In the face of global economic uncertainty and potential recessions, companies are turning to innovative strategies to navigate these challenges. Among these strategies, RPO services is gaining traction as a key approach that can revolutionize talent acquisition. As the RPO market is projected to experience 5x growth this decade, businesses are recognizing the potential of leveraging RPO services in Vietnam. Learn more below.
According to Harvard Business Review, companies that focus only on workforce cuts have a mere 11% chance of success after a downturn. Besides, HR (human resources) teams face immense pressure to secure top talent with about four million Americans quitting their jobs each month. In response to these challenging hiring conditions, forward-thinking companies use RPO staffing as a true extension of their business, collaborating on strategies to achieve long-term organizational goals. For HR executives and hiring managers, recruitment process outsourcing services offer compelling benefits like quick access to top talent, competitive salaries within budget, and optimized retention programs.
Dive into this guide to explore how RPO in Vietnam can transform your company's HR function and overcome the hiring hurdles of today's recruitment and economic landscape.
1. Growth in RPO use in the 2020s
NelsonHall's research indicates that effective RPO leads to a 38% reduction in yearly hiring costs, with 69% of new employees being highly engaged.
In times of economic uncertainty, these numbers highlight the value of on-demand RPO strategies for securing top talent ahead of competitors. A well-implemented RPO team can be a powerful tool for overcoming the stale hiring practices that are holding back the industry. This way can position your enterprise as a top destination for the best available talent.
2. What does RPO stand for? What exactly is it?
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is a specialized service in which a company delegates part or all of its recruitment activities to a third-party provider. This external partner focuses on responsibilities such as sourcing, recruiting, marketing, screening, selection, offer management, interview preparation, scheduling, due diligence, pre-hire paperwork, and onboarding.
RPO providers in Vietnam can operate under your company's brand and use their recruitment team and customized tactics. Else, they may take over your firm's staff, technology, methodologies, and reporting. These providers work closely with your organization to define recruitment needs, evaluate the existing processes, and identify areas for improvement. They can then customize solutions, service level agreements, and success metrics to create a tailored recruitment strategy that suits the unique factors of your enterprise.
As it enables them to find better candidates more efficiently, organizations of all sizes and industries can benefit from an RPO partnership. With the support of an RPO provider like TSC, you receive access to advanced recruitment marketing resources, a cutting-edge technology suite, and the ability to scale up or down according to market changes. Ultimately, RPO staffing offers cost-effective solutions that help your organization navigate uncertain times and adapt to changing business conditions.
3. Differences between staffing agencies and RPO in Vietnam
We hope you know that RPO and staffing agencies are two distinct approaches to talent acquisition, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Understanding their key differences can help you make informed decisions in choosing the right solution for your hiring needs.
3.1 Scope of services
RPO companies in Vietnam take on the entirety of the recruitment process, from sourcing to onboarding, focusing on critical aspects like decreasing premium labor, finding the right cultural fit, and increasing employee retention. They can assist with employer branding, workforce planning, compliance, and onboarding support. This integrated, strategic approach improves the talent acquisition process as a whole.
In contrast, staffing agencies concentrate on candidate sourcing, screening, and placement. They provide pre-screened candidates for the client's consideration, handle employee benefits and payroll, and charge the client a fee based on a percentage of the candidate's salary or a flat fee per hire.
3.2 Long-term relationships and scalability
RPO providers typically establish long-term partnerships with clients, offering ongoing recruitment support and strategic talent acquisition planning. They can adjust their services to suit specific client needs, regardless of size.
In comparison, staffing agencies mainly focus on short-term projects or contingent work. They are more reactive and generally not as involved in long-term strategic planning or scalability.
3.3 Comparison table
| RPO | Contract Recruiter(s) | Contingent Firm |
Brand ambassador for recruitment | ✓ | ✓ | |
Resources for recruitment marketing | ✓ | | ✓ |
Cutting-edge technology solutions | ✓ | | ✓ |
Supervisory control | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
On-site support | ✓ | ✓ | |
Responsibility for position fulfillment | ✓ | ✓ | |
Hiring event support | ✓ | | ✓ |
Recruitment driven by company culture | ✓ | ✓ | |
Flexible and scalable solutions | ✓ | | |
Established procedures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assured outcomes | ✓ | | |
4. Is RPO recruitment the best fit for you?
Recruitment process outsourcing services can be advantageous for both large and small organizations. Assess your organization based on these factors to determine if RPO is the right choice for meeting your recruitment demands.
4.1. Understand your hiring needs
Determine if you need RPO by analyzing your hiring objectives. Are you experiencing rapid growth or high turnover, or do you need to fill only a few roles? Identifying the type of recruitment support needed will help you make an informed decision.
4.2. Assess your internal bandwidth
If recruiting is impacting your core business activities, an RPO staffing solution might be suitable. In-house HR teams often struggle to balance recruitment with their other responsibilities. This makes them unable to find quality candidates and leads to poor hires.
Internal recruitment
Advantages | Disadvantages |
You have control over the hiring process | May not find the ideal candidate |
Can meet with all potential hires | Relies on a limited talent pool |
Can write the job description yourself | Takes longer to find an employee |
Opportunity to promote from within | Higher expenses to scale up or down |
RPO services
Advantages | Disadvantages |
Adaptable resources for the hiring process | Long-term buy-in of recruitment firm |
Cutting-edge innovation and technology | Giving up some control of the recruitment process |
Higher caliber candidates thanks to larger candidate pool | Not seeing every qualified applicant |
Expertise in digital recruitment marketing | Time-consuming search for an RPO partner that aligns with your corporate culture |
4.3. Analyze your budget
Importantly, you conduct a thorough audit of your current recruiting expenses. By understanding your cost-per-hire, you can make a more accurate assessment of whether RPO will be cost-effective for your enterprise.
4.4. Consider the timing
Be patient since RPO implementation can take one to three months. The transition period is crucial for achieving desired results, so ensure you have the time necessary for a successful partnership.
4.5. Leadership buy-in
Ensure your organization's leaders and stakeholders support the RPO partnership. Gaining full leadership buy-in is essential for maximizing the benefits of an RPO solution.
Pro tip: RPO recruitment might be right for you if your organization is facing:
Lengthy hiring processes
High employee turnover
Lack of expertise to fill specific roles
Fluctuating hiring demands
High-volume hiring needs
Seasonal or rapidly changing personnel requirements
Limited HR headcount
Urgent staffing requirements.
5. How your company benefits from RPO services in Vietnam
Recruitment process outsourcing reduces the cost, time, and effort required to stay updated with recruitment trends and optimize the hiring process. It helps you overcome challenges posed by economic downturns, cost-cutting concerns, and talent acquisition without sacrificing efficiency and growth.
Here are some benefits related to RPO in Vietnam:
5.1. Save costs
Recruiting and hiring in-house can be expensive, especially if your HR team lacks the necessary expertise to acquire top talent. RPO offers a scalable and flexible solution that brings tangible cost savings. These savings can emerge through more affordable Vietnamese talent.
JT1’s Vietnam Salary Guide 2023 reveals that you can save a lot of money by outsourcing your software development to Vietnam. Compared to U.S. professionals, you pay 90% less for the same quality. Even China and India are more expensive than Vietnam by 50% and 30%, respectively. |
Also, according to Strategic CFO, turnover and in-house hiring can cost between six to nine months of a new employee's salary. Meanwhile, RPO staffing is often cost-efficient compared to creating an in-house team using the same resources. Top RPO companies in Vietnam like TSC can streamline the recruiting process and produce better results with fewer resources. Moreover, recruitment-related expenses—such as advertising, technology, office spaces, and recruiter salaries and benefits—are included in the partnership fee.
You can also enjoy indirect cost savings through better-quality candidates, reduced time-to-hire, and higher retention. These aspects make RPO a vital option during economic downturns when businesses seek to reduce recruitment costs to stay afloat.
For example, RPO can be more cost-effective compared to in-house hiring processes because providers find permanent hires rapidly. Doing so ensures positions don’t remain open for extended periods, which can cost firms money. Furthermore, it reduces recruitment costs by eliminating the need for in-house staff, advertising fees, and other associated expenses. This results in lowered time spent on hires by 25%.
Generally, there are several benefits of using RPO recruitment services in Vietnam:
Decreased hiring costs: RPO partners can significantly lower cost-per-hire, improve the quality of hires, enhance employer branding, and expedite the time-to-hire process.
Flexibility during economic downturns: Outsourcing recruitment efforts help companies avoid the financial burden associated with resource and talent adjustments due to unpredictable markets and hiring demands.
Operational cost efficiency: With RPO, you only pay for the services you require. This makes it easy to scale resources and predict costs according to your needs.
5.2. Secure the best talent faster
The hiring process can be tedious and time-consuming, but RPO recruitment services help you speed up this process. The SHRM Human Capital Benchmarking Report finds that the average time to hire for an open position is 42 days. By working with RPO providers, you can significantly reduce this timeframe.
These providers collaborate closely with hiring managers to understand the job requirements and establish service-level agreements, which means roles are filled quickly and efficiently. Their database of screened, experienced candidates (including passive job seekers) and streamlined recruitment process also boost productivity by reducing the amount of time and resources needed from HR. Other benefits like tech-focused strategies, data-led market insights, up-to-date sourcing methods, and expert employer brand advisory teams allow you to find the right candidates more quickly and smoothly integrate them into their roles.
5.3. Increase agility
In today's rapidly changing market, businesses need to adapt quickly and cost-effectively. One way to achieve this is by partnering with an RPO provider, which allows organizations to scale resources according to changing demands without impacting internal resources. This ensures consistent quality in their talent acquisition process.
Top RPO companies in Vietnam can build scalable hiring infrastructures, particularly useful for industries like retail, delivery, healthcare, and hospitality that experience shifting demands throughout the year. Partnering with an RPO staffing service takes immense pressure off HR professionals in managing large-scale hiring projects, ensuring you’re always ready to tackle new challenges.
Companies often experience peaks and troughs in staffing requirements, and RPO providers in Vietnam are equipped to adapt to these situations. They can scale up and down their recruitment teams as needed, allowing clients to pay only for the positions filled – maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Better yet, with a devoted RPO service from TSC, you can stay ahead of the game by anticipating your future hiring demands based on talent trends. They keep an eye on the market and help you plan accordingly.
5.4. Offer transparent SLAs
Recruitment process outsourcing services ensure clear communication with your firm through service level agreements (SLAs). They share detailed data, letting you evaluate hiring effectiveness easily. If any expectations aren't met, you can confidently provide feedback to improve outcomes.
5.5. Ensure compliance
Non-compliance with regulations when expanding your business (e.g., starting a branch in Vietnam) can result in penalties and fines that harm your profits and reputation. Continuously monitoring and adapting to changes in employment legislation is undoubtedly challenging, even for the most seasoned HR professionals. This becomes increasingly difficult when managing a global enterprise.
To alleviate that stress, you can seek the assistance of a reliable RPO recruitment provider. RPO companies possess expertise in labor contracts, insurance, work permits, payroll, and taxes. They ensure that all work-related operations comply with local laws, thus simplifying the recruitment process and minimizing the risk of non-compliance.
RPO staffing services benefit businesses in various ways when it comes to compliance:
Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements: RPO firms stay updated with the latest legislation and regulations. So they ensure that your recruitment processes adhere to local and international laws.
Standardization of processes: By streamlining and standardizing recruitment procedures, these providers help maintain consistency and uniformity across different countries and regions, reducing the risk of legal issues.
Centralization of data: They consolidate recruitment data in a centralized system, which makes it easier to monitor compliance and maintain accurate records.
Use of technology: RPO talent acquisition services use advanced technology to track legislation changes, monitor compliance, and efficiently manage other aspects of the recruitment process.
5.6. Build good employer branding
Employer branding plays a significant role in the recruitment process. According to LinkedIn, over 70% of hiring leaders around the globe consider employer branding a critical factor. A strong and unique employer brand yields benefits like attracting 50% more qualified candidates, reducing cost-per-hire by half, and slashing turnover rates by 28%. However, HR teams often struggle to develop engaging employer branding strategies due to overwhelming paperwork and numerous tasks.
This is where recruitment process outsourcing services come in. They not only streamline and maintain consistency in hiring but also work on building your company's image. RPO providers convey compelling messages about your organization, portraying it as an exceptional place to work. This enhanced standing in the marketplace helps ensure that potential candidates won't walk away during the recruitment process. Even better, a captivating employer brand has the potential to attract candidates through various channels, such as word-of-mouth referrals, social media, and non-advertising avenues.
As 75% of active job seekers are more likely to apply for a job with a well-managed employer brand, RPO services can help construct an expert Employee Value Proposition (EVP) tailored to your enterprise. Recruiters leverage their industry experience to immerse themselves in your brand values and recruit on behalf of your company. They can communicate what sets you apart from competitors in a way that resonates with potential candidates.
5.7. Upgrade candidate quality
Top RPO companies in Vietnam play a pivotal role in providing businesses with pre-vetted, qualified candidates from the country, thanks to their time, expertise, and cutting-edge tools. By creating customized candidate journeys for different target personas, these providers ensure efficient and optimized hiring processes.
RPO specialists use advancements in technology, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and online psychometric tests. This helps streamline the entire recruitment process from talent sourcing to onboarding. Partnering with an RPO provider grants access to these valuable tools, which eliminates the need for time-consuming and costly in-house adaptation.
These advanced technologies aside, RPO recruitment services have access to an extensive talent pool and expert recruiting networks. This allows them to quickly locate, engage, and hire the right candidates for various roles. They also tap into hidden talent streams and nurture internal networks for skill development and growth. This approach fosters loyalty, reduces costs, and improves overall productivity.
The providers prioritize locating and presenting highly-skilled Vietnamese candidates. So their services are invaluable to companies seeking top-tier talent. Referral activation, a unique feature of RPO, further enhances this pool.
5.8. Discover more diverse talent
A diverse workforce is essential for a successful business. As evidenced by Harvard Business Review research, companies with a focus on diversity are 45% more likely to experience market share growth and 70% more likely to capture a new market. With the number of roles that mention diversity and inclusion rising by 71% globally according to LinkedIn, diverse teams tend to outperform less diverse competitors, making for higher employee satisfaction and increased productivity. RPO staffing helps achieve greater diversity in the workforce.
RPO allows you to access a wider talent pool, thanks to extensive networks that reach into various markets and communities across Vietnam. This enables your firm to develop a broad talent pipeline based on merit rather than location, which leads to greater creativity, new opportunities, and improved profits.
Notably, recruitment process outsourcing services assist in achieving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals. They do so by leveraging various sourcing platforms, crafting inclusive job descriptions, and providing training to avoid unconscious bias in the recruitment process. Since some even provide DEI-certified recruiters with the best practice-related knowledge, you can ensure that you receive the desired expertise.
RPO companies with in-depth expertise in DEI proactively consider underrepresented groups and overlooked audiences when searching for talent. They can review your current attraction strategies and use market data to pinpoint diverse talent sources, often having access to sourcing channels specifically aimed at minority groups. Hence, the providers should help you implement and maintain lasting changes to your DEI strategy, which ensures a more inclusive and diverse workforce for your business.
5.9. Craft the best employee experience
Investing in employee experience and company culture is crucial, especially during uncertain times. A strong focus on employee engagement and morale helps maintain sufficient staff. This is where RPO partners come into play. They help you hire individuals aligned with your company values and build a stronghold of organizational culture.
According to 76% of executives, they invested in training during a recession to increase long-term employee satisfaction. Companies should not solely rely on attractive paychecks but also create a workplace where employees feel valued, heard, and engaged.
By working with RPO providers, you ensure an optimized application process, monitored candidate reviews, and well-timed, appropriate communication. A BCG survey found that 66% of candidates valued a timely, smooth recruitment process as the number one way for an employer to stand out. Also, 52% would reject an appealing offer if they had a negative recruitment experience. Delivering a positive application process will help companies stay competitive and attract high-quality candidates.
Recruiters from RPO partners guide candidates through every stage of the hiring process. They understand that a mix of technology and human touch is required to find the right candidates efficiently. RPO services, therefore, focus not only on powerful talent technology but also on optimizing its usage by people. By striking the right balance, RPO partners cater to the human connection that attracts talent to your business.
5.10. Reduce cost
RPO recruitment has proven to be an effective strategy for reducing employee cost by focusing on hiring quality candidates that align with your organization's values. Here's how RPO providers can ensure a good fit and improve retention:
Understanding your corporate culture and values: RPO partners invest time in getting to know these elements, which helps them identify suitable candidates. This leads to more engaged teams and employees who stay with the company longer.
Recognizing what candidates value: RPO providers consider the factors that matter most to candidates, such as salary, benefits, growth opportunities, flexibility, and support services. By touting these advantages, the likelihood of finding the right fit for your company increases.
Refining the onboarding process: RPO staffing services analyze the root causes of high turnover and develop solutions that range from talent sourcing to onboarding process improvements. Their goal is to identify candidates who are likely to stay beyond the probation period.
Aligning recruitment strategies with organizational goals: The providers ensure that recruitment strategies accommodate your goals. This helps create a seamless integration for new hires, increasing the chances of long-term retention.
Providing ongoing support: They offer continued support to new hires in the form of onboarding assistance, career development, and other retention initiatives. Doing so promotes employee commitment and loyalty.
Takeaway: As per research by Brandon Hall Group, enterprises with a powerful onboarding process increase new hire retention by over 80% and productivity by more than 70%. By partnering with TSC or other top RPO companies from Vietnam, you have the advantage of optimizing your hiring processes, increasing the quality of hired candidates, and ultimately reducing turnover.
5.11. Support reporting and analytics
Another benefit of RPO recruitment is the data you can collect from the whole process and multiple hires. This data helps report and understand what's happening in real-time and make better decisions. It also shows you how well your recruitment methods work and how to make them better. This way, you can keep improving your recruitment process and make it more efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality.
Unlock these benefits and beyond with TSC
Talent acquisition is a crucial component of any successful business growth strategy. With Aberdeen's research concluding that 43% of best-in-class companies are likely to partner with an RPO provider, it's no surprise that organizations are turning to an RPO recruitment partner like TSC as their solution.
Whether you need end-to-end recruitment or assistance with specific aspects, TSC's experienced professionals are ready to help. Contact us today and see how.
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