Best Recruitment Process Outsourcing Companies Shortlist
Here are my top picks for global recruitment outsourcing companies, plus a summary of what each company does best:
Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) companies can help you hire top talent worldwide for short and long-term needs. RPO firms can scale your growth flexibly with niche skills and professional expertise that ensure business success.
To help you choose the best-suited recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) company for your organization, I’ve curated this detailed guide with the industry-best options, selection criteria, and FAQs.
What is a Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Company?
A recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) company helps firms scale their labor resources to accommodate changing requisitions. An RPO company also enables firms to meet employment demands without increasing expenditure on hiring in-house recruiters.
RPO firms support you in hiring full-time employees (FTEs) and contractors for contingency needs. RPO companies offer various services, from end-to-end recruitment solutions to specialized services for your unique business needs.
Leveraging RPO firms, your organization can outsource several aspects of the recruitment process. These aspects include job posting, sourcing applicants, screening candidates, and scheduling interviews. Moreover, RPO firms can also handle hiring events, facilitating negotiations, and onboarding selected professionals.
Overviews of the 10 Best Recruitment Process Outsourcing Companies
Here are detailed reviews of the 10 best recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) companies, including their stand-out capabilities, services, pricing, and more.
PeopleScout
Best for end-to-end MSP capabilities supporting total workforce needs
TrueBlue owns PeopleScout, an RPO services provider with an end-to-end managed service program (MSP) and advisory capabilities. PeopleScout has over 30 years of expertise, engaging millions of applicants in over 70 countries and 20 languages. The PeopleScout team spearheads global talent acquisition through recruiting, employer branding, technology, workforce planning, and other services.
Why I picked PeopleScout: I chose PeopleScout because of its end-to-end MSP capabilities, combined with its multi-country RPO solutions. Their MSP program supports various resourcing needs, including gig, direct hire, temp-to-hire, independent contractor administration, SOW engagements, and other complicated services in all skill categories and geographic regions. PeopleScout uses a world-class vendor management system (VMS) technology, and its proprietary talent technology platform, Affinix, provides flexibility and scalability in contingent workforce management.
Moreover, PeopleScout’s RPO services offer high-volume hiring efficiency with an enhanced candidate experience for speedy but high-quality hiring. Leveraging AI recruitment marketing, machine learning, and predictive analysis, PeopleScout ensures an aligned impact of its recruitment solutions for full-cycle, partial-cycle, or project-based RPO.
PeopleScout Key Services:
Other than PeopleScout’s RPO and MSP solutions, PeopleScout also offers total workforce solutions to increase efficiency and visibility in workforce planning and talent management. They also support DEI initiatives for placing military veterans in the common marketplace. Combining PeopleScout’s recruitment advisory skills with their RPO or MSP solutions, businesses can obtain a comprehensive talent acquisition program that helps them achieve their critical talent goals.
Cielo
Best global RPO services provider for total talent acquisition processes
Cielo is a specialized RPO, consulting, and total talent acquisition services provider with a massive global reach. Cielo has displayed a strong commitment to helping its clients attract and hire better talent faster while providing candidates with a positive recruitment experience. They believe that every industry comes with unique challenges; therefore, the company delivers customized solutions that ensure process consistency, service excellence, and scalable workforce planning for the future.
Why I picked Cielo: Cielo is the largest RPO provider in the world, with over 4,000 employees serving 215+ clients in 113 countries and providing end-to-end customer support in 39 languages.
Moreover, Cielo bolsters your internal recruitment teams efforts with seasoned recruitment experts who help design and personalize the talent acquisition process to achieve desired business results. These professionals can scout and hire top talent, while safeguarding your employer brand. With over 16 years of niche experience, Cielo is a market leader in RPO services.
Cielo Key Services:
Besides its RPO solutions, Cielo offers total talent acquisition solutions. This includes adding freelancers, independent contractors, Statement-of-Work (SOW) staff (for short-term project requirements), and other contingent workers to strengthen the workforce based on project requirements. Cielo also provides executive search and consultancy services and offers job-seekers a forum called the Candidate Experience Center to resolve their concerns during recruitment.
Korn Ferry
Best for monitoring talent analytics and reporting
Korn Ferry is a global organizational consultancy company invested in talent recruitment and people management for businesses. Backed by 20+ years of experience developing bespoke recruitment solutions for companies in multiple industries, Korn Ferry provides a global team of local experts to hire top-tier talent worldwide and further nurture them to achieve their best potential.
Why I picked Korn Ferry: The most impressive aspect of Korn Ferry’s RPO solutions is its talent acquisition model customization. The hybrid approach allows organizations to maintain integral control while reducing costs and improving time-to-hire and quality of candidates. You can also benefit from their data-enabled recruitment product, Korn Ferry Nimble, and hire 200 to 20,000 professionals during peak seasons.
Moreover, their AI-powered Intelligence Cloud suite of applications combines 50 years of Korn Ferry’s consulting experience to deliver solutions that drive a company’s business strategy to success. Consequently, your internal recruitment team can assess talent through assessments and make informed pay decisions based on industry standards.
Korn Ferry Key Services:
Besides its RPO services and the Intelligence Cloud, Korn Ferry provides multiple solutions, including total talent management, organizational and Total Rewards strategies, cost optimization, leadership and professional development programs, DEI, and ESG & sustainability initiatives. As a global consultancy, Korn Ferry supports companies through the entire talent journey and helps them maximize the potential of their entire workforce.
Korn Ferry’s Intelligence Cloud seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365 suite and Salesforce.
Sevenstep
Best for expanding into new geographies, demographics, and industries
Sevenstep offers an empowering suite of global total talent solutions for medium and large-sized enterprises. With Sevenstep, you can tailor recruitment processes with expert guidance and ensure a 90%+ global expansion rate across new locations, populations, and company landscapes.
Why I picked Sevenstep: The standout aspect of Sevenstep is the flexibility it provides employers in designing their RPO programs of choice for hiring top talent globally. Sevenstep understands the complexities of recruiting in the startup environment, especially issues with high-volume hiring like volatility, niche specialization, and disparate processes.
Sevenstep handles enterprise and project-based requirements quickly and efficiently. Their RPO solutions also strengthen a company’s employment brand and talent communities globally for robust business expansion initiatives overseas.
Sevenstep Key Services:
Sevenstep is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and offers complete contingent workforce management, including international payrolling and direct sourcing. Sevenstep’s total talent management solutions bridge the silos between permanent workforce and contingent workforce hiring through its proprietary workforce intelligence and analytics platform, Sevayo. The platform sources data from CRM, ATS, VMS, and HRIS tools. Furthermore, the platform uses AI algorithms to drive continuous improvement through results-oriented business strategies and talent forecasting.
WilsonHCG
Best for centralized hiring across an entire workforce
WilsonHCG offers comprehensive and configurable recruitment solutions to hire the best talent. They centralize hiring for full-time, part-time, temporary, and contingent workers on a single platform, giving employers a complete overview of their workforce.
Why I picked WilsonHCG: The centralized functionality of WilsonHCG’s proprietary TALENT platform is impressive. As a result, you can facilitate open knowledge sharing between permanent and contingent talent acquisition teams to make informed decisions in favor of broader business goals.
Moreover, the RPO services offered by TALENT help companies source, screen, and hire the right talent quickly, with a centralized approach to multi-dimensional hiring. The platform augments the capabilities of a business, improves productivity by minimizing project delays, helps expand into new markets and talent pools, and forecasts future recruitment needs.
WilsonHCG Key Services:
WilsonHCG provides contingent workforce solutions, executive search, and talent consultancy services. Sourcing and hiring for high-impact executive positions can be especially difficult, but WilsonHCG guarantees top-tier C-suite level talent in less than 60 days. Finally, WilsonHCG leverages AI to make talent acquisition a breeze.
Rocket
Best for AI-enhanced recruiting services
Rocket is a next-generation recruiting agency powered by AI to help high-growth companies find the best talent. Rocket provides RPO services like executive search and contingency recruiting. Rocket can help with recruitment needs in multiple industries, including engineering, product management, marketing, design, sales, finance and accounting, and more.
Why I picked Rocket: The most impressive aspect of Rocket is its usage of big data and machine learning. The AI-powered platform applies 200+ applicant attributes to source and sort targeted professionals best suited to match your job descriptions.
Moreover, the company also offers its own workflow software that removes the tediousness of hiring, enabling recruiters to spend more than a few cursory minutes with candidates to select the best fit.
Rocket Key Services:
Rocket offers executive and professional search services for hiring executive talent. They also offer on-demand recruitment services through contract and contract-to-hire services for augmenting your workforce. Additionally, Rocket matches you with vetted external experts quickly, and helps conduct skills assessments to identify skill gaps within your organization.
ADP RPO
Best for leveraging AIRS principles for candidate sourcing
ADP is a global payroll and human capital management services provider that operates across 140 countries worldwide. They offer full-service HR admin solutions, addressing end-to-end workforce needs to attract and engage top-tier talent.
Why I picked ADP RPO: ADP offers best-in-class RPO solutions supported by data, experience, and scalability to recruit for highly specialized roles across multiple complexities and geographies. Using its AIRS (advanced internet recruitment strategies) training program, ADP can supplement your internal HR team to source top-notch talent. ADP also bolsters recruiting with automated outsourced AI capabilities like global payroll, time tracking, attendance, PEO and compliance services.
ADP RPO Key Services:
ADP provides new-hire reporting services enabling companies to meet compliance requirements without hassle and ensuring a smooth onboarding experience.
ADP’s global payroll software is a real gem. It automates financial services like automated tax deductions, retirement contributions, and health insurance premiums. ADP also offers automated time-tracking and attendance solutions that help with scheduling and staffing workers.
ADP HCM solutions integrate seamlessly with third-party accounting software like Quickbooks and Xero and with ERPs like SAP SuccessFactors and Workday. ADP also integrates with time tracking software like Clockshark and Deputy, recruiting and onboarding software like Greenhouse and ZipRecruiter, benefits administration software like Plansource and Decisely, and financial wellness software like HealthEquity and Zeamo.
Orion Talent
Best for sourcing qualified military talent
Orion Talent offers design-led RPO solutions, talent and diversity sourcing, and workforce partnership services. Having acquired powerful RPO providers like Novotus and Accolo, Orion harbors all the expertise and technology to fill roles swiftly.
Why I picked Orion Talent: I shortlisted Orion Talent because of its engaged network of military professionals. It is the largest RPO firm in the USA to help businesses attract qualified military talent to exceed their high volume hiring, talent community, and DEI goals while ensuring a low cost per hire.
Orion’s customized RPO solutions for enterprise, project-based, and contingency hiring employ the most seasoned recruiters in the industry.
Orion Talent Key Services:
Orion Talent offers diversity sourcing, talent acquisition, and military sourcing through its HirePurpose platform. They also help identify skill gaps and hire qualified talent with the skills, focus, and experience of veterans through HireSkills Consultancy services.
With 30+ years of experience in workforce development and planning, Orion Talent is a great choice for businesses looking to fill roles in multiple industries, including aerospace, automotive, HVAC and manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, telecommunications, sales, and more.
Randstad Sourceright
Best for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
Randstad Sourceright specializes in handling talent acquisition and human capital management initiatives for many world-renowned companies across 70 countries worldwide. Randstad Sourceright’s RPO solutions and MSP capabilities help businesses hire the best talent internationally through tailored strategic sourcing designs and world-class recruitment technology.
Why I picked Randstad Sourceright: Randstad Sourceright promotes workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion on a global scale. They engage diverse talent through innovative sourcing, screening, and talent marketing strategies. Furthermore, they support RPO initiatives with robust data insights from their proprietary market intelligence platform, TalentRader, and their integrated tech stack, TalentVelocity.
Randstad Sourceright’s RPO services, supplemented by DEI initiatives, ensure businesses attract a wide pool of qualified candidates.
Randstad Sourceright Key Services:
Randstad Sourceright provides permanent and contingent workforce solutions as part of a holistic approach to total talent acquisition. They also offer workers outplacement support and talent mobility solutions during difficult transitions. This RPO company further powers the talent life cycle with recruiting strategies and people metrics so that businesses can better understand the evolving talent landscape and make informed decisions.
Pierpoint
Best for RPO model personalization and omnichannel recruitment
Pierpoint International is a global RPO company that helps firms hire niche experts in 141+ countries worldwide. With Pierpoint, companies can recruit in multiple sectors, including technology, retail, healthcare, hospitality, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and more.
Why I picked Pierpoint: I’m excited by Pierpoint’s RPO model personalization services to fulfill various recruitment needs. You can outsource the complete talent acquisition process, and get flexible recruitment support during projects. Moreover, you can access Pierpoint’s services of top-tier recruiters on demand or even combine and outsource the more challenging aspects of the hiring process while still maintaining control through a hybrid approach.
Moreover, Pierpoint offers an omnichannel recruitment approach using job boards, professional networks, job advertising, career sites, social media, and other resources.
Pierpoint Key Services:
Pierpoint offers direct sourcing, talent acquisition consulting, contingent workforce management, executive search, and high-volume hiring (for 250 or more positions) during peak seasons. Pierpont is also a certified minority-owned company that promotes DEI initiatives. With Pierpoint as your RPO partner, you can mitigate the risks of hiring fluctuations and create measurable impact with insights into future hiring needs.
The 10 Best Recruitment Process Outsourcing Companies Comparison Chart
This comparison chart summarizes basic details about each of my top recruitment process outsourcing company selections side-by-side to help you find the best RPO service for your budget and business needs.
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | PeopleScout Best for end-to-end MSP capabilities supporting total workforce needs | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
2 | Cielo Best global RPO services provider for total talent acquisition processes | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
3 | Korn Ferry Best for monitoring talent analytics and reporting | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
4 | Sevenstep Best for expanding into new geographies, demographics, and industries | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
5 | WilsonHCG Best for centralized hiring across an entire workforce | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
6 | Rocket Best for AI-enhanced recruiting services | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
7 | ADP RPO Best for leveraging AIRS principles for candidate sourcing | Not available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
8 | Orion Talent Best for sourcing qualified military talent | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
9 | Randstad Sourceright Best for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
10 | Pierpoint Best for RPO model personalization and omnichannel recruitment | Free consultation available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more recruitment process outsourcing companies that didn’t make my best RPO list but are definitely worth checking out:
- Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS)
Best for hiring full-time employees and contingent workers globally
- XOR
Best for conducting virtual career fairs
- ManpowerGroup
Best for outsourcing the design of recruitment processes
- 1840 & Co
Best for hiring vetted freelancers in multiple niches
- Objective Paradigm
Best for outsourced IT recruiting
- Cerecaptio
Best for high-growth tech companies
- Workforce Logiq
Best for permanent workforce planning
- Allegis Global Solutions
Best MSP and RPO automation solutions
- LevelUp Total Talent Solution
Best for one-off project recruitment
- SecureVision
Best for contractual and on-demand hiring
Selection Criteria for Recruitment Process Outsourcing Companies
Here’s a summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best recruitment process outsourcing companies for this article:
Core Services
These are some of the basic service capabilities that each recruitment process outsourcing company on my list offers:
- Supports both permanent and contingent workforce hiring needs on a global scale.
- Provides employer branding and talent marketing services to attract and retain top-tier professionals.
- Has a plethora of innovative tools and technology to help ascertain candidate suitability for niche or hard-to-fill positions.
Key Features
In addition to the core services mentioned above, here are some other key features I assessed to create my shortlist of RPO companies:
- Advisory consulting: The company must provide expert advice on creating winning strategies that overcome talent challenges and help achieve critical talent goals like diversity, equity, and retention.
- Program flexibility: The company must tailor RPO solutions to alleviate unique hiring challenges.
- Analytics and Reporting: The company must provide analytics and reports on hiring processes to evaluate overall outsourcing effectiveness.
Customer Service
Hiring processes tend to be tedious and time-consuming. They may require a lot of back and forth between multiple stakeholders, such as the candidates, the hiring company, and everyone in between. Dealing with such challenges effectively necessitates the need for promptly responsive customer service agents. Additionally, RPO companies administer customer service via various channels, including email, chat, and via a dedicated account manager.
Industry Expertise
Hiring the top talent for your business requires a deep understanding of the niche market, industry trends, employee expectations, and best practices for sourcing, screening, processing, and managing candidates. You also need to be aware of legal and compliance considerations if you want to build a globally diverse workforce. I shortlisted RPO companies that offer such expertise in spades.
Talent Acquisition Niches
The RPO companies in my list cater to multiple niches, from aerospace and automobile to medical and pharmaceutical, manufacturing, hospitality, life sciences, military, and many more. They also employ local experts with appropriate language proficiencies for a more globalized approach to helping companies recruit talent worldwide.
People Also Ask
Here are some relevant FAQs on recruitment process outsourcing and global talent management.
What are the benefits of using an RPO company?
What is total talent management?
Can I outsource other types of HR or business services?
Other Recruitment Resources
Before you switch tabs, check out these other relevant articles if you want to know more about global recruitment and other HR processes:
- 10 Ways to Automate Your Recruitment Process
- Best Recruitment Automation Software for Hiring
- What is a Professional Employer Organization?
- Best PEO Companies to Help with Global Expansion
- PEO or EOR: Whis is Right for You?
- Best Employer of Record (EOR) Services
- Best Global HR Service Providers
- Best Global Payroll Service Providers
- Best Payroll Services for Small Businesses
- Best Payroll Companies to Run Your Payroll Process
Final Thoughts
Outsourcing the more labor-intensive and time-consuming activities of a business has been around for a long time, and recruitment falls at the top of this list.
RPO companies have perfected their methodologies to search, screen, engage, employ, and onboard the best candidates for various businesses. This lets you focus your internal resources on other profitable business areas and establish a high-performing company.
I hope my guide helps you choose the right RPO company for effectively ramping up your hiring efforts.
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