Niyamath Parveez

RPO, or Recruitment process outsourcing as it is called, has always been used by many MNC-s to simplify the process of hiring new employees. The process is simple; the outsourcer hires the services of some recruiting service provider and specifies the requirements that candidates would have to meet in order to be eligible for the jobs available. The service provider then interviews candidates according to those guidelines and sends the candidates (who satisfy the requirements) to the outsourcer. The service provider in this case takes full responsibility about the quality of the workforce that it provides to the client.

There are definite benefits to the process. On one hand, the outsourcer saves precious time that would otherwise be spent in hiring candidates. On the other hand, the process relieves the outsourcer from having to hire experienced HR professionals, who can demand quite a high salary figure based on their qualifications and experience levels. Besides, the personnel who work at the offices of the service providers are usually highly qualified HR professionals who have been dealing with recruitment procedures for years, and have a clear idea about the tricks of the trade. Finally, the process does conform to the cost cutting policies of almost all large companies.

Recruitment process outsourcing service providers boast of quite a few qualities that they possess. However, outsourcers should check the backgrounds of these providers to make sure that the providers have the capability to back those promises up with solid performances. Recruiting service providers often boast that they can, in fact, improve the quality of the workforce in the outsourcers company to a great extent. They also claim to be able to provide highly qualified employees at minimum possible salaries, and recruit a sizable workforce for the outsourcer in very little time.

These promises all sound great, and indeed, some recruitment service providers do live up to these promises. They strive to recruit highly qualified professionals for their clients. But, there are some problems that recruitment process outsourcing service providers will always face. These include:

1. The recruitment process outsourcing service providers are almost always out of the loop regarding the projects that are being handled presently by the outsourcer. They are, at best, given a general idea about the qualifications that are required by the candidates to get the job. This makes hiring proper candidates quite difficult for the service providers.
2. The outsourcers seldom hire the services of a provider with ample time in their hands. They reach for the numbers at the last moment and put pressure on the providers to amass a sizable workforce quickly. This lack of time can cause major problems in the recruitment process of the provider.
3. Large companies with good reputations in the industry are already viewed as employers of choice by many qualified candidates. In these cases, the outsourcing service providers are usually not able to add much to the reputation of the company by taking over the recruitment process.

In spite of these drawbacks, outsourcing of recruitment processes is still followed by many companies. It is also quite likely to be followed by many others in the coming years, because of the savings it provides and the problems that it solves in the entire recruitment process.