Onboarding: Critical to RPO and MSP Programmes

On-boarding new hires as part of your RPO or MSP service increases retention and ensures they make a fast start.

Get them excited to join the team

Handled correctly, onboarding makes people excited to join your team. And that’s one of the key reasons why organisations outsource recruitment activities to an RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) provider or MSP (Managed Services Provider).

RPO and MSP services do not stop when a quality employee or contractor accepts an offer, or even when they walk through the door and start work. Otherwise they would be likely to walk straight back out the door and find another employer!

Without proper onboarding, even the most successful companies can experience unacceptable levels of staff attrition.

Quite simply, a well thought-through onboarding programme makes for happier and more motivated employees – and therefore more satisfied employers. Giving new starters a warm welcome and minimising the administrative hassle also provides a unique opportunity for you to project your brand values, which will enhance your reputation as an employer of choice.

However, current employees usually do not feel that they have time to onboard new hires, while managers who have typically been at the company for a while are generally unaware of what new hires know and don’t know.

The positive impact a good RPO or MSP programme can have

A good RPO or MSP programme will not only communicate key processes to new starters, but also the client company’s values and 'vibe'. Each onboarding process therefore has to be customised to the client, down to the last detail, based on discussions with in-house HR and TA professionals (if available) and the relevant hiring departments. It also needs to be flexible, i.e. adaptable according to the specific role and the individual hire.

In the case of an MSP programme, parts of the onboarding process relate specifically to the MSP itself and other parts to the client. A rigorous process is essential in both areas for efficient and speedy onboarding of contract and temporary staff.

Aspects of a best-in-class onboarding process can include, but are by no means limited to:

• Managing and coordinating the administration of all temporary placements and extensions.
• Liaising with the client if additional information is required to process the placement.
• Review of current onboarding materials (e.g. PowerPoint presentations, videos etc.) and providing constructive feedback on these.
• Creation of new employee branding and learning materials (if applicable).
• Proactively briefing the contractor on client company culture, management structure, expectations for the specific role etc.
• Providing a single point of contact for all queries from temps/contractors relating to onboarding issues.
• Handling subsequent queries through the duration of their assignments.
• Liaising with candidates/starters to ensure they return all necessary compliance forms in a timely fashion.
• Providing new starters with information on the use of systems and processes such as the submission or uploading of time sheets.
• Configuring e-mail accounts, password administration etc.
• Uploading of any required documentation to the client’s systems (if applicable).

Onboarding suppliers

MSP programmes often involve the management of one or more recruitment agencies, so that the end client only has to deal with a single point of contact. Supplier onboarding essentially involves ensuring that suppliers meet the agreed quality standards, pricing and other commercial parameters.

At Morgan McKinley Talent Solutions, any supplier that we consider must complete a supplier profile form. Their information is then verified by our Supplier Management team and Compliance department before they can qualify to join the MSP programme.

Once accepted into the programme, supplier orientation is conducted using a supplier engagement process developed by our team and all supplier staff are trained on the programme’s business rules, KPIs and service level agreements. Thereafter, we hold regular checks to ensure that the agreed standards are being adhered to.

Both employee onboarding and supplier onboarding require a firm grasp of both the strategic big picture and the finer details.