Recruitment Outsourcing Services: What to Ask (We’ve Got Answers)

The recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) in India is expected to grow by 15.5% by 2027, with an estimated market valuation of $420 million. This goes to show that the demand for RPO is consistently growing, leading to cost savings for numerous companies.

In this Channelplay guide, we’ll walk you through the key questions you should ask before choosing your RPO partner — and more importantly, what to look for in the answers.

Before we even get to exploring the different questions, you should ask before onboarding an RPO partner, let us understand the recruitment process outsourcing definition.

Unlike the traditional staffing agencies, the right RPO partner will work as an extension of your internal team - bringing tools, technology, people, and processes to streamline your hiring. In short, you need to hire someone who is personally invested in your hiring outcomes and not just “making placements” for the sake of it.

Simply understanding the recruitment process outsourcing meaning isn’t enough if you don’t know how to quantify it. Understanding the “why” is the pillar behind choosing the right RPO partner.

1. Improve time-to-hire and quality-of-hire
2. Scale hiring up or down as needed
3. Access better sourcing channels
4. Leverage recruitment technology without huge investments
5. Ensure compliance and reduce hiring risks
6. Focus internal teams on core business priorities

As we previously mentioned, RPO involves transferring all or part of a company’s hiring process to an external expert, known as an RPO provider, Channelplay being a great choice in this regard.

1. Hiring needs
2. Job roles
3. Company culture

Some of these sourcing channels that Channelplay uses are:

Once the right candidates are sourced through these channels, the next step is screening the resumes, conducting interviews, coordinating onboarding and even managing the recruitment technology (if one is involved).

Key Questions to Ask Before Choosing an RPO Partner – 10 Non-Negotiables

1. What industries and roles do you specialise in?

With the growing recruitment process outsourcing trends on the rise, there are several up and rising partners to choose from. But which one would be an ideal fit for hiring the right candidates for your company?

1. Understands your industry
2. Knows where to find the right talent fit for your job roles
3. Speaks your language

2. What parts of the recruitment process will you manage?

1. Full cycle (end-to-end recruitment)
2. Partial (handling only certain stages like sourcing or screening)

Once you have the answers, you can then ask the intended RPO partner about their services. You need clarity in what’s being handled and what remains your responsibility (if any). Some of the things you should look for in the answers of the RPO partner are:

Detailed clarification about the hiring process is one of the cornerstones of success in the recruitment process outsourcing RPO market. So, if you don’t have clarity from the answers, they are not the right fit for your company.

As a company that’s onboarding an RPO partner, you are putting your trust in them to choose the right staff for your company. So, wanting to know “how they source” their candidates is vital.

Channelplay, for example, leverages multiple sourcing channels including job boards, exclusive Channeplay job apps, WhatsApp groups, field visits, personal references, freelancer references, performance marketing, etc.

4. What recruitment technology do you use?

Without the right tools, it is almost impossible to track applications, manage interviews or measure the results from the hiring process.

In short, when you are onboarding an RPO partner, clarifying the list of recruitment technology they use is a non-negotiable.

Filling a position isn’t success. Filling the position with the right hire is. So, when you are hiring an RPO partner for your company, asking how they ensure quality and success is paramount.

1. Structured screening process
2. Assessments
3. Behavioural interviews
4. Client feedback loops
5. Candidate satisfaction metrics

For measuring success of the right hire, you also need transparency and accountability. For example, there is no place for vague promises made by the RPO partner if there are no measurable outcomes. All you will do is burn your money to the ground.

The last and probably one of the most important questions to ask the RPO partner before signing the contracts with them is regarding three agendas:

Factors like incorrect documentation, background verification failures, or non-compliance can contribute to legal issues and non-competent hiring for your company, something you want to avoid at all costs. So, being clear and upfront about that with the recruitment process outsourcing providers is crucial.

Finally, hiring doesn’t end with an offer letter. There are instances where many candidates drop out after accepting offers or leave within the first few weeks. Ensuring that doesn’t happen is crucial and that’s why you need to enquire about the same with the top recruitment process outsourcing companies before signing the contract.

Before signing the recruitment process outsourcing agreement even with the supposedly best recruitment process outsourcing companies, you need to be wary of the following red flags:

If you don’t want to experience the downsides of recruitment process outsourcing, steer clear of these complexities.

Before finalising the proposal for recruitment process outsourcing, following are some of the benefits and disadvantages of recruitment process outsourcing you need to be aware of:

From offering the best recruitment process outsourcing pricing models to ensuring high-quality hires, Channeplay is a leading name in the niche of RPO.

Here’s what sets Channelplay apart:

But more than anything — we bring a partnership mindset to every engagement. We're here to help you build great teams, not just close job requisitions.