What Is The Difference Between RPO & Staffing Agencies?

A staffing agency acts as an intermediary, quickly sourcing candidates with specialized skill sets and facilitating connections between candidates and clients. On the other hand, RPO firms offer a dedicated approach, focusing solely on filling positions for one client and deeply engaging with their hiring strategy.

At Hunter Recruitment Advisors, we excel in partnering with home services companies to secure top-tier technicians. With a deep-rooted history in various recruitment environments, we bring a wealth of knowledge to distinguish the nuanced roles of recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and traditional staffing agencies.

Staffing Agency Experience

The Role of Staffing Agencies

Working with a staffing agency involves supporting clients in finding talent and making timely placements. Staffing agencies are pivotal in quickly sourcing candidates with specialized skill sets, often racing against other agencies to fill positions.

They primarily function as intermediaries, facilitating the connection between potential candidates—by gathering resumes—and clients. This dynamic requires a staffing consultant to manage client relations and actively sell the agency's services and job opportunities to candidates. The compensation structure in these roles is generally commission-based, incentivizing more hires to increase earnings.

Sales and Flexibility in Staffing

Staffing agencies often adopt a 360-degree approach, where consultants are tasked with both developing new business and managing existing accounts. This model allows recruiters to select which vacancies to pursue and the discretion to step back from less promising ones. The ability to pick and choose roles adds a dynamic layer of strategy to the agency setting.

The RPO Advantage

The Dedicated Approach of RPO

In contrast, RPO firms offer a starkly different model, characterized by deep engagement and commitment to a single client. RPO recruiters are integral to their client's hiring strategy, focusing solely on filling positions for one organization, regardless of the challenges that may arise.

This dedicated approach is governed by strict performance metrics, such as time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source-of-hire, customer satisfaction, and employee retention.

Specialization and Employer Branding

RPO recruiters deeply understand their client's business, enabling a more thorough and specialized vetting process than typically seen with staffing agencies.

This expertise improves the quality of hires and strengthens the client's employer brand in the market by ensuring that the recruitment messaging aligns closely with the company's values and culture.

Hunter Recruitment is dedicated to delivering recruitment solutions that meet and exceed our clients' expectations in the home services sector. Whether your company would benefit more from a staffing agency's broad reach or an RPO's in-depth approach, we are here to guide you through the process.