UK recruiters spend over half their working day on non-core activities

according to recent study

A resent study* has revealed that the majority of recruiters spend in excess of 60 per cent of their working day on duties which can be considered ënon-coreí to their business. What this means is, simply by redressing the balance between core and non-core business activities, these companies can realise substantial productivity gains, and, in some cases, almost double their efficiency.

Born in the USA
Led by companies such as GE, American Express, Sears, Equifax, and AIG Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) began with US companies who were quick to see the cost-benefit opportunities of outsourcing business processes/functions overseas, typically to India.

While the trend began in the financial sector, it wasnít long before the US recruitment industry picked up on the trend, reaping the considerable benefits offered by a low-cost, highly trained workforce.

Offshore Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is now available to recruiters in the UK. Essentially, this means that companies can realise immediate and considerable productivity gains simply by outsourcing those recruitment processes that are non-core to their business, allowing them more time to focus on business ëmotorsí, i.e. those activities that really drive the business.

Core vs non-core
Interviewing a candidate, meeting a client or a line manager, prospecting for new business are all activities which are considered to be core, i.e., activities or functions within the recruitment process that are communication-based and critical for effective recruitment.

Other activities - such as CV screening, CV database searching, CV processing, data processing, Internet research etc ñ are considered to be non-core, in that they are process-based. These are precisely the activities that RPOs can handle for your business ñ and whatís so good about it, is that they can do so at a fraction of the costs youíd expect to pay at home.

Cost savings
Many of the offshore RPO companies based in India charge less than UK minimum wage to carry out UK CV screening, searching UK online CV database, searching the internet for passive candidates, data mining, data processing and other non-core recruitment processes.

OS2i
The worldís leading offshore RPO Company is called OS2i. They have been building business partnerships and helping readdress time and motion inefficiencies with recruitment firms since 2001.

All OS2i researchers have had a minimum of four yearsí recruitment experience and receive ongoing training in the very latest technological advancements. One of the key factors in the companyís success is that the research centre in Pune, India, is managed by an experienced UK and US workforce, thereby guaranteeing Western recruiters a team that understands their precise market needs.

Boost your productivity
Take a look around your office and try to identify whether your team is spending its time most effectively. Ask yourself whether you could benefit from outsourcing any non-core activities, allowing your company to concentrate on the business drivers that really count?

Source: Time and Motion Study into the Working Practices of Recruitment Companies (2003). Study conducted by OS2i.