Designing your RPO solution is a complex task, but by implementation time, you and your provider should already have a good understanding of organizational needs. That’s because the contracting process provides clarity to both sides on what services should be in scope, the SLAs involved and how to achieve them.
Early in the implementation, your RPO provider will complete an extensive discovery of your existing recruitment processes. Even though the provider will have an understanding of current processes gained throughout the tender and contract period, it’s only when they are afforded a close examination that they will be able to develop and implement the most suitable program. Often, the impression a client’s leadership team may have shared about their own organization can differ from actual practices, which can delay program rollout.
While SLAs provide the framework for ensuring that the program is on target, there are also instances in which the client is still dissatisfied despite the provider meeting the SLAs. It is important, then, that both sides remain flexible. For instance, if the buyer fails to realize the volume guaranteed under the contract, or if time to hire for a particular role isn’t reduced due to extraordinary circumstances, mechanisms should be built into the RPO to allow for these kinds of exceptions.
As the program matures, clients often find themselves asking for innovation. Today’s third- and fourth-generation deals have moved beyond the basics to include high-value services, such as workforce planning support, advanced analytics, employer branding, talent community building and management, and process reengineering.
> see 4 tips for negotiating an RPO contract
change management
The effectiveness of the RPO program will hinge partly on how well your organization can adapt to new processes, so it’s critical to have a change management plan. Four steps are involved:
- initial communications
Introduce the change, explain what it means to the organization, and sell the concept and business benefits to all stakeholders. Identify and engage your change agents — the people who will best help you drive the new initiatives. - education and training
Explain to users how the program will personally affect them, what services are available in the new suite and how to access them. - feedback
Gauge satisfaction and feedback at regular intervals, make note of successes and challenges, and ensure you are achieving the best outcomes from internal and external resources. - commitment
A constant stream of communication is a must, accompanied by satisfaction surveys and a plan of action based on feedback. Engage the support of change management and communication experts from both parties.
selecting the implementation team
An RPO implementation requires a significant community of stakeholders from both the client and supplier to ensure success. Selecting the right representatives at the outset will set the tone for the rest of the program, so it’s important to make sure each individual has the bandwidth and commitment to take on their tasks.
It’s important for RPO buyers to make sure they can dedicate the necessary resources for implementation.
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5 core phases of implementation
With any program implementation, there are five core phases that take place, preceded by preparation work and followed by a close-out step. Adherence to these core phases helps to ensure a smooth onboarding experience. It also helps the client and service provider to familiarize their teams and establish close working relationships for the life of the RPO. These phases include:
- Planning
- Discovery
- Design
- Installation and transition
- Operational handover
One key to success is creating a detailed project plan that establishes realistic milestones. Both you and your service provider must commit the necessary resources during this time to ensure a smooth transition. The operational leader will be an integral part of the implementation effort to ensure no knowledge is lost when the program goes live. Following implementation, a review of the rollout provides lessons learned for the entire team.
communication strategy and training
How can you most effectively communicate with your stakeholder group? What should you communicate and how often? What are the best channels to use? How can you leverage the support of the corporate or internal communications function? Developing the right messaging is extremely important, but so is the communication method. Key to the strategy are:
- Researching your brand and competitor positioning for the most updated insights
- Determining how to get the message out and how to amplify it
- Developing a communication plan to identify the "who, what, when, why and how"
- Identifying the communication stakeholders and key responsibilities
- Ensuring communication is a two-way street with feedback loops
A critical part of communicating the new program and its changes is user training. RPO providers, through their work with other clients, have deep experience and can take a leading role in this. Providing a variety of training options (web-based or on-site) can encourage faster adoption and increased user satisfaction.
program operation
After implementation program stability is the priority. Many of the steps mentioned previously are repeated and reinforced, helping to shape the operational model. Reinforcing buy-in is a constant activity, so soliciting continuous feedback to ensure success is essential. This may be an activity that’s managed internally or by the RPO provider. Hiring manager surveys will provide a clear picture of the state of buy-in.
You should soon start to realize some of the goals of the program, whether it’s cost savings, abbreviated cycle times, better access to quality talent or hiring manager satisfaction. Reporting on essential program metrics helps both you and your provider gain clarity on where the program is headed. Examining SLAs such as time to fill, the submittal-to-interview ratio and new hire satisfaction, as well as critical KPIs such as interview-to-offer ratio, offer acceptance rate and aging requisitions, illuminates the trends. Progressively improved results should be observed; if not, remedial action is needed.
governance and escalation
A governance strategy improves RPO effectiveness by delivering operational advantages on several fronts. With a formal decision-making mechanism in place, a governance strategy enables you and your RPO provider to act quickly to address changing needs and conditions, improving overall business agility.
In addition, within the daily operations of RPO, governance provides structural mechanisms to solve or escalate issues in a timely manner. Finally, with a dedicated RPO manager or management team working with the buyer, there is a bridge between the internal team and provider, enabling both parties to work together more efficiently and effectively. A strong relationship will serve to resolve issues and further the program’s goals.
Typically, governance is overseen by a steering committee. This group should consist of your global or enterprise-level HR and recruiting heads, as well as other procurement and business stakeholders. On the provider side, the committee should include the provider’s global or enterprise head of the RPO business unit, as well as the provider’s client account manager and global delivery manager.
Quarterly business reviews and meetings highlight program achievements, issues to be solved, and areas for business improvement and innovation. Regular meetings should also take place between your regional or departmental recruitment heads, dedicated RPO manager and RPO management team.
The governance model must clearly define the roles of everyone involved. By defining reporting lines, identifying the decision-makers and establishing escalation mechanisms, the model establishes a clear process for oversight and mitigation steps. It also needs to provide the necessary feedback to program stakeholders so they can determine whether actual practices conform to the governance framework.
5 questions: does talent acquisition add business value?
- Can you demonstrate how effective recruitment contributes to business output?
- Are you able to quickly pivot workforce planning due to changing market needs?
- Are your hiring managers able to come to you for advice on hiring?
- Is your workforce planning based on meaningful market and internal data?
- How are you working with organizational leaders to acquire both the learned and inherent skills — either externally or internally — that will be in demand in the future?
3 tips: select the right RPO solution
- Survey internal stakeholders on their pain points and develop a plan for addressing them through hiring.
- Determine the key goals for your talent acquisition function and work with a service provider to determine your options for achieving them.
- Think long term: Identify how your company will grow in the near future (geographically, lines of business, etc.) and select a solution that is future-proof.