A seismic shift in the workforce is underway. Thanks to accelerating technology and changing employee attitudes, organisations now have to think much more carefully about their RPO solution. They need to be more adaptable, more human-centric and more efficient.
RPOs therefore have an obligation to assess how they can tailor their solutions to suit these evolving trends. Less of a rigid, arms-length model, more of a flexible, forward-thinking solution that helps organisations stay ahead of the curve.
Recruitment is changing – fast
Today’s talent acquisition teams are facing a volatile business environment. They’re dealing with new demands for a future-ready workforce, talent scarcity and sluggish economies – which is happening as leaders and stakeholders demand cost reduction and faster growth.
As they try to navigate these uncertainties, there’s also mounting pressure on TA teams to pay close attention to the trends dominating the recruitment landscape, as they’re critical for organisations to hire competitively.
These trends include:
» Skills-based hiring.
» Employee attrition.
» Hybrid working models.
» Virtual onboarding and training.
» Greater inclusivity.
Organisations are responding to these challenges in different ways. Some are reducing their staff levels, deep diving into AI and tightening budgets, while others are unsure how to proceed. They know they need to demonstrate their commitment to new trends to continue to secure talent, but more often than not, they just don’t have the time or the capacity to do this justice. This makes them increasingly reliant on their outsourced recruitment provider.
How is this impacting the traditional RPO solution?
As recruitment continues to evolve, RPOs are evolving with it. Many are now having to think more creatively than they once did, tailor their services to meet diverse needs, and pivot into solution providers quickly.
But not all RPO’s are willing to do this. Some are still burying their heads in the sand, focusing on traditional outsourced processes that fail to keep businesses responsive in unpredictable markets.
The time for this kind of RPO solution is coming to an end. Organisations require providers who can offer flexible, agile services that meet their changing needs; those that can scale up and down and deliver specialist, hands-on support
What can a forward-facing provider do?
The best RPO solution will help your business move with the tides. Instead of simply identifying workplace trends, they will work as an extension of your TA team to create and deploy effective workforce plans that keep your business competitive.
Here’s a breakdown of the core areas a trend-aware RPO can help you with:
Employer branding
An employer brand with lasting impact needs to be about more than a one-off campaign. To ensure you’re keeping up with changing candidate expectations, a strategic RPO will help your organisation focus on long-term employer brand development to help you stay relevant with the right people.
This means creating a brand built on a strong foundation of research, and activated across your entire employer communications. With this foundation in place, you can be clear in your market messaging positioning and consistent in your messaging.
Technology
New technology platforms are a core driver of workforce trends. So it makes sense to partner with an RPO who understands this. The trick is to select a total talent solution provider who is tuned into new capabilities, and has the level of expertise needed to manage implementations and integrations.
They will be able to leverage advanced solutions and new tools to streamline workflows, advise on the best platform for building talent communities, and drive better decision-making across the talent lifecycle.
Candidate experience
Candidates now prioritise their experience with a potential employer more than ever before. But many organisations still struggle with lengthy application processes, impersonal interactions and a lack of communication, which can result in candidates being lost to competitors. A quality RPO partner will not only be able to ensure candidates are onboarded effectively, but also help organisations invest in a broader range of flexible management tools like virtual hiring and engagement to attract new talent.
Only 12% of employees agree that their company has a good onboarding programme.
Data & analytics
Modern RPOs know how to utilise data and analytics to help clients stay ahead of talent needs. To ensure your organisation is responsive as possible, quality providers will assess hiring patterns, monitor key performance indicators and predict future hiring requirements to identify emerging trends, and optimise your recruitment strategy accordingly.
This provides businesses with a valuable lifeline when it comes to managing fluctuating talent landscapes, ensuring they can scale up or down quickly as needed.
DEI
A clear DEI policy isn’t something nice to have – it should be an essential element of every recruitment decision. But many organisations are finding it difficult to align DEI with the needs of the business and integrate it into talent acquisition.
For forward-thinking RPOs, building strategies and recruitment processes for diversity has become second nature. These partners are well placed to help organisations identify opportunities for change, integrate new approaches, and understand how DEI can support businesses to recruit and retain high performers.
Conclusion
With so many new challenges for organisations to navigate, traditional RPOs can no longer keep pace. If organisations are to be agile in their approach and change how they hire, they need a modern total talent solutions provider that can respond quickly and strategically to changing markets.
TA teams that have a strong RPO partner who can deliver on employer branding, technology, data, candidate experience and DEI are the ones that will be in a much better position to not only adapt to new workforce trends, but also identify areas that can create value for the long-term.
