#AskLuke - no.3 - The Future of RPO

This week I have been gifted a question so closely aligned to my day to day considerations it would have been rude not to share my thoughts (also because in framing the question around looking to the 'future' it gave me the chance to use the Delorean as the cover image... what more could you need to be happy?) - @barryjflack got in touch via twitter to ask:

So where to start with this one. It is a pretty broad question open to a multitude of subjective views and ideas, so rather than try to give a text book response drawing on 'best in class' examples of what is expected within the industry (continued investment in AI and other technology to enhance capability and experience, coupled with increased service levels in all areas) - I will simply give my own opinion on how I think RPO can work best as a service offering in the future.

It is also just worth offering a one line view on my overall expectations for the RPO market over the next few years which is; continued and expansive growth.

It should come as no surprise that I am a huge advocate for the RPO model and you can see some of my previous articles that discuss what and RPO is and some of the benefits as I see them, so I won't go into detail on those now.

What I do want to talk about though is my view of RPO as a 'platform'. An enabler of action with the experience of all user groups at it's core.

I speak about the human workplace a lot and trying to bring the human workplace to life is a fundamental driver for me and is one of the core reasons I decided to start writing articles and blogs to share my ideas and views in the first place and is central to how I see RPO being utilized in the future.

When talking about 'outsourcing' in any capacity it can be easy to assume that this means a disconnect between the end client and the service being delivered - a sort of plug in that is 'seen and not heard'. In some instances I think that is probably true. However I don't think this should be the case when it comes to RPO or any element of outsourced services that relate directly to engaging talent for your business.

We spoke colloquially as a team a few weeks back about what we want to be as a business and how we want to deliver our service. What was clear is that we want to take a people first approach and break down the traditional 'outsourcer' image as corporate service 'plug-in' and become a known and respected 'RPO with a personality'.

Coming full circle, what does this mean for developing RPO as a 'platform'? What I mean is that there are more than one end user group when it comes to an RPO solution. These are; the purchasing stakeholder group, hiring manager community, candidate/talent pools, and the sourcers and recruiters working on the account to actually deliver the service.

Each of these user group comes with their own set of expectations and needs with regards to what the RPO 'is' and 'does'.

For example the purchasing stakeholders may be looking at metrics such as cost reduction, quality of hire, and time to hire in order to validate their selection of an RPO solution or a particular supplier. These are often key drivers when going to market to explore RPO solutions. This group may be less involved in the actual day to day use of the service once implemented and so may take less direct note of the systems and technologies in place to realise the results. For them, the major 'platform' experience needed is MI, data capture and overall delivery on agreed SLA's.

For the actual front-line recruiters and delivery teams, the technology, systems and process will likely be of much more importance with regards to their user experience. After all, it is these things, coupled with their unique skills & attributes that ultimately contribute to the delivery of the service and the reaching of the agreed metrics. For this group the 'platform' must make their jobs as easy and friction-less as possible. Having the right access to tools, training and process will be essential to their experience.

The candidate experience relies on the RPO being able to find and engage with them in innovative and creative ways in order to alert them to an opportunity. They are also looking for a smooth experience with regards to the screening and selection process, they need flexibility and diversity of platforms and assessment methods to accommodate their own preferences. The candidate deserves accurate and transparent information about the opportunity and the end of the client as a business & employer. All of these aspects and more contribute to their experience of the RPO 'platform', and of course their first impressions of the end client.

I could go on, but I think Dr (Doc) Brown sums it up best;

"Don't worry. As long as you hit that wire with the connecting hook at precisely 88 miles per hour, the instant the lightning strikes the tower... everything will be fine."

Whilst not wanting to over trivialise, the Doc is absolutely right (as you might expect) - It is the precise coming together of multiple elements for multiple user groups that contributes to the successful implementation and delivery of an RPO.

What I mean by RPO being a 'platform' in this sense is that it has to be an enabler of all of these things and must take into account all of the different stakeholders that will ultimately come to rely on its service.

I have in recent weeks referenced Andy Swann and his book 'The Human Workplace' (well worth a read), I want to do so again here to define what I mean by using the word 'platform' in this way. In the quote below, substitute the word 'Organizations' with 'RPOs' and you will have a perfect definition of my intended meaning:

"Organizations need to enable businesses to survive and thrive, through enabling the right people, in the right places, to take the right actions. They need to act as community platforms, as enablers of action"

For me, to answer Barry's question 'how do I see the RPO market changing in the next few years' directly - Successful RPO providers must obtain a 'personality' - certainly all of the solutions I work on over the next couple of years I hope to be able to contribute to making an RPO a genuine business partnership which incorporates the importance of what should be at the heart of any solution, putting people first.

This must incorporate multiple technologies, processes, people that form the base of an agile 'platform' that enables a positive experience for all of its users.

Not just that, but the RPO suppliers, Hudson included, need to ensure that in doing so they are partnering with organisations whose purpose and personality they both understand and share in order to integrate successfully and offer a truly personalized platform for service delivery.

In short, the future of RPO for me is a move away from the traditional corporate 'outsourcing' image and step towards a partnership approach built on mutual and shared purpose and alignment that facilitates positive user experience at all levels, made possible by a multi-faceted, technology enabled and people driven, 'platform'.

As always I welcome any further comments and questions on this subject, these are just my thoughts and opinions so would love to hear your own.

I am also open to questions and suggestions for topics to address in #AskLuke no.4 so feel free to get in touch via phone, email, message, DM, or Twitter; @Luke_OMahoney

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0207 187 6206 – 07507 512 809 - [email protected] - @Luke_OMahoney