media & tech leader transforms talent acquisition, driving hiring efficiency at scale with RPO.
transforming recruitment into a strategic capability during a time of organizational change
client
a leading media and technology company operating across the U.K. and Irelandchallenge
As part of a broader organizational transformation, the media and technology company wanted to redesign its talent acquisition function to improve efficiency, scalability and cost control. Its recruitment model was highly fragmented, relying on multiple providers and external agencies across different hiring streams, including experienced and volume recruitment. This resulted in a reactive, transactional approach with limited visibility, inconsistent candidate experience and no long-term talent pipeline strategy.The organization needed to establish a unified, data-driven model capable of supporting hiring needs at scale while reducing costs and improving performance.
solution
The company partnered with Randstad Sourceright, a part of Randstad Enterprise, to implement an end-to-end recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solution. Delivered through a phased approach, the solution replaced multiple talent suppliers with a single, integrated operating model combining talent advisory, global sourcing, talent marketing advanced technology and talent intelligence.key results
- High hiring manager satisfaction: rated a 4.3 on average (out of 5)
- Reduced external agency use, down to 0.5%, significantly below the 5% target
- 31-day average time to offer for experienced hires, exceeding the 40-day target
- Built a pipeline of qualified candidates, with 117% of roles offered against the resource plan for volume roles
- Significantly reduced early attrition down to 0.4%
tuning to a stronger recruitment strategy
As part of a large-scale transformation of its operating model, a leading media and technology company in the U.K. and Ireland needed to rethink how talent acquisition supported its business. Recruitment activities spanned a wide range of roles, from high-volume customer-facing positions to specialized technology, corporate and content roles, all within a complex and evolving environment.
However, the existing recruitment setup was fragmented across multiple talent suppliers, with different partners managing experienced and volume hiring, alongside a strong reliance on external agencies. This lack of integration limited visibility and made it difficult to ensure consistency across processes and candidate experience. Recruitment was largely reactive, with hiring conducted on a per-role basis and little ability to build or maintain talent pipelines.
The impact on the business was significant. Without structured talent engagement or reactivation strategies, hiring teams often had to restart processes when candidates dropped out, leading to delays and increased pressure on internal stakeholders. The absence of data-driven insights further constrained decision-making, while inconsistent communication affected the overall candidate experience.
Against this backdrop, the objective was to establish a more agile, scalable and cost-efficient recruitment model, capable of supporting long-term workforce needs while aligning with broader transformation priorities.
a scalable, tech-enabled model across multiple hiring streams
Building on this ambition, the organization partnered with Randstad Sourceright, a part of Randstad Enterprise, to design and deploy a unified recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) model, covering end-to-end recruitment from requisition to offer acceptance. The implementation followed a phased approach, starting with experienced hiring and then expanding to volume recruitment four months later. This ensured a controlled and effective transition.
At the core of the solution is a redesigned operating model, moving away from generalist recruitment toward a more specialized structure. Client-facing talent advisors are supported by global sourcing teams, coordination specialists, as well as talent intelligence and talent marketing experts. This model enables greater efficiency, flexibility and scalability, while ensuring access to deep expertise across all hiring streams.
Technology plays a central role in enabling this transformation. Randstad Enterprise’s TalentUX provides a fully branded front-end experience and CRM capabilities, supporting candidate engagement through talent communities and programmatic attraction strategies. The TalentRadar analytics platform delivers real-time insights into recruitment performance, enabling more informed decision-making, while ATS integration ensures seamless process management. Assessment tools further strengthen candidate selection, particularly in high-volume hiring environments.
The RPO also introduced a more structured and consistent candidate journey, combining automation with personalized interactions at key stages. This approach ensures alignment with the company’s employer brand while improving accessibility and engagement throughout the recruitment process.
One of the organization’s key areas of transformation is high-volume hiring. Processes are redesigned to move beyond minimum delivery targets, introducing structured assessments, dedicated specialist teams and improved tracking mechanisms. This helps the media leader proactively build its talent pipeline, ensuring the availability of qualified candidates and reducing dependency on external agencies.
efficiency gains, high ratings and long-term transformation
As a result of the transformation, the organization has achieved significant improvements in both performance and efficiency across its talent acquisition function. Hiring manager satisfaction averages at 4.3 out of 5, reflecting strong adoption of the new model, while external agency use has dropped to just 0.5%, significantly outperforming the initial target of 5% and contributing to improved cost control.
At the same time, time to offer for experienced hires averages at 31 days, exceeding the 40-day target and demonstrating the impact of a more structured and data-driven approach. The model also enables consistent over-delivery against hiring plans; 117% of roles offered to ensure a full pipeline of qualified candidates for volume hires are always at the ready. This approach delivers continuity and stability across recruitment cycles. And early attrition rates have dropped to a low 0.4%, indicating strong alignment between candidates and roles, and reducing the disruption previously seen due to drop out rates.
Beyond measurable outcomes, the company’s partnership with Randstad Sourceright has transformed recruitment from a reactive, fragmented approach to a more strategic and scalable model, better aligned with business priorities and capable of supporting long-term growth.