Rosaleen Blair, CEO and
founder of Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS), gave a speech on the
future of the RPO industry at the inaugural Recruitment Process
Outsourcing forum in London.
RPO is a rapidly expanding industry: an average annual growth of
37% is expected over the next two years (BPO Analysts Nelson Hall)
and global sourcing advisory firm TPI predicts that the global RPO
market will be worth up to $15 billion within five years.
Whilst the RPO industry’s development is strong, Blair’s speech
outlined some of the fastchanging and diverse influences on its
direction:
Continued globalisation and demographic shifts, particularly in
skills and education, are creating a global talent pool for
companies to tap into, along with the need for recruitment and
internal mobility policies to support the change.
Rapid pace developments in technology and social interactions
are continuing the shift in candidate behaviour and expectations,
creating a need for the productive and cost efficient use of web
2.0 technologies for attracting Generation Y.
The need to balance the current economic climate and a drive for
financial savings with a broader focus on the performance and
strategic benefits that can be gained from a successful outsourced
relationship.
The capability of RPO providers to support clients who are
insourcing their recruitment – working with them to design the
ideal recruitment function, providing transformation and change
management expertise, and giving them market knowledge, strategic
support and consulting whenever its needed.
The market also faces a number of new entrants, from Business
Process Outsourcing (BPO) specialists and recruitment or staffing
companies, to technology providers and even traditional advertising
agencies. To respond to increasing competition, Blair believes RPO
companies must make their services broader, more flexible and more
client-centric.
She commented, “RPO providers today need to recognise that a
‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t going to be successful.
Providers need to listen to the different demands of their clients
– whether a global investment bank, a European technology company
or a UK-based SME – and provide innovative services that meet their
needs.”
Blair finished by emphasising to the forum that the future of
RPO lies beyond its current scope of services, with a provision of
expertise that’s broader and deeper. “I started Alexander Mann
Solutions because I wanted to put recruitment on the board agenda,”
Blair said. “In building a business dedicated to RPO, we led the
focus on transactional metrics that improve performance, such as
time to hire, cost per hire and reduced attrition rates.
However, I believe we’re moving to a future where RPO providers
will only be as successful as the brands we build and the business
intelligence we provide. I believe we’ll get to a place where
success is measured not by our own performance, but by the
performance of the people we bring in, and the impact they
have.”