HR & recruitment glossary

Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)

Definition

Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) is the practice of handing all or part of an organisation's recruiting to an external provider that acts as its in-house team.

In an RPO arrangement the provider usually supplies recruiters, sourcing, technology and reporting, working under the client's brand and processes. Scope varies: some organisations outsource every hire, others only a project, such as opening a new site, or a single job family like customer service. Contracts are often priced per hire, per month or as a management fee, with service levels for time to fill and quality.

RPO suits organisations with uneven or very large hiring needs that would be costly to staff internally. The trade-off is control: the client still owns the hiring decisions, the candidate experience and legal compliance. Clear agreement on screening criteria, data handling, reporting and who signs off each hire helps keep standards consistent, whether the recruiter sits in-house or with the provider.

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