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Comparing Full, Blended, and Project-Based RPO Models
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) offers premium recruitment services to organizations that lack in-house recruitment teams or need to enhance existing ones. Due to differences in hiring needs, RPO has evolved into several models to suit varying business needs: Full, Blended, and Project-Based. Understanding the differences between full, blended, and project-based RPO can help organizations choose the best approach for their talent acquisition challenges.
P.S. Need hourly or project-based core RPO services like candidate sourcing, recruiting research, candidate pipeline building, organizational chart building, and competitive intelligence? We do all that at Corporate Navigators.
What is Full RPO?
Full RPO, also known as fully-outsourced RPO or end-to-end RPO, is when an external provider manages the entire recruitment lifecycle for a company. This includes everything from sourcing and screening candidates to onboarding and employer branding. This option is popular with companies that don’t have a recruitment and marketing team, or any company that simply needs to fully focus on other operations while balancing the need to actively recruit talent. In Full RPO, you can expect:
- The RPO provider acts as an extension of your internal HR team, handling all recruitment functions.
- You to pay an annual management fee while the RPO team continually recruits for a set number of positions.
Overall, full RPO is ideal for organizations seeking a long-term, strategic partnership to improve hiring quality, scalability, and efficiency. It provides access to advanced recruitment technology and a team of experienced professionals, often resulting in better hires and streamlined processes.
Project-Based RPO
Project-based RPO is a short-term, specialized RPO solution designed to achieve specific hiring initiatives, such as launching a new product, opening a new location, or managing seasonal hiring spikes. This is a tactical engagement in which the RPO provider handles all or part of the talent acquisition for the duration of the project, with flexibility to scale and potentially transition into a longer-term partnership. Here are some other key differentiators:
- Project RPO is highly customizable and cost-effective, as companies only pay for services when needed. This is reminiscent of our hourly service model for all core recruitment services like candidate sourcing and more.
- It can involve partial or end-to-end recruitment services for a defined project or period, often with rapid deployment and a focus on speed and scalability. It’s important to note that RPO firms can offer end-to-end support while recruiting research firms can offer core recruitment services.
A project-based model is ideal for urgent, high-volume hiring needs or when testing the benefits of RPO before committing to a longer-term partnership. It can also serve as a stepping stone to a full RPO engagement if ongoing needs become simpler to solve with a long-term, full-time recruitment partner.
What is Blended RPO?
Blended RPO happens when you outsource only certain parts of the recruitment process to an external provider while retaining control over other aspects. This selective outsourcing allows you to focus on challenging or time-consuming recruitment tasks while maintaining oversight and involvement in other areas. For example, if you want to handle the job posting, onboarding, and interview process, but need a recruiting research firm to identify qualified candidates to call. Here are some key components of blended RPO:
- A monthly management fee to retain a core recruitment team, plus additional pay-for-performance fees based on hiring outcomes.
- This model offers flexibility: during periods of low hiring, the core team remains in place, ensuring continuity and readiness for future surges.
- When hiring needs increase, the provider can scale up resources quickly, supported by performance-based incentives.
Blended RPO is particularly useful during economic fluctuations, as it balances financial stability for the provider and consistent service for the employer.
Let’s Compare RPO Models!
| Model | Scope | Duration | Payment Structure | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full RPO | End-to-end recruitment | Ongoing | Annual/regular management fee | Long-term, strategic hiring needs |
| Blended RPO | Core + scalable hiring | Ongoing | Monthly fee + performance fees | Consistency with flexibility for surges |
| Project-Based RPO | Defined projects | Short-term | Project-based or hourly | High-volume, urgent, or specialized hiring |
How Recruiting Research Firms Provide Project-Based and Hourly RPO Services
Recruiting research firms like Corporate Navigators have adapted to the demand for flexible recruitment solutions by offering both project-based and hourly RPO services. This gives companies another great choice to handle core recruitment tasks that is especially suited for short-term or budget-conscious projects.
Project-Based RPO: Best reflected in our Full-Service Contract Plans, project-based RPO is suited for time-bound projects. Acting as an extension of your HR team, you receive dedicated recruiters, technology, and processes to meet urgent hiring goals. This approach is ideal for organizations facing sudden growth, seasonal hiring spikes, or unique projects requiring specialized talent.
Hourly RPO Services: Sometimes you just need on-demand recruiting support. When needs fluctuate or are inconsistent, paying for services by the hour offers maximum value without getting locked into an expensive contract.
This is particularly useful for businesses needing temporary or part-time recruitment assistance, or when internal teams are stretched thin. Hourly RPO services provide immediate access to experienced recruiters without long-term commitments, allowing companies to scale support up or down as hiring needs change.
These flexible models allow organizations to:
- Manage recruitment costs more effectively.
- Access expert recruiters and advanced technology on demand.
- Maintain agility in response to market changes or internal project demands.
- Not expend energy training recruiters internally when hiring needs are urgent.
If you want the benefits of RPO services but still want to have your hands on certain parts of the process, then hiring a recruiting research firm is a wonderful option. Recruiting research firms play a crucial role in delivering tailored RPO solutions, whether for a defined project or on an hourly basis, helping businesses like yours achieve hiring goals efficiently and cost-effectively.
Summary: Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) provides organizations with external recruitment expertise, offering flexible solutions tailored to different hiring needs. The three main RPO models are Full, Blended (Hybrid), and Project-Based. Full RPO, also known as end-to-end or enterprise RPO, involves outsourcing the entire recruitment process—from sourcing to onboarding—making it ideal for companies seeking a long-term, strategic partnership and comprehensive support, often with a fixed management fee.
Blended RPO Services allows companies to outsource only specific parts of recruitment while retaining control over others, offering flexibility and cost management, and is well-suited for organizations with fluctuating hiring needs or those seeking a balance between in-house and external expertise.
Project-Based RPO Services, sometimes called on-demand RPO, is a short-term, tactical solution focused on specific hiring initiatives or periods, such as new product launches or seasonal spikes; it is highly customizable, cost-effective, and ideal for urgent or high-volume hiring needs.
Recruiting research firms often provide both project-based and hourly RPO services, enabling businesses to access expert recruiters and advanced technology on demand, manage costs, and remain agile without long-term commitments. This flexibility helps organizations efficiently address both immediate and ongoing talent acquisition challenges.
Recruiting Research Services with Corporate Navigators
Corporate Navigators offers specialized recruiting research services designed to help talent acquisition teams and executive search firms quickly identify and engage qualified candidates. With nearly 25 years of experience, we provide customized name generation research, delivering detailed candidate contact lists—including titles, reporting structures, direct phone numbers, emails, and LinkedIn profiles—typically within two business days.
Our telephone-based research approach ensures up-to-date and verified information beyond what’s available online. In addition to candidate sourcing, Corporate Navigators develops organizational charts to clarify company hierarchies and offers candidate screening services to build pipelines of interested prospects. Also, our flexible service options, including full-service contract plans and hourly or project-based engagements, allow companies to efficiently streamline recruiting efforts, manage costs, and gain valuable competitive intelligence. This makes us a trusted partner for organizations seeking timely, targeted, and cost-effective recruitment research solutions.
