How to leverage RPO to build your employer brand
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April 18, 2024
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April 20, 2024
Whether you are a global organisation about to set up shop in India or a local business seeking to expand into new locations, finding the right people to work for you can be both tough and tricky. Given the fierce competition in talent acquisition, a company’s brand perception as an employer of choice is a key factor in influencing high-skilled candidates. Worldwide, both large and medium-sized companies increasingly look to tap the expertise of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) agencies to showcase their employer brand as a critical strategy for attracting new talent and retaining existing employees.
But first, let us quickly look at some relevant details on employer branding. Globally, employer branding has continued to stand out for some years now as an important factor in how both active job seekers and passive candidates make decisions about where they would like to work.
For example, LinkedIn’s study, Future of Reporting 2024, has this to say about employer branding vis-à-vis attracting top talent from Gen Z:
“…employer branding will remain a critical priority in the year ahead: For the second year in a row, employer branding is the recruitment function that’s expected to receive the greatest increase in spend, with 57% of recruiting pros predicting their investment in employer branding will increase in the coming year.”
Why is employer branding important?
When organisations function in a shifting business environment marked by technological disruption and the changing demands of a new generation of candidates, finding and securing top talent presents a host of challenges. A company’s reputation as a worthy employer with an attractive work culture are key aspects of its brand and hugely influence a candidate’s decision to work with you or go to a competitor.
Employers worldwide seem to agree. Take a look at these LinkedIn data points that illustrate what recruiting leaders worldwide think about employer brand:
- 72% agreed that employer brand has a significant impact on hiring.
- 55% have an employer brand strategy that is proactive.
- 59% are making higher investments in employer branding.
What do job seekers look for in a prospective employer?
From the candidate’s perspective, how does an individual decide whether to engage—or not—with an organisation? The same LinkedIn study also spotlights the impact of employer branding on a candidate’s decision-making process:
- When looking for jobs, the no. 1 blind spot that candidates encounter is not knowing what it will be like to work for a company.
- 75% of job seekers examine a company’s employer brand even before applying for a position.
- 52% of candidates first look at a company’s sites and its social media presence to learn more about the organisation.
A positive employer brand also has a powerful impact on your existing employees. Some ways in which this works:
- Helps to build a strong company culture
- Cuts hiring costs
- Inspires loyalty among current workforce, thereby promoting better retention
Why do companies need RPO to build a strong employer brand?
There is enough and more data that emphatically supports the case for building a credible employer brand. But why should companies consider outsourcing this critical requirement to professional recruiters? The reasons are many, and valid too.
Enhanced quality of hiring
As professionals, RPO companies can offer you an array of data-driven recruitment methods, which help curate a talent pool that aligns well with your long-term goals and objectives. This helps reduce the chances of hiring the wrong candidates. Selecting the best talent for the job, in turn, positively impacts the company’s productivity and bottom line and boosts the morale of new hires. MyCareernet, for example, is an end-to-end solution, comprising a platform and allied services that help employers discover the right talent and build their employer brand among candidates.
Smarter hiring processes
A reputable RPO company will have the necessary expertise to efficiently manage the hiring process. With their large databases and recruitment strategies crafted from years of experience, RPO companies can efficiently maintain a robust talent pipeline and handle various exigencies. This greatly speeds up time-to-hire, a huge advantage for businesses when they need to quickly fill critical positions or hire professionals with specialised, niche skills.
RPO providers become a part of your HR team
When you work with an RPO provider, they team you up with recruiting specialists who are well-versed in your line of business. The right RPO team will dedicate time to understand the nuances of your business and company culture. In the process, they become a seamless part of your HR division and project an accurate image of your company to potential candidates.
RPO teams create accurate job descriptions
Job descriptions that grab eyeballs and spell out requirements clearly are an essential component in attracting high-skilled talent. Working with a local RPO provider gets you access to experienced content writers who are up-to-date with current trends, skills and roles and, hence, can craft job postings that are relevant and well-defined.
RPO professionals offer social media expertise in recruitment marketing
Given that social media is where Gen Z is omnipresent, employers who fail to make their presence felt in this space face a gloomy future in talent acquisition. However, in-house HR divisions, already burdened with multitasking, may not have the bandwidth needed for designing dedicated social media communications. RPO service providers can plug this gap. How? Here are a few ways:
- A reputed RPO provider will delegate marketing teams to create social media campaigns that map your company culture to candidates’ aspirations.
- Their experience in digital marketing enables micro-targeting of candidates.
- A carefully designed campaign ensures that only relevant candidates respond to your postings.
- This, in turn, boosts your overall employer branding strategy.
Positive candidate experience
Job seekers need reassurance that they are making a good decision when they opt for you as an employer. Recruitment specialists have the expertise to craft a quality candidate experience, offering support and relevant information and handholding candidates through the hiring process, from applications all the way through to onboarding. Also, since dedicated RPO teams are in sync with your organisational culture, they will be able to shortlist applicants whose skills match well with the job requirements and who will also align culturally with the workforce.
Equitable hiring processes
RPO companies use standardised assessments and hiring procedures, often with a high degree of automation. AI-based systems typically deliver consistent and unbiased results that are fair to all candidates, a factor that greatly enhances an organisation’s brand image among job seekers.
Diversified talent pool
It is now widely accepted that employers known for their commitment to a diversified workforce stand a higher chance of being considered favourably by Gen Z candidates. RPO providers are best placed to meet this requirement, tapping job seekers through social media platforms, academic institutions, job boards, etc. Leveraging their varied talent pool helps companies to home in on candidates from diverse backgrounds, ranging from fresh graduates to experienced professionals across different domains: women and other underrepresented communities, persons with disabilities and veterans.
Protection from damage
Every organisational function comes with risk and recruitment is no exception. Hiring is open to legal liabilities, financial uncertainty and, in some cases, damage to a company’s reputation. All these factors are hazardous to an employer brand carefully built up over time. An experienced RPO provider can help you manage such risks and even help mitigate any problems that may arise. Availing their expertise helps you protect your employer brand.
Selecting the right RPO agency
Clearly, the advantages of getting recruitment professionals to manage your employer brand strategies are indisputable. However, it is critical that you partner with the right RPO agency for this task as it entails an enormous responsibility. What should you look for?
First, look within.
Before you invite RPO agencies to make a pitch, it helps to introspect and understand, as an employer, what your company stands for. Have a clearly spelt out mission statement and write down what you believe are the most important aspects of your employer brand. This will help prospective RPO agencies understand your organisation better.
Check the RPO agency’s industry experience.
Your RPO partner should be able to showcase you credibly as an employer to potential candidates. For this to happen, get in touch with RPO agencies that have some years of hiring experience in your industry. By teaming up with people who know the nature of your business, you will benefit from their experience; they will also know what appeals to job seekers in this sector and how to deliver results.
Look for a good cultural fit.
Even the “best” RPO agency, armed with state-of-the-art technology and expertise, cannot help you grow and nurture your employer brand if they are not culturally aligned with your organisation; in truth, partnering with an agency that does not see eye-to-eye with you in terms of values and work culture can damage your employer brand and prove to be a costly mistake. When prospective RPO partners make their pitch, factor culture fit into your decision. Get to know the RPO team that will partner with you. Consider whether they are enthused about the project and capable of building a positive working relationship with your team.
