Unlocking Talent: How RPO is Transforming Recruitment in New Zealand

In a competitive labour market, businesses across New Zealand are under increasing pressure to find, attract, and retain the right people – quickly and cost-effectively. The challenge is no longer just about filling roles, but about building a sustainable talent pipeline that supports long-term business growth.

That’s where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) steps in. More than just a recruitment service, RPO is a strategic solution that enables companies to outsource part or all of their hiring function to an expert partner. When delivered by a global workforce leader like Adecco, RPO becomes a powerful tool for improving hiring outcomes, streamlining recruitment processes, and navigating change with confidence.

What is RPO and Why Does it Matter?

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is more than a hiring shortcut. It’s a strategic solution where a business transfers all or part of its recruitment process to an external expert. Unlike traditional recruitment services, RPO providers like Adecco act as an extension of your HR team – managing everything from candidate sourcing and screening to onboarding and workforce planning.

By partnering with a trusted provider like Adecco New Zealand, businesses gain the benefit of local market knowledge backed by global expertise across more than 60 countries. We offer RPO services as well as traditional recruitment services, whatever your business needs, we can deliver.

Learn more about how RPO works

The Key Benefits of RPO

1. Improved Efficiency and Cost Savings

RPO helps reduce time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and reliance on internal resources. Adecco’s scalable model ensures you only pay for what you need – eliminating inefficiencies while maintaining quality.

Explore how RPO saves businesses money

2. Faster Hiring, Better Talent

Through our advanced tools and extensive talent network, we reduce delays in the hiring process – helping you secure high-quality candidates before your competitors.

3. Workforce Agility

Whether you’re scaling up for seasonal demand or navigating a hiring pause, Adecco’s RPO solution can adapt in real-time, giving you flexibility without the administrative burden.

4. Access to Global Expertise and Innovation

With access to Adecco’s global resources – including AI-enabled sourcing, leading ATS platforms, and decades of workforce experience – our RPO clients benefit from innovation that’s already tested worldwide.

5. Compliance and Risk Reduction

Hiring in New Zealand requires careful compliance with employment law and visa requirements. Adecco ensures your hiring is legally compliant and risk-free, drawing on both our local expertise and international standards.

Case Study: Real World Challenges

In 2022, one of Adecco’s retail clients faced a range of workforce challenges that mirrored the broader pressures across the sector. The business needed to recruit Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) – temporary staff with the potential to transition from retail into office-based environments.

Adecco responded swiftly, running a targeted campaign that attracted over 120 applicants, resulting in 12 successful placements within a three-week lead time. We facilitated on-site assessment centres in partnership with the client to ensure alignment and quality at every stage. All roles were filled, candidate engagement remained high, and the project was delivered on time.

Notably, four temporary staff members transitioned to permanent full-time roles, demonstrating the calibre and suitability of talent placed. The client provided overwhelmingly positive feedback and has since rebooked Adecco for the further seasonal intakes.

Challenges Faced:

• Labour shortages across New Zealand disrupted in-store staffing levels due to COVID-19 and international border closures.
• High staff turnover, particularly in casual and part-time positions, drove repeated recruitment cycles and onboarding costs.
• Seasonal workforce spikes required rapid large-scale hiring during peak periods such as picking season, holidays and summer sales promotions.
• Specialist talent needs arose as our client invested in omnichannel retail and digital customer experiences.
• Inconsistent recruitment practices across locations impacted the quality of hires and candidate experience.

How Adecco’s RPO Solution Can Help:

• Centralised recruitment systems ensure consistent hiring standards across all store locations.
• Scalable recruitment support helps meet seasonal hiring surges without overwhelming internal HR.
• Dedicated sourcing for digital and in-store talent, tapping into national talent pools and passive candidates.
• Improved candidate experience and employer branding, positioning clients of Adecco as an employer of choice.

By leveraging RPO through Adecco, our client could streamline its workforce planning, reduce time-to-hire, and create more stable staffing outcomes for both urban and regional store locations.

Visit adecco.co.nz to find your next opportunity or explore more resources via our News & Resources hub.