Why This HR Director Ditched RPO for a Specialized Recruitment Firm
The Decision – Switching to RPO
Last year, a leading FMCG company moved to an RPO model
The Goal?
Faster, cost-effective hiring at scale.
The Reality
It started well, but challenges soon appeared…
THE FIRST SIGNS OF TROUBLE
- At first, things looked
smooth. But soon, the
cracks started to show… - Slow hiring cycles
– Standardized
processes caused
delays - One-size-fits-all
approach – The RPO
team lacked industry
expertise - Rigid SLAs, No
Flexibility – The HR
team felt locked into
a system
The Problem
Leadership roles were taking forever to close
- The RPO team sent irrelevant CVs
- No insights into market trends or top talent movements
- The HR Director knew something had to change
The HR Director partnered with an executive search firm
- Customized Search – Headhunting & market mapping replaced mass CVs
- Flexibility & Speed – No rigid contracts, just quality hires
- Pay for Success – No wasted budgets on process-driven sourcing
THE RESULTS – WHAT CHANGED?
40% Faster Closures For Leadership Roles- Higher-Quality Candidates That Fit The Company’s Culture
- Better Retention & Stronger Employer Branding
KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR HRBPS
1
RPO works for volume hiring, but for leadership roles, expertise matters
2
Agility, industry insights, and customized hiring make the difference
3
If RPO isn’t delivering, it’s time to rethink your hiring strategy