It’s natural for an organization’s hiring needs to expand exponentially as it grows. Gone are the days when you could ask a junior HR employee to find new hires to fill your couple of job openings. Nowadays, you need a whole group of people solely focused on quickly building and scaling teams of the best talent possible. Some companies try to do this themselves with varying levels of success. Others partner with a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) firm and have them do all the heavy lifting.

If your company is ready to outsource its recruitment strategy so it can get back to concentrating on its core business functions, note that it’s absolutely critical to select the right RPO provider. But given there are plenty of them around, which one should you choose? Thankfully, you landed on this article! Keep reading for a list of our 7 top RPO firms to help you make your decision. 

10,000 ft. View of The Current Recruiting Landscape

It’s natural for an organization’s hiring needs to expand exponentially as it grows. Gone are the days when you could ask a junior HR employee to find new hires to fill your couple of job openings. Nowadays, you need a whole group of people solely focused on quickly building and scaling teams of the best talent possible. Some companies try to do this themselves with varying levels of success. Others partner with a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) firm and have them do all the heavy lifting.

It’s even more advantageous to work with an RPO in 2024 given the industry’s evolution in recent years. RPO providers are adapting to lots of changes — primarily incurred by technological advancements, shifting workforce demographics, and an ever-growing demand for top talent — by offering more innovative solutions and strategic approaches to meet the dynamic needs of their clients.

For example, RPO firms are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. By leveraging AI-powered tools for candidate sourcing, screening, and assessment, they can identify high-quality candidates faster. Not only does this streamline the recruitment process, it also ensures that candidates moving forward in the process have the right skills and cultural fit — a big win for everyone involved. 

Another trend shaping the RPO landscape is the rise of flexible workforce solutions. With the gig economy continuing to expand, organizations are looking for RPO providers who can effectively manage a diverse mix of full-time employees, contractors, freelancers, and remote workers. As a result, many RPO firms now offer hybrid recruitment models that blend traditional recruitment methods with on-demand staffing solutions to better meet the changing needs of their clients.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has also become a more prominent part of the recruitment process these days. RPO providers are incorporating more DEI initiatives into their strategies to ensure fair and unbiased hiring practices. Additionally, they are implementing inclusive sourcing techniques, providing diversity training for their recruiters, and partnering with organizations that are focused on promoting diversity in the workforce.

Finally, it should be noted that most major RPO providers have been expanding their global footprint to cater to the increasing demand for talent acquisition services in emerging markets. In addition, strategic partnerships between RPO firms and HR technology companies are on the rise, improving the candidate experience.

The good news for companies is that premium RPO providers are innovating and adapting faster than ever. This translates into the delivery of more value-added solutions that ultimately drive business growth.  

If your company is ready to outsource its recruitment strategy so it can get back to concentrating on its core business functions, note that it’s absolutely critical to select the right RPO provider. But given there are plenty of them around, which one should you choose? Thankfully, you landed on this article! Keep reading for a list of our 7 top RPO firms to help you make your decision.

Why Work With An RPO Company?

There are various ways you can choose to go about hiring, from keeping it in-house to working with a staffing agency to partnering with an RPO firm. Let’s discuss exactly why you should strongly consider outsourcing all of your company’s talent acquisition needs to an experienced and reputable RPO provider. Below, we’ve listed just a few of the reasons.

You’ll Save Time and Money

There are so many moving parts when it comes to hiring, from identifying and screening quality candidates to interviewing, evaluating, and onboarding them. Imagine how much time your HR team will have to work on other tasks after you take this off their plate! Not to mention how much money your company will save by hiring the right people.

You’ll Receive Exclusive Access to Top Candidates

A huge perk of teaming up with an RPO firm is gaining access to their extensive network of fully vetted and active job seekers. Eliminate the need to spend hours searching for qualified candidates. RPO companies will place an eager and diverse selection of them right at your fingertips.

You’ll Benefit From Their Recruiting Expertise

Just like your organization specializes in whatever it produces or provides customers, RPO firms are experts in hiring. The best RPO companies out there know just what they’re doing. They bring years of experience, knowledge of industry best practices, and, in many cases, advanced technology to the table (MSH’s Aeon, anyone?)  

You’ll Profit From Powerful Reporting and Analytics

Your company’s talent acquisition strategy shouldn’t be the result of gut feelings and guesses. You need an RPO provider that uses data-driven insights derived from real-time reporting and analytics to make hiring decisions. Some RPO services these days are even using artificial intelligence to bolster their decision-making.

You’ll Be Able to Scale Your Business Quickly

If you’re accustomed to dealing with staffing agencies, trust us, you have another thing coming. Unlike temp recruiters, RPO teams are incentivized so they balance both speed and quality. Say goodbye to lackluster hires—the right RPO provider will quickly build and scale teams of dedicated, satisfied, and skilled employees who will stick around for the long haul.

How To Decide Who To Work With

If you look around, there are certainly a lot of RPO providers vying for your organization’s attention. Which one should you pick? Take into account the following criteria as you consider your options.

Examine Its References and Reputation

It’s essential to choose an RPO partner that is reputable. What do former clients say about the firm and its hiring process? Ask around. And remember, sometimes the reviews might be a little mixed. That’s okay as long as most speak favorably about their experience. After all, it’s impossible to please everyone.

Uncover Its Time to Fill Number (and Other Stats)

There are ways to quantifiably measure RPO services. For instance, take a look at their time to fill number (i.e., the number of days between an approved job requisition and a job offer acceptance). According to SHRM, the average is 42 days. The lower the number, the more efficient the RPO company and the quicker you can scale. But also beware of a number that is unrealistically low - as mentioned above, you want a firm that balances speed with quality.

Evaluate Its Experience and Expertise

Don’t pick the new kid on the block. Look for an established RPO company that’s been around for a while. What does its recruitment process look like, and what kinds of organizations work with the firm? It’s best to partner with a talent solutions provider that has many years of experience and know-how under its belt.

Consider Its Platform and Use of Technology 

Finally, does the RPO provider you’re considering use advanced technology like AI and ML to support its hiring decisions and enhance your experience? MSH, for example, is powered by Aeon, a revolutionary AI-driven software that empowers both the candidate and the customer throughout the entire recruitment journey. 

Common Services A Top RPO Will Offer

When you hire an RPO company, what can you expect them to do for you? Below we’ve listed several of the services they (at least, the best ones!) typically provide for their clients.

Talent Acquisition Process Design and Management

Definitely a mouthful. So what exactly does “talent acquisition process design and management” even mean?? We’re talking about strategically developing and optimizing your organization's recruitment procedures, from job posting and candidate sourcing to interviewing and onboarding. Top RPO providers will help you streamline your hiring efforts, improve candidate quality, and reduce time-to-fill.

Employer Branding and Value Proposition Identification

You should also expect your RPO partner to craft a compelling image and reputation for your company as an employer, highlighting its unique culture and values to attract qualified candidates. Moreover, it should identify your business’s unique value propositions (i.e., the distinct benefits and opportunities you offer potential employees) and communicate this to job seekers, helping your organization stand out in a competitive job market.

Talent Intelligence

America runs on data (not Dunkin?) these days. Make sure any RPO provider you work with leverages data analytics and market research to produce actionable insights into your talent acquisition strategies. Your RPO team should be busy on any given day analyzing trends, competitor benchmarks, and candidate pools to boost your ability to attract, hire, and retain top talent. 

Packaged Talent

For those organizations with an internal recruitment team that needs help filling several roles, MSH sends a dedicated team of hiring consultants and all their expertise, strategies, and AI-powered analytics to the rescue.

Direct Hire

For organizations that need help filling one niche or high-level role, MSH’s Direct Hire consultants handle it all: identifying and screening candidates, coordinating interviews, negotiating offers, and more.

Staff Augmentation

Leveraging its advanced pipelining capabilities and a deep understanding of an organization’s on-demand hiring needs, MSH delivers top temporary talent.

Technology Consulting

MSH’s enterprise technology consultants define, design, and execute technology strategies that lower costs, create new revenue streams, and drive business growth. Common areas of technology that we advise on:

• Business intelligence: Organizations that partner with MSH benefit from its expertise in selecting, implementing, and optimizing business intelligence tools and strategies that transform raw data into actionable insights.
• Digital Commerce Transformation:  MSH helps organizations leverage digital technologies to optimize their buying and selling process, improve their customer experiences, streamline their operations, and drive business growth in the digital era.
• Software Testing: Resolve major software issues faster with the help of MSH and its best-in-class enterprise managed testing services.
• SAP Implementation: MSH’s expert consultants assist organizations with the migration, implementation, and administration of their SAP software so they can harness its full potential.

DEI Guidance

Another common service offered by RPO companies is guidance around DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Look for this offering—it will help your company foster inclusivity. An RPO team that is well-versed in DEI will take measures to ensure diverse candidate pools, unbiased hiring practices, and the promotion of equity and inclusion throughout the recruitment process.

Vendor Management

One really nice aspect of hiring an RPO company is that it will coordinate all the details related to any third parties (job boards, staffing agencies, et al). In their hands, you’ll be guaranteed seamless collaborations, streamlined procurement processes, and optimized talent sourcing. Plus, less things for you and your team to worry about!  

Hiring

Maybe it seems obvious, or maybe not. Either way, we’ll say it. A competent RPO provider will oversee everything related to hiring for you. We’re talking about strategically planning, sourcing and screening candidates, posting job ads, conducting interviews, negotiating offers, onboarding new hires, and more. This will save your HR managers so much time and energy!

New Hire Onboarding

Sometimes folks assume that enterprise RPO only consists of creating and running job requisitions, vetting and interviewing talent, and getting yeses to offers from candidates. (Maybe throw in some strategizing too.) In actuality, top RPO firms like MSH also assist clients with onboarding their new hires. A nice perk and helpful in terms of boosting new hire satisfaction too!

Analytics and Insights

This list of RPO services wouldn’t be complete without a quick mention of real-time reporting, clear communication, and meaningful takeaways. Expect your RPO recruiters to keep you in the loop and to consistently provide guidance that’s based on accurate data and statistics. If not, it’s seriously time to move on.

The 7 Best Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Firms in 2024

Hopefully, at this point in the article, you’re 100% sold on recruitment process outsourcing. If so, you’re probably thinking about the next step—which RPO provider would be best for your company? Well, below are 7 of our favorites so you can make an informed decision. We’re going to cover the following firms in this order:

1. MSH
2. Cielo
3. PeopleScout
4. Manpower
5. Randstad
6. Korn Ferry
7. KellyOCG

Of course, we’ve started off the list with ourselves because, naturally, we think we’re the best (I mean, who wouldn’t, right?!) But we also know that, realistically, we can’t be everyone’s cup of tea, so definitely make sure to pick the RPO firm that’s the best fit for your team. Having said that, let’s go ahead and dive right in!

1. MSH

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Not to toot our own horn (although we will), MSH really packs a punch when it comes to RPO. How so? We have all the expertise, experience, tools, technologies, and hiring specialists necessary to help your company scale quickly. But don’t worry, we take our time getting to know your organization first—its hiring goals, culture, offerings, and branding vision—so we can develop customized recruitment strategies and processes that ultimately add loyal, happy, and hard-working employees to your team. 

MSH has worked with many notable clients in the past, including ADT, Amex, BlueCross BlueShield, Deloitte, KPMG, and Landmark (to name just a few). Trust us, we’ll meet you where you’re at—and get you exactly where you want to go!

Services Offered: Enterprise and campus RPO; Strategy development; AI/ML hiring experience platform; Advanced metrics and reporting; Talent acquisition process design and management; Talent intelligence; Talent community builds; Candidate experience and engagement; DEI guidance; Vendor management; Employer branding and value proposition identification; Job profiling; New hire onboarding; Healthcare, medical role, and physician staffing; SLA and EEO compliance

2. Cielo

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Cielo is a global talent acquisition firm that offers recruitment process outsourcing, executive search, contingent workforce solutions, and consulting services. The company serves clients in 113 countries who speak 39 different languages. It embeds recruiters into in-house teams and uses technology to drive decision-making. 

Services Offered: RPO; Total talent acquisition; Consulting services; Executive search; Contingent workforce solutions; Pre-employment services

3. PeopleScout

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Another RPO provider to consider is PeopleScout. One of the largest in the world, it claims to “deliver speed, scalability, and industry-leading technology to provide you with the competitive edge you need to hire top talent.” The firm offers its clients access to a cloud-based platform called Affinix that helps streamline the sourcing process.

Services Offered: RPO; Modular RPO solutions; Managed service provider (MSP) solutions; Employer branding; Recruitment marketing; Talent acquisition strategy; Assessment services; Workforce planning and strategy; Reporting tools and data; Virtual hiring and interview management

4. Manpower

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Then there’s Manpower. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the staffing firm creates customized workforce strategies for companies in various industries. It also offers a training and development program for candidates that teaches helpful job skills. The company prides itself on continuously learning and improving itself.

Services Offered: Flexible and project staffing; Onsite management; Direct hire solutions; Engineering and manufacturing solutions; Upskilling programs; Needs assessments

5. Randstad

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Founded and headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad is a temp and staffing agency that connects employers with job seekers in various industries, including finance, healthcare, HR, technology, and office/administration, among others. The company provides staffing, outsourcing, consulting, and workforce solutions in 38 countries. In the U.S., it runs two operating companies, Randstad General Staffing and Randstad Technologies Group, that together offer both professional/commercial staffing and workforce development and consulting.

Services Offered: Staffing solution planning; Technical project solutions; Change management consulting; Outplacement and VMS programs; Strategic consulting; Executive search; Finance & accounting professional search; Financial projects consulting; HR solutions; Technology solutions

6. Korn Ferry

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Korn Ferry is an organizational consulting firm that was founded in 1969. The company specializes in executive search, leadership development, and HR consulting services, helping organizations identify and develop top talent, navigate leadership challenges, and optimize their human capital strategies. With a presence in over 50 countries, Korn Ferry assists businesses all across the world that are seeking to enhance their leadership capabilities.

Services Offered: Executive search; Leadership development; Organizational strategy; Assessment and succession; Talent acquisition; Workforce transformation; DEI solutions; HR and talent consulting; Digital solutions and technology

7. KellyOCG

KellyOCG, an RPO firm that has been around for over 75 years, touts itself as “the leading global advisor of talent supply chain strategies and workforce solutions.” The company offers two RPO options, one for clients looking to hire less than 500 people and one for those who want to scale massively (500+). It also provides an analytics and compliance platform called Helix UX.

Services Offered: RPO; Recruiter on demand; Career transition and executive; Coaching; Integrated talent solution; Talent consulting; Managed service provider (MSP) solutions; Services procurement; Identity management; Direct sourcing

The Right RPO Firm Will Save You Time and Money

Your company didn’t get into business to spend all its time hiring people—it got into business to make money by selling products and services that fulfill customer needs. Scaling is part of the equation, of course, but why not outsource all those nitty-gritty, time-consuming details to an expert RPO firm that will assuredly achieve exceptional hiring results? 

And while there are multiple RPO providers on the market, the decision is easy because MSH stands out above all the rest. The firm takes the entire recruitment process from start (strategy development) to finish (onboarding) off its clients’ hands, seamlessly integrating with in-house HR teams. Partner with MSH, and within only 72 hours, you’ll start receiving exclusive access to highly qualified and fully vetted candidates—only the ones who are a perfect match to your company’s unique culture.

Data-driven, AI-powered, and yet still personal, friendly, and attentive, the MSH team will surely exceed all your expectations. Experience the MSH difference today!