During a recent webinar, “How to Transform Talent Acquisition in Asia Pacific Through RPO,” my colleague Paul Daley, Senior Vice President, and I recently shared our insights into the Asia Pacific market – including Singapore, where I am based – and what factors should go into the build vs. buy decision.

While many factors are universal, Asia Pacific has its own specific considerations, including how each country has its own nuances and candidate behaviors. Japan, for instance, has a low presence of professionals on LinkedIn, and China tends to have more expectations regarding titles and promotions. They know what strategies work best in what is one of the world’s most important and emerging markets.

Understanding the goals and capabilities of the organization is key. For instance, those wanting to build in-house teams should have stable hiring needs, a strong brand presence, already established talent acquisition operating models and processes as well as sufficient technological and financial capacity to invest in training. If, however, they are looking for a more transformational change – with large-scale hiring needs and a hands-on approach – Recruitment Process Outsourcing makes more sense.

With RPO, the goal is not instant, overnight change but a long-term strategic plan. Success should be defined not just by vacancies filled but major metrics like Quality of Hire, Time-to-Fill and Hiring Manager Satisfaction. Research shows that organizations that use RPO are more than twice as likely to rate their talent acquisition teams as effective compared to those that do not use RPO.

An organization’s relationship with an RPO partner in Asia Pacific can involve many steps, including:

  • Job scoping and talent intelligence
  • Candidate sourcing
  • Candidate engagement and campaigning
  • Hiring Manager engagement
  • Employer branding
  • Candidate screening
  • Interviews and assessments
  • Offer and pre-employment process
  • Preparation for start date

Transforming talent acquisition in Asia is essential if organizations are going to meet their business objectives. They need the right talent, in the right role, at the right time to innovate, grow, launch new products or simply compete and survive. The first step is recognizing that they need to go beyond recruiting and implement a true talent acquisition engine. Step two is considering whether they can build the function themselves or if they will require a strategic partner.

To hear “How to Transform Talent Acquisition in Asia Pacific Through RPO,” click here.

 

Post contributed by Kumar Bhaya, Business Development Director. Connect with him on LinkedIn.