11 Best Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Companies - 2023
Everything you need to know about recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) so you can build a best-in-class recruiting process and a high-performing company














RPO — or Recruitment Process Outsourcing — refers to the outsourcing of a company’s recruitment process to an external provider. Depending on the company’s needs, they can outsource a portion of their recruiting efforts or everything to do with recruiting to the external RPO firm.
Not to be confused with staffing agencies, RPO takes a more proactive approach to recruiting. Generally speaking, staffing agencies respond to companies’ requests for temporary or permanent workers by sourcing, screening, and onboarding candidates.
RPO providers serve as an extension of a company’s HR department - owning, designing, and managing their entire recruitment process. Responsible for results, they promote a company’s employer branding, build talent pools, prioritize diversity hiring, and leverage predictive talent analytics to help you make better business decisions.
But that’s not all. In this guide, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about RPOs so you can decide if it's right for you and pick the right RPO for your business.
Best Recruitment Process Outsourcing Companies
We pride ourselves on strict editorial standards and use a thorough process to vet and review software before we publish it on the site (and in fact, most vendors we have to end up rejecting). This process includes having our team of HR and recruiting experts use the tool themselves, getting user feedback, and then evaluating the vendor on key metrics like their financial health, customer retention, and responsiveness to customer queries. You can read more about how we evaluate vendors here.
Reader Testimonials
There are many reasons to praise Cielo, but we’re particularly impressed by its massive global reach, operating in more than 100 countries and providing support in 39 different languages.
PROS
CONS

Cielo is a specialized Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and total talent acquisition provider that’s dedicated to ensuring their clients attract and hire better talent faster, all while providing stellar candidate experience. Committed to providing tailor-made solutions, Cielo’s team will immerse themselves in your industry, brand, and values to drive tangible outcomes.
Agilent, Renovate America, Shawbrook Bank
The pricing of Cielo’s services isn’t listed on their website. Contact their sales team for a custom quote.
Best For
Companies looking for a global RPO partner, providing services, tools, and support in multiple languages.
Randstad Sourceright doesn’t believe in “one size fits all”. They’re a results-driven, tech-enabled Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) company with experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) recruitment practices.
PROS
CONS

Randstad Sourceright has talent advisors around the globe that focus on identifying untapped human intelligence. They first invest the time to understand the unique needs of each client, then develop and deploy strategies that attract qualified talent.
BASF, UCB, Philips, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
The pricing of Randstad Sourceright’s services and tech tools isn’t disclosed upfront because they tailor their offerings to each customer’s unique needs. Contact Randstad’s sales team to learn more.
Best For
Companies of all sizes looking for global, customized, and tech-enabled RPO solutions.
PeopleScout particularly stand out for their veteran advocacy. Through several initiatives, PeopleScout has placed more U.S. Military veterans in full-time civilian employment than any other recruitment service provider.
PROS
CONS

Owned by TrueBlue, PeopleScout is a giant in this space, providing end-to-end RPO and talent advisory capabilities. Not only that, but Affinix — PeopleScout’s proprietary talent acquisition platform — enables faster and better engagement with qualified talent through an AI-driven, consumer-like candidate experience.
The pricing of PeopleScout’s services and tech tools isn’t disclosed on their website. Contact PeopleScout’s sales team to get a price quote based on the needs of your business.
Best For
All-size businesses looking to outsource a portion or all of their recruitment efforts.
Orion Talent's technology, combined with the expertise of their seasoned recruiting team delivers on all metrics. With their help, you can expect better candidate quality — all while reducing your costs per hire.
PROS
CONS

Having acquired Novotus and Accolo, two outstanding Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) companies in the last decade, Orion Talent has all the expertise and technology to handle your recruitment processes from A to Z. Upon evaluating your specific needs and challenges, Orion talent will devise and deploy a recruitment strategy, as well as provide recommendations on tech tools that will suit your needs.
The pricing of Orion Talent’s services and tech tools isn’t disclosed upfront. Contact their sales team to get a custom price quote.
Best For
Companies across different industries looking for a tech-enabled recruitment process outsourcing company.
ManpowerGroup is an expert in recruitment process design: it analyzes your process, then proposes and deploys improvements that’ll boost your recruitment’s efficiency and outcomes. The platform has been among the best RPO for clients and candidates across 80 countries for over 70 years.
PROS
- ManpowerGroup is one of the most seasoned RPO providers in the industry. The solution has been around for more than 70 years.
- ManpowerGroup provides contingent and permanent recruitment and workforce management solutions in over 75 countries.
- ManpowerGroup’s Expris focuses on supplying skilled IT professionals and project-based talent.
- ManpowerGroup’s end-to-end talent lifecycle solutions take care of sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing talent.
CONS
- Lacks transparent pricing information.
- Support is available via phone, ticketing, and office visit. No live chat or 24/7 customer support.
- Lacks online user reviews for reference.

ManpowerGroup is recognized by industry analysts as one of the best global Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) providers for leveraging data-driven insights, best-in-class technology, and in-house expertise to find, engage and deliver talent that accelerates business performance. The RPO is one of the most seasoned vendors in the market, with 70 years of experience providing contingent and permanent recruitment solutions for clients across 80 countries.
The pricing of ManpowerGroup’s services isn’t detailed on their website. Contact their sales team to get a custom price quote.
Best For
ManpowerGroup is best for medium to large-sized organizations looking for a seasoned RPO whose recruitment process design and in-house experts are the talk of the town.
AMS can tackle recruitment needs for both long-term and short-term workers. The solution also works across verticals, including Tech, Finance, and Retail, making it best for several purposes: entering new markets, closing talent gaps, scaling project teams, or optimizing hiring processes.
PROS
- Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS) provides a full-fledged recruitment service: scoping, sourcing, interviewing, contracting, and onboarding talent.
- AMS has a vast of solutions: Permanent hiring, contingent hiring, hourly hiring, talent advisory, and employer brand advisory.
- 32 AMS’s entities are located across the regions: from the US to Germany, Spain, China, Singapore, and India.
CONS
- Undisclosed pricing structure. You have to contact the Sales team for more details.
- Very little information regarding the product can be found.

Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS) takes on a business’ recruitment challenges and promises to put them at the leading edge of talent acquisition. With AMS, you’ll find candidates using up-to-the-minute sourcing methodologies as well as have access to innovative technology to help you streamline processes and save costs.
The pricing of Alexander Mann Solutions’ services and tech tools isn’t disclosed upfront because they tailor their offerings to each customer’s unique needs. Contact Alexander Mann Solutions’ sales team to learn more.
Best For
Alexander Mann Solutions is best for enterprises counting on an end-to-end recruitment process outsourcing solution to help them enter new markets, close short-term/long-term talent gaps, scale project teams, or optimize hiring processes.
Sevenstep tailor-makes their offerings to each of their clients’ needs. Their custom solutions together with their proprietary technology are guaranteed to deliver top talent.
PROS
CONS

Sevenstep designs and delivers end-to-end, as well as project-based Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions for both permanent and contingent hiring programs. Whether delivering across one country or several continents, Sevenstep’s RPO offerings transform recruitment processes and resources to deliver top talent with speed, efficiency, and insightful guidance.
The pricing of Sevenstep’s services and tech tools isn’t disclosed on their website. Contact Sevenstep’s sales team to get a price quote based on the needs of your business.
Best For
Sevenstep serves companies of different sizes in Health Care, Manufacturing, Tech, Retail, Financial Services, and more.
Korn Ferry is not only committed to bringing great new talent on board, but also to nurturing the talent you already have. They particularly focus on leadership development, which also complements their succession planning efforts.
PROS
CONS

Korn Ferry’s RPO division, Futurestep, aims to deliver sustainable growth by bringing together business, organization, and people strategies. They will work with you to develop your existing workforce as well as fill vacant positions throughout your company with the right talent.
The pricing of Korn Ferry’s RPO services and tech tools isn’t disclosed upfront. Contact their sales team to get a custom price quote.
Best For
Companies looking for an RPO partner with an emphasis on leadership development and succession planning.
Pierpoint is a particularly cost-effective RPO solution, potentially saving clients 40-50% of agency fees with 2x faster hiring.
PROS
CONS

Pierpoint International harnesses proven tactics and the latest innovations in Recruitment Process Outsourcing to recruit niche and hard-to-fill positions for companies in the Technology, Life Sciences, Healthcare, and Manufacturing industries.
- Intuit
- Univar Solutions
- Juniper Networks
- Chipotle
Pierpoint offers different RPO models, and pricing can vary depending on the recruiter's expertise. For more information, contact their talent expert to schedule a meeting.
Best For
Pierpoint best serves growth-focused businesses of different sizes in the med-tech, life sciences, technology, manufacturing, and consumer goods industries.
XOR is an AI recruiting solution that uses an all-encompassing HR chatbot to screen candidates, reach out to them using their preferred communication channel, evaluate their qualifications, and connect them to a recruiter through automated scheduling.
PROS
- XOR is highly rated for its ease of use, simple and clean interface, and excellent customer support.
- Besides XOR's database of over 1,000,000+ candidates, they also use AI digital marketing, virtual career fairs, and referral programs to attract and source the best talent for any role.
- According to users, XOR's automatic scheduler allows for seamless scheduling of interviews with screened candidates, saving recruiters significant time and effort.
CONS
- Unlike some recruitment software, XOR cannot be used as a candidate engagement solution to nurture candidates and create personalized multistage email sequences.
- At this point in time, XOR does not integrate with frequently used ATS solutions like Lever, BambooHR, ADP, and Workday.

XOR is a recruitment solution that helps SMEs, large enterprises, and staffing agencies hire blue-collar and hourly workers in the United States. Rooted in AI, XOR's HR chatbot attracts candidates through various channels, evaluates them through a series of questions, and then automatically fills recruiters' calendars with interviews with the best candidates. It is easy to set up, and you can start having the first interviews with qualified candidates in under 5 days. Feedback from recruiters is collected and used to improve screening quality.
Mosaic, MARS, Leprino Foods, IKEA, Manpower, Pursuit, and Sutter Health
XOR charges $500 per hire, with a minimum payment of $5,000 for 10 hires. If open positions remain unfilled for over 90 days, you get your money back. The timeline for the first interviews is between 2 and 5 business days. For more information, you can contact their sales team.
Best For
XOR can be used by SMEs, large enterprises, staffing agencies, and RPOs that are looking to scale their teams at speed while keeping costs low.
Use Cases: Why Use Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
There are a variety of reasons why companies engage RPO firms. For starters, RPO allows companies to use their internal resources for business-building activities (not for time-consuming tasks like writing job descriptions, sourcing and screening candidates, making offers and negotiating salaries, etc.). Other common use-cases include:
- Increase in hiring needs: If your company is growing and you know you’ll be hiring a lot of new employees over a period of time, RPO might make sense. RPO companies can help you build out new teams for product launches, location expansion, and more.
- Tapped internal resources: If your internal team is unable to keep up with growing hiring demand and it’s taking too long to hire the right candidates, you might want to consider RPO. Similarly, if your internal recruiting process just isn't working well, your resources might be better spent on outsourced recruiting.
- More accountability: RPO firms use data and analytics to help you make better, faster hires, build strong employer branding, and meet your goals at scale. As a strategic partner, they are motivated to succeed and reach your goals just as much as you are — and they provide metrics to show you what’s working and what’s not.
Considerations & Common Mistakes for RPO
It’s important to understand your hiring needs before outsourcing them. That way, you can tailor your search to a provider that is best suited to meet your needs — and you won’t be stuck paying for an RPO firm that isn’t delivering the right results. To ensure you make the right investment, consider the following variables:
- Employee status: First things first: Are you looking for permanent employees or temp workers? RPO partners only focus on the former, so if you need temp help, staffing agencies might make more sense.
- Firm size: RPO companies range in size from small to midsize to large. Here’s how they differ:
- Small RPO firms tend to be regionally focused and/or only focus on a few specialties or industries.
- Midsize RPO firms work regionally and nationally and cover a broader industry range.
- Large RPO firms recruit on a regional, national, and global scale for the broadest range of industries. What’s more, they’re typically owned by Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) and can help you with other human resource functions you might want to outsource.
- Scope of services: As we outlined in the previous section, RPO solutions range from full-service to project-based, to selective. Some will work within your company’s existing processes by identifying areas of improvement and owning their implementation/management. Others will come in and implement a brand new end-to-end solution. As you’re weighing your options, think about what you need and then discuss your needs with them to see how their services might be a good fit.
Benefits & ROI: How RPO Firms Can Help With Your Talent Acquisition & So Much More
Companies typically hire RPO firms to save time and money on recruiting. But that’s really just a fraction of the benefits you can reap. Here’s what to expect when you outsource your recruiting and retention efforts:
- Find better, more qualified candidates: Improve your talent pool by spending time only on the most qualified candidates. Plus, you’ll be able to build talent communities for niche and in-demand roles to source and engage qualified talent faster.
- Faster time-to-hire: With a more efficient recruiting funnel, you’ll not only find the best talent faster — you’ll be able to hire them faster too. This is because your RPO partner will create a better candidate experience, come up with a competitive offer based on their salary insights, and leverage your employer brand to show them why your company is a great place to work.
- Consistency in employer branding: Since RPO companies work as an extension of your HR team, they’ll act as representatives from your company and employer brand, not theirs. They’ll help evangelize your employer branding and company culture to attract and retain the best talent.
- Scalability: Leveraging market insights and talent analytics, RPO firms will build and manage a top-notch talent strategy for your company, ensuring it’s flexible enough to handle hiring needs of all kinds.
- Cost savings: You’ll likely see a reduction in your cost-per-hire since you’ll be able to hire better candidates faster.
- Better workforce: RPO firms approach recruiting with an eye on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
To see how all of this can actually improve your bottom line, check out our HR Tech ROI Calculators.
Pricing: What RPO Providers Cost
Pricing ultimately depends on your needs and the RPO solution you end up choosing. Typically, it is based on monthly fees, project fees, cost-per-hire fees, or a combination of the three. As you discuss your questions and needs with RPO providers, make sure to get a clear sense of how their pricing model works. Better yet, get a quote from them so you’ll know exactly how much their services will end up costing you.
Features: What You Can Expect From RPO Providers
RPO companies essentially become your recruiting department. But you don’t necessarily need to use them for an end-to-end approach if you’re only looking for help in a certain area of the recruiting process. In fact, there are a variety of RPO models that offer a different range of services. For example:
- End-to-end RPO: This full-service option handles all workforce recruitment activities for full-time employees. This includes everything from sourcing and screening candidates, to making offers and onboarding new hires, building talent communities, leveraging data insights and other metrics to make smart hiring decisions, build employer branding, and more.
- Project RPO: Project RPO is when you’d outsource an end-to-end approach for a single, specific project, but keep day-to-day hiring and recruiting in-house. For example, if you’re launching a new product or opening a new store, you could use RPO to hire for that only. Then for other one-off hires, you’d manage that internally as needed.
- Selective RPO: Selective RPO is when you outsource a specific part of the recruiting process. For example, you could just outsource the candidate sourcing and screening process if you’ve identified that as your least efficient in-house function.
Demo Questions: What to Ask RPO Firms About Their Recruiters, Sourcing, Staffing Experience & More
As you think about your hiring needs, you should also prepare a list of questions to ask the RPO companies you’re considering for your company’s recruitment. Here are some questions to ask:
- What methodology do you use to find qualified candidates and hire the best talent?
- What recruiting functions are included in your solution?
- When, if at all, will our internal hiring managers collaborate with your team?
- How do you typically approach onboarding?
- Are employee retention efforts included?
- How does your pricing model work?
Implementation: How to Get Started With Outsourced Recruitment Solutions
Onboarding an RPO solution isn’t going to happen overnight. Their reps will need to work closely with your hiring managers to ensure they are equipped to own your company’s entire recruiting process. Be prepared to spend some time with them upfront to get them up to speed, and understand that your relationship won’t be the “set it and forget it” kind. There will be ongoing collaboration as your company grows and your hiring needs change.
To find out exactly how long this process will take, ask ahead of time what they’ll need from you to get started, and what you can expect on an ongoing basis.
Next Steps for Your Recruitment Process Outsourcing
Business process outsourcing has been around for a while — especially for recruiting. RPO firms lean on their own innovative strategies to source, screen, engage, hire and onboard the best candidates — all so you can spend your internal resources on other productive business areas and build a high-performing company.
They’ll be your partners in talent strategy and use a combination of AI-powered recruitment technologies, proven talent marketing strategies, and smart employer branding efforts to help you build a scalable recruiting process and strong workforce.
If you’re not sure where to start, assess your existing recruiting practices to see if anything is stopping you from attracting and hiring top talent quickly. From there, you can work with RPO experts on a talent solution that works.
More Recruitment Buyer Guides
- Best Recruiting Software
- Best Free Recruiting Software
- Best Recruitment Automation Software
- Best Recruitment Marketing Agency
- Best Recruitment CRM Software
More AI Recruitment Related Articles
Looking for HR Tech Advice?
Join our community
Ask questions, share knowledge, find new job opportunities, network and more in our closed HR Tech Buyers Community
About Us

- Our goal at SSR is to help HR and recruiting teams to find and buy the right software for their needs.
- Our site is free to use as some vendors will pay us for web traffic.
- SSR lists all companies we feel are top vendors - not just those who pay us - in our comprehensive directories full of the advice needed to make the right purchase decision for your HR team.