COVID-19 has disrupted lives, jobs, and businesses. Some companies have had to do lay offs or furloughs while other organizations are desperate to hire as fast as they can. This pendulum shift in hiring has left many companies in a lurch.

They’ve had to pivot quickly to find a new path forward. The key now is to develop a hiring strategy that will serve you well not only during COVID-19, but also in any future circumstances that require rapid adjustments to your hiring plan.

Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) gives companies the flexibility and resilience to adapt, no matter what the current business climate throws at you.

Here is the guide to crisis-proofing your recruiting strategy with an RPO firm:

1. Create a flexible, scalable recruiting process.
Hiring needs can change rapidly, especially when the economy is volatile. The COVID-19 pandemic, has escalated needs in industries like healthcare and supply chain, while others have had to institute hiring freezes. You may find working with an RPO helps you ride out these changes by giving you the option to turn off recruiting if you have to put a hold on hiring or turn it back on if you need to fill positions quickly. When working with a RPO solutions partner, you can easily reallocate your focus from one department to another if, for example, you suddenly need to hire thousands of additional workers (or even just a few) to meet demand like Amazon and Kroger have.

2. Count the costs.
Outsourcing recruitment – some or all - can save you money both by costing less per hire up front and by finding the right fit for the job the first time, reducing  turnover and replacement costs. Unlike a full-time in-house recruiter, RPO engagements can offer variable pricing models that adjust based on your hiring volume. That means you won’t pay for services you don’t use. When hiring is low, costs are low.

3. Emphasize speed and quality of hire.
When hiring needs escalate, it’s important to fill those positions fast without sacrificing quality of talent. According to the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association, working with an RPO company could reduce your time-to-hire by 25% or more. And those new hires will be well-qualified employees chosen for both credentials and cultural fit, which translates into a higher retention rate over time.

4. Consider transitional types of hires.
If your hiring strategy is thrown a curve ball, you may need to quickly alter the focus of your recruiting. For example, you may need to hire more contingent labor and fewer full-time employees. Working with an RPO firm can help you make those changes quickly and without disruption to your organization. An RPO firm can also source candidates for all types of hires quickly and efficiently, leveraging strategies like passive candidate pipelines and other tactics.

5. Continue prioritizing diversity recruiting.
When recruiting needs ramp up quickly, maintaining a focus on diversity is still critical. Partnering with an RPO firm can give you access to a much broader network of sources so you can continue to seek out qualified diversity candidates. Diverse companies experience better financial results, higher engagement, and stronger innovation. Even more importantly, prioritizing diversity in the workplace from the top down sets the tone for your culture.  For example, RPO providers can help you with diversity sourcing, talent pipelining, campus recruiting, employer branding, market insights, and other strategies designed to engage and recruit diversity candidates.

6. Tap into technology resources.
Many companies worry about how much it will cost to invest in technology to support a recruiting strategy, especially when recruiting needs shift. This is another area where RPO firms can help by including all the necessary technology for recruitment marketing, sourcing, screening, interviewing, and other recruiting functions as part of your engagement. When you get access to best-in-class technology, you won’t need to maintain separate, costly contracts.

7. Utilize all recruiting channels.
To avoid feeling the pressure in a recruiting crisis, make sure you utilize all available sourcing channels to find the best talent for you. That includes traditional channels like industry job boards, job fairs, and associations, as well as alternative sourcing avenues such as veterans’ associations, complementary industry resources, social media, passive candidate recruiting, and networking. When you elect to work with an RPO company, they’ll already be actively sourcing from all channels and you’ll likely find the best talent quickly and effectively.

8. Embrace remote working and recruiting.
Remote work has become essential faster than many companies planned. And it’s not going anywhere, even after the crisis conditions of COVID-19 have passed. Many companies (like Twitter and Shopify) are currently transitioning portions of their employees to a permanent remote workforce. If you are considering this change for your company, you’ll need a remote hiring and virtual training strategy for sourcing, screening, hiring, and onboarding employees virtually. RPO firms provide many of the resources companies and best practices needed to transition to remote work and recruiting.

The final step in crisis-proofing your recruitment and hiring strategy is to work with a partner you trust. Recruiting firms need to work within your parameters, and give as much or as little hiring support as you need. They need to help you accomplish all of the above goals with flexible, scalable recruiting solutions designed for your unique situation.

Whether you’re managing an increased demand for workers due to COVID-19, pausing your hiring initiatives for the present, or planning ahead for the future, an RPO firm and a revised hiring strategy gives you an advantage you need to weather the storm.