But when you do find that perfect match, your hiring process transforms, your stress levels drop, and suddenly, everything clicks. So, how do you know if you've found a keeper? Here are 12 telltale signs that your RPO is worth holding onto—and if they don’t tick these boxes, it might be time to swipe left.
The Sign: Your RPO consistently delivers top-notch candidates who not only fit the job requirements but also align with your company culture.
Why It Matters: Great hires are the lifeblood of your business. They drive innovation, productivity, and morale. An RPO that can source, attract, and place high-caliber talent is invaluable.
Best Practice: Ensure your RPO understands your company’s culture and values deeply. Regularly provide feedback on candidate performance and cultural fit to fine-tune their understanding.
The Sign: Your RPO meticulously documents every step of the recruitment process, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Why It Matters: Detailed documentation helps maintain consistency, enables continuous improvement, and ensures compliance. It also makes it easier to onboard new team members and scale your recruitment efforts.
Best Practice: Implement a standardized process documentation system. Regularly review and update these documents to reflect any changes or improvements in the recruitment process.
The Sign: Your RPO doesn’t just fill positions; they leave your organization stronger and more capable of handling future hiring needs.
Why It Matters: A great RPO should elevate your internal capabilities, leaving you better equipped to manage recruitment independently if needed. They should act as partners in your growth, not just service providers.
Best Practice: Collaborate closely with your RPO to identify areas for improvement within your recruitment function. Encourage knowledge transfer and skill-building activities that enhance your team’s capabilities.
The Sign: Your RPO enhances your reputation by representing your brand professionally and positively to candidates.
Why It Matters: Employer branding is crucial in attracting top talent. An RPO that promotes your brand effectively ensures candidates have a positive perception of your company, even if they don’t get the job.
Best Practice: Align your RPO with your branding and messaging strategies. Provide them with up-to-date materials and training on your company’s values, culture, and brand voice.
The Sign: Your RPO handles the bulk of the recruitment process, allowing your internal team to focus on strategic initiatives.
Why It Matters: Recruitment can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. An RPO that takes on the heavy lifting frees up your internal resources, enabling your team to focus on high-value activities.
Best Practice: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities between your RPO and internal team. Ensure there is a seamless handover process and effective communication channels to avoid any bottlenecks.
The Sign: Your RPO challenges your assumptions and provides strategic guidance, helping you make better hiring decisions.
Why It Matters: Constructive challenge and guidance from your RPO can lead to better outcomes. They bring industry expertise and fresh perspectives that can improve your recruitment strategy and processes.
Best Practice: Foster an open and collaborative relationship with your RPO. Encourage them to share insights and challenge your thinking. Regularly review and discuss their recommendations and how they can be implemented.
The Sign: Your RPO focuses on quality and fit, not just filling positions as quickly as possible.
Why It Matters: An RPO that prioritizes quality over quantity ensures you build a strong, cohesive team. They take the time to understand your needs and find candidates who are the right fit for the long term.
Best Practice: Set clear expectations with your RPO about the importance of quality hires. Develop metrics that measure both the speed and quality of hires to ensure a balanced approach.
The Sign: Your RPO provides valuable market insights that help you stay competitive and informed.
Why It Matters: Understanding market trends and salary benchmarks helps you make informed decisions about your recruitment strategy and compensation packages. An RPO that offers these insights adds strategic value beyond just filling roles.
Best Practice: Schedule regular meetings with your RPO to discuss market trends and insights. Use this information to adjust your recruitment strategy and stay ahead of the competition.
The Sign: Your RPO helps improve your internal hiring processes and capabilities.
Why It Matters: Continuous improvement is key to staying competitive. An RPO that invests in enhancing your internal processes and skills ensures you can attract and retain top talent more effectively.
Best Practice: Work with your RPO to identify areas for improvement in your hiring process. Implement their recommendations and track the impact on your recruitment outcomes.
The Sign: Your RPO provides training and development for your hiring managers, enhancing their skills and effectiveness.
Why It Matters: Skilled hiring managers make better hiring decisions. Training from your RPO ensures your managers are equipped with the latest techniques and best practices in recruitment.
Best Practice: Develop a training program in collaboration with your RPO that addresses the specific needs of your hiring managers. Regularly update the training content to reflect new trends and techniques.
The Sign: Your RPO offers guarantees in their Statements of Work (SOWs), ensuring accountability and confidence in their services.
Why It Matters: Guarantees in SOWs provide peace of mind and assurance that your RPO is committed to delivering results. It shows they stand behind their work and are confident in their ability to meet your needs.
Best Practice: Clearly define the terms and conditions of the guarantees in your SOWs. Regularly review and discuss these terms to ensure they align with your expectations and needs.
The Sign: Your RPO focuses on providing a positive candidate experience, ensuring every interaction reflects well on your company.
Why It Matters: A positive candidate experience is crucial in attracting and retaining top talent. An RPO that prioritizes candidate experience helps build a strong employer brand and improves your chances of securing the best candidates.
Best Practice: Monitor and evaluate the candidate experience regularly. Gather feedback from candidates and use this information to make continuous improvements. Ensure your RPO is aligned with your standards for candidate experience.
If your RPO ticks these 12 boxes, congratulations—you’ve got a keeper. These signs indicate that your RPO is not just a service provider but a strategic partner who adds value at every step of the recruitment process. If they don’t, it might be time to reevaluate and find a partner who can truly support your growth and success.
By focusing on these key traits, you can ensure that your recruitment process is not only efficient but also effective, setting your organization up for long-term success. So, hold on to that keeper and watch your recruitment game reach new heights.
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