company to be an employer of choice among its competitors. - Data-driven insights are paramount.
Access to both workforce and market data enables the company’s talent leaders and hiring managers to better anticipate and acquire the right skills in the right locations in a just-in-time manner. Such knowledge also informs decisions on business critical projects, so leaders can be assured of having the right resources when needed. - Creating value through evolution.
Even though the solution is the first time the client has engaged in an RPO, the program has matured quickly and is evolving to deliver additional value. The partners are now exploring the possibility of integrating a labor-hire framework to help the company better manage its contingent blue-collar workforce.
- Collaboration is key.
As the organization continues to execute on its ambitious growth strategy, it is well positioned to meet the talent demands of a rapidly expanding footprint. With the RPO program continuously evolving to drive value, the company can be assured that its talent acquisition function will be ready for any challenge that arises in the rapidly expanding Australian market.