Although using an RPO vendor to help with your organization’s recruiting efforts can help your company greatly, there are also some RPO risks involved. Anytime you go outside of your organization and use a third party, you open yourself up for potential problems. This is an external company that you are dealing with, so they are not as in-tune with your organization as your employees. Therefore, you should be aware of the RPO risks before signing up to use the services of any firm in this industry.
Here are RPO risks to consider with recruitment outsourcing:
Flawed Vendor
Contracting an outside party to handle your recruiting often means that someone who is not an employee of your company will be spending time at your office. If this person doesn’t fit in with your office culture, it could lead personality conflicts. In addition, since this individual will be representing your company, it is important that he or she is able to maintain professionalism while speaking with candidates. For these reasons, it is advisable to try the vendor with an initial project before committing long-term.
Poor Performance
In some cases, your RPO won’t be able to get you what you want. This is common in situations where an industry sector has staffing shortages, as there simply aren’t enough workers to go around. There is also the chance of your RPO struggling to understand exactly what you want in terms of workplace culture. Since finding an employee that fits into your office is important, having your RPO fail to recognize this could lead to issues.
Already Have Inadequate Recruiting
Many companies hire an RPO when their recruiting department isn’t performing well, expecting the firm to rejuvenate things. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple, as the RPO is unlikely to have the desired effect if your existing recruiting department is full of problems. If you run into this situation, you are better off going through a recruitment optimization program and then working with an RPO once you have improved your recruiting processes as a whole.
Disconnected from Your Region
Many times, organizations try to save money by hiring an offshore RPO. These firms offer services that are similar to those of local companies, but at much lower rates. The problem is that offshore companies are often disconnected from your business and, therefore, might not have the same insight into your organization as someone who meets with you personally. If you are serious about growing as a business, making sure that your recruiter visits your office and works directly with you.