Where did RPO originate and how far has it come?
India became the hub of outsourcing activities as they provided solutions to global companies. Major organisations were approaching outsourcing companies in India to reduce costs and to focus more on their business goals. Most of the companies were within the IT sector, and soon this business idea spread. RPO became main stream as the IT industry heavily benefited from these services. The convenience that offshore recruiters from India brought to these organisations was vast, as costs to manage HR functions were increasing as business began to boom.
RPO services vary according to the RPO company, and the end client's needs. RPO companies can be appointed to manage the whole process, from advertising, CV searching, screening suitable candidates to any recruitment administration. However, some companies may just ask for a CV search service, as they will screen and interview candidates themselves. Oftentimes, RPO workers rarely come into contact with candidates as they solely focus on the research aspect of recruitment. Outsourcing service providers have grown significantly, and smaller companies particularly, have benefited from such services. Smaller companies of around 150 people or less tend to not have a designated HR department, hence the need for an outsourcing partner to ease HR demands and find solutions. Outsourcing services are no longer limited to the IT industry, as other sectors began to feel the pressure to strengthen their recruitment.
Today RPO has spread internationally, with RPO companies existing in the UK and other western countries. The spread internationally comes as a direct result of recruitment demands within headhunting increase. Attempting to find qualified and talented people has soon become a lengthy, and often, a complicated task which cannot, at times, be solved with a job advert or a CV search on a job portal. As long as employers continue to build their workforce, HR functions and recruitment consultants will continue to look upon offshore recruiters.