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Hiring the right people is still essential, even when budgets are under pressure. On paper, doing everything in-house can look like the cheaper option. But the visible costs only tell part of the story. In the United States, for example, the average cost per hire is $4,683, based on SHRM’s 2024 benchmarking. That figure includes job ads and a few tools, but barely touches the time involved. It doesn’t reflect the delays or the drop in productivity when key roles remain unfilled.
This piece takes a clearer look at the actual cost of hiring and shows how a well-run recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) programme can help. It improves both quality and cost-efficiency, while giving HR and talent acquisition (TA) more consistent results.
Recruiting “for free” is rarely free. Costs are scattered across budgets and across weeks of effort. Job ads and media spend are easy to spot. But what about recruiter salaries charged to other departments, or the hours hiring managers spend reviewing CVs? ATS licences often come with expensive add-ons, not to mention the ongoing training needed to use them properly. Then there are the drawn-out interview loops, delayed feedback and strong candidates who quietly drop out. Every delay adds to the vacancy cost and raises the risk you’ll need to backfill the role later.
Checks and admin slow things down even more. Verifying someone’s right to work, running background checks, keeping audit trails, handling data—it doesn’t seem like much on its own, but it all takes time and energy. And when hiring suddenly ramps up, internal teams can quickly get overwhelmed. That’s when things start slipping through the cracks. Budgets go off track. Candidates have a worse experience.
A good RPO partner helps smooth all that out. Instead of scrambling to meet demand, you get a steady rhythm and a clear plan. You know what’s included, and you can hold the service to account. That means faster hiring, less wasted effort and a better handle on costs.
You get stronger hires when the right people are focused on the right tasks, and when there’s a clear, consistent way of doing things. In an RPO setup, dedicated sourcers stay active even when you’re not hiring at volume. They build talent pools and reach people who aren’t browsing job boards but might be open to a move.
The process runs with fewer gaps. Everyone involved knows what’s expected and when. Candidates get a more straightforward, streamlined experience. And the data doesn’t just sit in a dashboard. It’s used to refine things as you go—spotting drop-offs, tracking how long feedback takes and adjusting where needed.
The result? More accepted offers. Better first weeks. Fewer early exits.
As Mike Daley, PageGroup’s Global Director of Technology, puts it:
The true measure of recruitment success is the quality of talent you’re bringing in. If you’re attracting better talent than your peers, the costs will take care of themselves. It’s about creating remarkable experiences that set you apart in a competitive market.
Outsourcing isn’t a trade-off between cost and quality. With the right partner, you get both. Lars Fischer, Senior Director of Business Development at Page Outsourcing, puts it this way:
The benefits go beyond being cheaper than an in-house solution. While cost per hire is an important benchmark, we bring additional benefits through our marketing reach, best practices and efficiency improvements that clients can’t achieve internally.
RPO is built to adapt. It scales without adding to your permanent headcount and helps speed up the hiring process. Costs become easier to plan for. With less friction and fewer bottlenecks, more of the budget goes directly into results. Meanwhile, your internal team stays focused on culture and long-term planning, while the RPO team takes care of the high-volume, repeatable work.
A few Page Outsourcing success stories show how an RPO programme performs in different conditions. Each solution balances speed with control without adding fixed headcount.
If your current model struggles to show predictability and quality, run this simple check:
Read more about how RPO can drive down costs and boost hire quality in our Guide for First-Time RPO Buyers.
You’ve done the audit, and perhaps some of the pain points mentioned above apply to you. The next step is straightforward: talk to our team.
We help employers streamline recruitment, tackle hiring bottlenecks and strengthen talent acquisition strategy. Whether you need an RPO, MSP or Total Talent solution, support for high‑volume campaigns or focused consultancy, we’ll tailor the approach to your business and industry.
Ready to see your options? Contact Page Outsourcing today.
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