The RPOA Conference is the ultimate gathering for top RPO executives and service delivery leaders, advisors and technology innovators. It’s a chance to engage with a community of industry peers looking to stay ahead of the curve with the latest trends, insights, and best practices in recruitment process outsourcing. 

The 3rd Annual Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA) Conference in Chicago on October 6th was a resounding success, bringing together leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of RPO amidst recessionary headwinds, stubborn inflation, and higher interest rates. Over the past two years, RPO business executives have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of these challenges. 

A Community of Peers Driving the Industry Forward 

As an RPOA advisory board member for the past six years, my “why” has always been about contributing to the growth and evolution of the RPO industry with remarkable business leaders and entrepreneurs. Yes, we’re fierce competitors on the playing field, but we look out for and learn from each other in this trusted industry community and association. It’s an invaluable platform to test ideas, talk shop, and benchmark, “Am I crazy or are you experiencing this too?” with my peers. The slowdown in hiring among customers has pushed companies to rethink their strategies, prioritizing cost reduction and efficiency. This shift is particularly noticeable in the RPO sector, where buyers are scrutinizing the value proposition more closely as they seek to cut costs. 

This year’s conference, the best so far, reaffirmed the importance of our work at the RPOA. Despite the downturn in hiring in 2024, the conference’s energy and optimism demonstrated that there is still significant upside for private equity investment and returns in 2025.  

Listening to their strategies and the path forward was inspiring – leveraging M&A to gain scale and competitive advantage, integrating AI, and building RPO delivery capabilities into new industries, were a testament to the industry’s adaptability. The value of RPO and its solutions are evolving, and so is the way we need to adapt. The five value drivers of RPO solutions have typically been: 

• Better 
• Cheaper 
• Faster  
• Scale 
• Risk Management 

The Imperative to Innovate 

Innovation was a common thread throughout the conference. Speakers and delivery leaders emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to stay competitive and scale. Kevin Wheeler’s session, “The Impact of AI on Recruiting,” explored how AI is transforming recruitment processes, and professing it could take out 80% of the manual work over the next five years by delivering better candidates faster and with less bureaucracy. He also discussed the implications of recent regulations, such as the EU AI Act, and the use of AI in recruitment.  

However, Wheeler noted a risk aversion from Fortune 1000 HR and Legal departments to invest and deploy in AI strategies, contrasting with the more innovative and less conservative approaches of small to midmarket organizations with less constraints. These smaller firms, driven by thinking differently, and the need to compete, are more likely to embrace AI and integrate into their talent acquisition function. 

The conference also highlighted the importance of having an agile tech stack. As technology continues to accelerate, RPO providers must stay ahead of the curve. A “set it and forget it” approach for your tech stack is no longer viable; continuous tinkering and adaptation are necessary to meet the changing needs of customers. The M&A panel shared advice on growing your RPO to sell it and defining a clear exit strategy now, will help to sharpen the business focus and ensure long-term success. RPO providers must identify where they succeed and why, moving away from a generalist, scrappy RPO provider to a more specialized, with deeper industry or functional expertise to deliver the desired outcomes for their customers and operating margins for their business. 

 

Defining and Delivering Value in Challenging Times 

The value proposition of RPO services was another critical focus. Maria Scarangella’s keynote, “A Proven Cost Analysis Model Every Talent Leader Needs in their Toolbelt,” provided attendees with practical tools to evaluate and optimize their talent strategies. Her insights into cost savings and efficiency improvements resonated with many, highlighting the need for data-driven decision-making in justifying investments in talent acquisition, outsourcing, or process enhancements.  

Based on the 2024 RPOA research report, buyers are very focused on taking costs out, while the value proposition of RPO is shifting. Scarangella’s presentation revealed that 95% of CEOs fear (PwC’s Global Risk Survey 2023) that their organizations are not innovating at a pace necessary to be competitive, and current cost pressures and risk avoidance challenges may hold innovation back.   

Insights and Trends: Shaping the Future of RPO 

Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research and Advisory, shared the latest RPO trends research project, commissioned by the RPOA. His insights highlighted changes in RPO engagements, buyer considerations, and the evolving value of RPO and its ROI.  

Additionally, the legendary Kim Davis led an informative 90-minute interactive educational seminar on how to establish a profitable RPO practice for new entrants into the industry and business development. He covered a wide range of topics, including RPO service delivery structures, deal models, technology stacks, SLAs and OSLs, and ROI calculations. 

The iCoCo onstage forum enabled companies such as Gino Rooney from Classet, Zach Friedman Comrise, and Raleen Gagnon from TalentEdge AI companies to showcase their dazzling solutions. Many RPO leaders were scheduling follow up demos shortly after the conference, including our company, Broadleaf Results.  

Conclusion: A Bright Future for RPO 

Despite significant economic challenges, RPO executives have shown remarkable adaptability and a commitment to delivering value. The themes of innovation, value, and exit strategies were woven throughout the conference, providing attendees with valuable insights and practical tools to navigate the evolving landscape. As we look to the future, it is clear that the RPO industry will continue to play a crucial role in talent acquisition and helping companies scale to find and retain top talent, even in the face of economic uncertainty, and eventually growth. 

To learn more about the benefits of RPO, read our E-Book – Navigating RPO: A Roadmap to Recruitment Process Outsourcing. 

This blog was authored by Jason Krumwiede.