How is recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) different from body leasing?

Purpose and object of the service

The main objective of RPO is to optimize and streamline the process of recruiting permanent employees for the client, to improve the quality of the people hired, to reduce recruitment time and potentially reduce the cost of the process. The object of the service is to manage the recruitment process itself. The purpose of body leasing is to quickly and flexibly provide the client with the needed IT competencies for a specific period of time, without the need for permanent hiring. The object of the service is to “rent” the work of specific specialists.

The form of employment of the acquired persons

This is a key difference. In the RPO model, the result of the supplier’s work is that the candidate is hired on a permanent basis (on a contract of employment) directly by the client company. The RPO provider does not hire these individuals. In the body leasing model, the specialists do not become employees of the client. They remain contractually bound to the body leasing provider (or operate on a B2B basis) and are only temporarily “hired” to work for the client.

Accountability and commitment model

The RPO provider takes responsibility for the efficiency and results of the recruitment process according to established indicators (e.g., time to hire, quality of candidates). It works in close cooperation with the client’s HR department and managers. The body leasing provider is mainly responsible for providing a specialist with the agreed competencies and ensuring continuity of service. The day-to-day management of the specialist’s work lies with the client.

Time perspective

RPO is typically a long-term solution to strategically improve an organization’s recruitment function. Body leasing is often used as a more tactical solution, addressing current, often temporary project needs or competency gaps.

When to choose RPO and when to choose body leasing?

A company should consider RPO if it wants to streamline and professionalize its internal permanent staffing processes, has large recruitment volumes, or wants to focus its internal HR on other strategic tasks. Body leasing is appropriate when a company needs flexibility, quick access to IT professionals for a limited period of time, wants to avoid increasing permanent headcount, or needs competencies it does not plan to develop internally on a permanent basis.

Summary

RPO and body leasing are two different solutions that address different talent acquisition needs of companies. RPO focuses on streamlining the recruitment of permanent employees for the client, while body leasing provides flexible access to the competencies of IT professionals on a temporary rental basis. The choice between the two depends on a company’s strategic goals and the nature of its staffing needs.