Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about Recruitment Process Outsourcing? We’ve got answers. Read some of our clients’ frequently asked questions to learn more about RPO, our services, and how your company can benefit from outsourcing recruitment to a trusted partner.

What is RPO?‍
‍What RPO models do you offer?‍
What RPO services do you offer?‍
‍How do you price your RPO services?
‍‍Our company is new to RPO. How can we get started?
‍‍I have very high volume recruitment needs. Can ACA Talent’s RPO group assist with this?‍
‍How experienced is your RPO recruiting team?‍
‍How does your RPO team ensure a great candidate experience?‍
‍What metrics do you track to ensure success?‍
‍Can you integrate with our ATS?‍
‍I need seasonal recruiting assistance. Can you help?

What is RPO?

RPO is an abbreviation for Recruitment Process Outsourcing, a segment of Human Resources Outsourcing (HRO), which in turn is a segment of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Companies partnering with an RPO provider typically outsource all or a portion of their recruitment needs. The RPO partner acts as an extension of the client company’s recruitment department representing the client brand.

What RPO models do you offer?

We offer three different approaches to RPO, which are customized to meet the client’s specifications. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to client recruiting needs because every company has unique needs and challenges. You can learn more about our RPO models by calling 954.318.2300 or filling out our contact form.

Fully outsourced: we manage the client’s end-to-end recruitment needs. Often, we engage these relationships through a pilot program, which allows us and the client to measure performance and make efficiency improvements before rolling out outsourced recruitment on a broader scale.
Project or Seasonal: we build an RPO program around timelines and hiring goals for a specific project or for clients with seasonal business needs. We also develop one-time hiring events to facilitate high volume hiring, such as filling a training class or staffing a new facility.
A la carte: clients may choose to outsource specific portions of the recruitment process, such as sourcing and pre-screening. We also offer contract recruiter models where we assign a recruiter to the client to help meet specific hiring goals.

What RPO services do you offer?

We offer a variety of RPO services encompassing the full cycle of recruitment. Our services include:

Talent Market Forecasting
Candidate Sourcing
Job Board Optimization
Prescreening and Behavioral Interviewing
Recruitment Branding and Online Career Centers
Recruitment Events
Pre-Employment Testing and Assessments
Candidate On-Boarding
Metrics, Reporting, Compliance
Post-Hire Surveys

Our strategic partners include leading providers of applicant tracking systems (ATS), skill and behavioral assessments, background and drug screening services, and PEOs.

How do you price your RPO services?

Each client’s RPO solution is unique, so each client engagement is a bespoke RPO program tailored to their recruitment objectives and timelines.

We present pricing options after an in-depth discovery with our client. Some factors that influence pricing include:

Volume and variety of openings: given a large volume of openings we offer competitive pricing over typical placement models, backed by realistic service level agreements that drive performance and accountability.
Rate of attrition: we examine turnover, average length of employment term, and why employees are leaving. We’ll consult with you to understand the causes of attrition and how optimizing recruitment can help reduce turnover and present qualified talent. In addition, we offer tools, such as 30-day post-hire surveys or exit interviews, to gather relevant data and fuel your talent retention strategy.
Recruitment process: a lengthy, complex process can yield inefficiencies that increase cycle times and therefore cost. Our goal is to implement a highly efficient process and pass the cost savings along to you.
Hiring cycle times: these are often dictated by the hiring process. The longer a hiring decision takes, the more likely it is that a candidate will drop out of the process and take another offer. This results in rebooting the search, which ultimately affects the cost of the program. We encourage speed throughout the process where possible, such as building automation into the process to save time. For full cycle recruitment engagements, our internal human resources administration team enters and monitors background checks to ensure timely completion.
Hiring timelines: how soon are you looking to have your new hires in place? We can build programs for seasonal, project, and on-demand hiring needs, and quickly scale the size and scope of our recruiting team to help you meet your hiring goals and deadlines.
Target candidate profile: the level of the position and specificity of the candidate profile can affect the difficulty of sourcing and attracting talent. Prior to implementing an RPO relationship, we discuss the client’s target candidate profile, including desired experience and skill sets, as well as cultural fit within the organization. We then research the candidate market to develop a talent acquisition and sourcing strategy.

Service level agreements govern our pricing models and drive performance and accountability to the client. Our pricing options include per placement, subscription, and hybrid models.

Our company is new to RPO. How can we get started?

We recommend a pilot program prior to launching an extensive RPO program. This allows us to develop the candidate profile, build a sourcing strategy, and outline a recruitment process. Pilots typically run for 90 days in order to paint an accurate picture of the recruitment program, and provide actionable data to help make the program more efficient. Following the pilot, we present metrics and optimization recommendations to ensure a smooth roll-out across additional territories.

I have very high volume recruitment needs. Can ACA Talent’s RPO group assist with this?

We help companies hire thousands of employees every year. Our RPO services scale to accommodate peaks and valleys in our clients’ recruitment needs so you always see the optimal amount of effort dedicated to filling your positions.

How experienced is your RPO recruiting team?

Our team ranges in years of recruiting experience from a few years to over a decade. We match our recruiters to our RPO clients based on the recruiter’s strengths and experience, as well as the client’s hiring objectives. To ensure a quality candidate and client experience, our RPO recruiters receive 30 days of training upon joining our company, which includes systems training and recruiting techniques. They also receive ongoing coaching and training at regular intervals thereafter.

How does your RPO team ensure a great candidate experience?

Creating a great candidate experience is important to us, too. We understand that finding a new position can be a very stressful undertaking for candidates, and we want to leave them with a positive, stress-free impression, regardless of whether they are hired. At ACA Talent, we call this humanization. Throughout the recruitment process, our recruiters are regularly in touch with candidates to retain their interest in the opportunity. Building strong relationships with candidates is key to ensuring that they are excited, educated, and engaged with our clients as employers of choice.

What metrics do you track to ensure success?

As a metrics-driven organization, we track data at all collection points throughout the recruitment process, including conversion ratios, time-to-fill, turnover, cost-per-hire, among many others.

Can you integrate with our ATS?

Having worked with a variety of applicant tracking systems over the years, we’re able to seamlessly integrate with our client’s systems, either by simply working through your ATS or offering portal access through our own system. We’re also partnered with ATS providers and can consult on building an efficient ATS process.

I need seasonal recruiting assistance. Can you help?

ACA Talent has partnered with a number of companies on a seasonal basis. Contact us to learn more about how we can develop a seasonal recruitment solution for your company.