Which RPO model you implement will depend on your organization’s specific needs, goals and business environment. You may want to rely on in-house resources for different roles or part of the process, while tapping the expertise and scalability of an external partner for others, for example. On the other hand, some organizations seek to outsource all recruitment to gain full scalability and benefits.
From comprehensive, end-to-end programs to targeted recruiter-on-demand solutions, this chapter explores the distinct advantages and applications of each model. Whether you're aiming for transformative change with total talent acquisition or seeking a flexible project-based approach, you'll gain insights into how these RPO strategies can streamline your hiring processes, optimize resources and drive greater business value.
Click on each RPO model to learn more about how they work, what the benefits are and what companies have achieved with each.
end-to-end RPO
End-to-end RPO is just what the name implies: a program that spans all processes, roles, business units and activities associated with recruitment of permanent hires for a particular organization. This may include:
- Sourcing, screening, assessment and selection
- Process management
- Transactional activities
- Guidance on and support for a comprehensive workforce equity strategy
- Technology deployment and management
- Employer branding and talent marketing
- Agency management
- Internal mobility
- Early careers
- Talent intelligence
- Talent marketing
- Onboarding, training and coaching support
This type of RPO is the most complex model and typically requires more time to implement than other models; however, employers gain greater benefits when they implement an end-to-end program.
project RPO
When organizations need to quickly scale up their recruitment efforts to support a business initiative, project RPO may be the best solution. Project RPO differs from end-to-end RPO because it has clearly defined timelines and end goals but offers similar
benefits. It is ideal for:
- Addressing short-term, immediate hiring
- Providing the opportunity to test-drive RPO
- Assessing the cultural fit of an outsourced model to the organization
- Comparing the provider's performance against internal teams
- Gaining a view of how process transformation can affect outcomes
Project RPO often leads to a longer engagement because it confirms the validity of an outsourced approach.
talent BPO (sometimes known as selective RPO)
Some organizations may prefer to outsource the recruitment of lower-level, high-volume roles but retain other levels for internal recruiters. They may also implement RPO for some business units but not others, or need support on part or parts of the recruitment process, such as candidate management. The right solution may be talent BPO, which can provide:
- Targeted resources to business units with a specific talent need
- Flexibility in what is outsourced and insourced
- Recruitment expertise or efficiency for specific grades of workers
- The means to free up internal recruiters to focus on specific strategic roles
- Support for growth initiatives in new markets and geographies
This model may be ideal for organizations that have trouble filling certain roles with specific skill sets or in select locations. These programs typically supplement internal recruitment functions.
recruiter on demand (ROD)
When an employer simply needs additional recruiters to fortify its internal capabilities, an ROD solution is the most immediate way to meet this requirement. This model provides:
- Instant access to recruitment resources
- Flexibility of on-site or virtual resources
- Complete scalability to any employer's talent needs
- No lengthy contracts or a reduction in force
- Significant cost advantage over third-party agencies
- Highly experienced specialists backed by deep experience and methodology
An ROD is effective for the short term, but has minimal effect on transforming an organization’s overall recruitment processes. It can easily be transitioned, however, to one of the other more comprehensive delivery models.
RPO mobility+
Focusing on internal mobility is crucial to building a more agile workforce, while fostering engagement and retention. The RPO Mobility+ model optimizes external talent acquisition and internal talent mobility simultaneously. The benefits of this dual approach allow you to:
- Boost talent attraction and retention at the same time
- Move toward a sustainable skills-based hiring strategy
- Harness data to build a more agile workforce
- Create a work culture of growth and opportunity
This deeply talent-centric solution, which combines external talent acquisition with internal skills development, coaching and learning, is ideal for companies looking to better understand when to look inward for talent and when to seek skills externally.
total talent acquisition
The integrated, or total talent acquisition solution, is the most transformative model. It extends the talent expertise and management of RPO to the employer’s contingent workforce program for a comprehensive approach. Dramatic enhancements include:
- Management of all types of talent
- Optimization of talent utilization
- Transparency of resource spending
- The creation of a more agile workforce
- Faster and deeper access to talent
- Greater accuracy around workforce planning
- Centralized cost controls to optimize savings
- Enhanced compliance
The total talent approach is the most transformative model in talent acquisition. While implementation takes more time, it also produces benefits beyond those provided by RPO or a managed services program (MSP) alone.
5 questions: are you driving agility?
- Can you acquire critical skills quickly and cost-effectively when your business needs them?
- How scalable is your current talent acquisition function?
- Do you have the right technologies to attract and engage with the best talent?
- Are you using workforce data to assess the effectiveness of resource planning and shape talent strategies going forward?
- How robust are your internal mobility and redeployment initiatives?