Contingent RPO is a phrase that has been appearing a lot over the past few years, especially within HR and procurement circles. Though the name may at first seem confusing (RPO traditionally being the preserve of permanent workforce solutions), put simply, contingent RPO takes all the benefits of the best permanent RPO solutions (such as employer branding, EVP, technology implementation and direct sourcing teams) and implements them within a contingent MSP programme.

Like all our RPO solutions, contingent RPO acts as an extension of your talent acquisition department, giving you better quality hires at lower cost. The difference is that contingent RPO focuses the power of tried and true RPO models on your contingent workforce needs.

A Contingent RPO solution is built strategically around a business’ unique contingent talent needs. Because of this, an organisation is able to form a strong partnership with its workforce solutions provider, enabling it to attract new talent and reorganise and engage existing talent pools (such as retirees, alumni and referrals) – improving time-to-hire and intensifying cost-savings.

Contingent workers (whether contractors, temps or gig workers) have raised expectations. The labour market is experiencing record-low unemployment, technical skill-sets are increasingly difficult to hire, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution is almost upon us. In response, ensuring that contingent talent feels valued and well managed is more crucial than ever – especially is businesses want to remain competitive.

Contingent RPO is best suited to high-demand skillsets, at significant scale. If you need a high number of contingent digital transformation specialists, for example, then a Contingent RPO makes a great deal of sense. At this end of the market, talented workers know they have alternatives, and a strong EVP, employer brand, recruitment marketing and onboarding process could be the difference between the best talent choosing your business, and your competitor who uses a traditional MSP approach.