Outsource recruitment

There are many recruitment models – In-house, RPO and Embedded to name a few. How do they differ from each other? Do they all offer something unique? Are any ‘better’ than the others? This blog outlines the reasons for a business choosing to outsource recruitment, the differences and similarities between that recruitment model and others, and why you should consider it for your company. 

What do we mean by ‘outsource recruitment’? 

To outsource recruitment simply means to use an external provider for your recruitment. Many other recruitment models (RPO & embedded) use external support, so what is different between them and traditionally ‘outsourced recruitment’? 

RPO is a more holistic recruitment model. It doesn’t just aim to improve interviewing or hiring – it looks at all the processes related to recruitment too. An RPO provider can offer a completely customised offering for their clients. They create and develop processes, improve a company’s Employer Brand and EVP, and also assist with finding and interviewing candidates. 

Embedded recruitment shares more similarities with RPO than outsourced recruitment in that it isn’t limited to just sourcing and hiring. Recruiters embedded within a business may addresses any part of the recruitment process.  

Is outsourcing the same as RPO? 

There are links between RPO and outsourced recruitment (RPO is an abbreviation of Recruitment Process Outsourcing). The most obvious being that recruitment is outsourced. Also, as previously mentioned, Embedded recruitment isn’t limited to specific tasks either – recruiters could be assisting with various aspects of a company’s recruitment. 

Aside from that, the two can be quite different. Outsourced recruitment might not work on quite as many issues at once as an RPO provider would. RPO providers usually have a wider remit and may put significant work into improving processes in addition to the more typical parts of recruitment like sourcing, screening and interviewing. Conversely, outsourced recruitment might only focus on one or two of those areas of recruitment. 

Recruitment outsourcing then, shares some similarities with RPO, however, can be significantly different too. It’s generally more focused on specific tasks that come under the umbrella of recruitment than other models. While it may not be quite as flexible as RPO, it may be a more appropriate model for younger businesses or ones with less to spend. 

Advantages of outsourcing your recruitment. 

One of the primary benefits of outsourcing, is that you free your time up to focus on core business areas . This is particularly important for companies that are new or are looking to quickly grow or scale. Having dedicated recruiters can prevent you from spending weeks or months to make hires. They have experience finding quality candidates at speed, so may be able to save you a significant amount of time in sourcing and screening candidates. This frees up time and resource that can be better used elsewhere in the business.  

Using external support can also contribute to a lower staff turnover. Recruiters can find candidates that are more likely to stay put. This is particularly useful if your company has limited resources, or is in its infancy.  

Using outsourced recruiters can also have benefits in terms of access to high-quality candidates. Most recruitment providers will have created their own talent pools filled with highly skilled personnel, so may even have candidates to put forward almost immediately.  

Drawbacks of outsourcing recruitment 

Though there are many positives to using external providers, there are things to be mindful of, too. Conflicting cultures can cause issues – it can be difficult for some business leaders to relinquish control and allow an external provider to take control and make the necessary changes. Also, as agencies work with multiple clients, it can be a concern that there won’t be a ‘dedicated’ provider working on their recruitment. 

It’s often an issue that recruiters try to fill roles rather than finding the best candidates. This can be the case when payment is reliant on positions being filled.  

If there are people in the company with a tendency to micromanage, this can also be problematic. Having to hand control over to an external provider can be difficult if that is the case. Over time, as results begin to improve and leaders can see the impact, the issue should be less significant, however, that trust isn’t always easy to develop initially. 

Can outsourced recruiters gather an in-depth insight into your company like an embedded or RPO provider can? This is a major consideration, as understanding company culture and fit is imperative to making the best hires. Ensure that when choosing your provider, you can communicate company values and culture to them, or they have a method of gaining that information. 

Why should you outsource your recruitment? 

As there are other recruitment models that offer a more holistic or thorough service, why would you choose outsourced recruitment?  

  • You have an in-house team responsible for other areas of the recruitment process and just need support with specific tasks. 
  • You’re a bootstrapped company and have a limited budget 
  • Brand new company and need quick hires 
  • No in-house team 

There are many instances where outsourcing your recruitment could be the best option for your company. Each business is different, therefore, their recruitment needs will also be unique.  

By choosing to outsource recruitment, you can make use of the recruiters’ talent pools. These have been carefully created to give you access to candidates that you might not been able to reach before. 

If you’re thinking about working with a provider of RPO or Embedded Talent solutions, we’d love to pitch for you. With specialisms in the tech sector and helping businesses expand their technical and digital capacities, we help some of the world’s most exciting enterprises scale. 

As an RPO and Embedded Talent solution provider based in the UK, US, and more recently, South Africa, our teams have truly global reach and can help you expand into new territories. 

To find out more about how our flexible approach to recruitment can help you or to let us know more about your future recruitment projects, contact us.

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