Why do companies use Recruitment Process Outsourcing, and what exactly is it?
RPO can be a valid and cost-effective strategy for some companies. It can also be the wrong and expensive option for others. RPO, which stands for Recruitment Process Outsourcing, refers to the use of a third party to form all or part of the internal recruitment function, from advertising and hiring to onboarding and hiring of new staff.
Reasons why companies use Recruitment Process Outsourcing can include improvements in the time it takes to hire human capital and skilled staff, improved quality of hires, and assurance of compliance with government rules and regulations, especially those concerning discrimination. It may also improve staff morale and productivity. The disadvantages of recruitment process outsourcing include high cost in some cases and the risks involved with losing control over such an important business variable.
Human capital is an organization’s biggest investment. Human capital is the largest expense for a company, but it is also the largest asset, according to John F. Wasik, author of a February 11, 2012 article in the New York Times. Few would argue that if there is any part of your company strategy that should be carefully monitored and controlled, recruitment, and corporate knowledge, skills, and abilities should be it.
What is the single best reason why companies use Recruitment Process Outsourcing firms?
Take the time to scan a few RPO company websites and you will see a familiar refrain. “Engage your visitors.” Few will argue that simply listing job descriptions on a website is not going to guarantee an overwhelming influx of traffic or, as a visitor to a recruitment site, that you will hurriedly note the name of the website for future frequent revisits.
But, try “gamification.” Master this and you can hire the best. As a company looking to hire new talent, engaging your visitors with stimulating content can brand your corporation as the “coolest corp” in town.
So, what is gamification and how does it fit with RPO and the reason that companies use RPO?
Gamification, if successful, influences the behavior of visitors to your website. It offers opportunities for visitors to interact in a similar way as if they were playing a game. For example, a recruitment website might offer a quiz on the best techniques for a face to face interview. For the visitor, they get to brush up on their interviewing skills, while experiencing a boost psychologically from a successful performance in the quiz … or not. It is a process of challenge followed by reward, much like the recruitment process itself.
LinkedIn uses the same idea when it asks visitors to complete 100 percent of their profile. Not only do they get more information from the user this way, but the user gets to maximize their individual presence on the social media site. It’s a “win-win”; pun intended.
The same theory and strategy can be used on your company website to attract top talent. Creativity is required to develop the tools and games, but to compete in the labor market, revamping your internet presence is an ongoing, essential process anyway. So, engage your visitors and gamify your company website; optimize your social media presence and drive more traffic to your site. Alternatively, if such a project seems beyond your current IT and human resource capabilities, employ a Recruitment Process Outsourcing company to do it for you. A cutting edge RPO company may be able to find you the perfect expert for your next foray into the world of gamification.
Do you know of a company that uses Recruitment Process Outsourcing in conjunction with Gamification? If so, share your thoughts and experiences!
