Hiring/RPO

Outdated Hiring Practices Are Costing You – Here’s How to Fix It

Best hiring practices, industry trends, and recruitment solutions for your business. More companies are realizing that outdated hiring strategies are costing them time, money, and top talent. The passive approach of posting a job and waiting for applicants is no longer yielding desired results for long-term organizational growth. Fortunately, more purposeful and strategic solutions (like working with a team of expert talent strategists) are emerging and producing the qualified candidates companies need. In this article, we’ll explore best practices, industry and hiring trends, and how to choose the best recruitment solutions for your business.

Best Practices for Building Winning Teams

Leverage Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

We’re starting with Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) because it outperforms all other recruitment strategies. It’s more than “hiring” – it looks at how employees fit, at your overall strategic goals, and long-term plans for each hire. An RPO partner also expands, maintains, and monitors the available talent pool, so you have access to more high-caliber candidates when you need them. Here are some of the benefits:

Firms with RPO partner were 2x more likely to increase revenue than those without RPO partner (source: Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association)
Companies using RPO partner services are 40% more likely to establish an effective talent pipeline for their open positions (source: EG)
97% of employers say having a trusted RPO partner allows them to focus on other business-critical priorities (source: Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association)

“Recruiting in today’s talent market takes strategy and innovation. It’s harder to hire qualified candidates, and if your organization doesn’t have a dedicated recruitment strategy, you risk spending time and resources without proven ROI.” – Erika Scanlin, EG President and Talent Strategist (full post)

RPO is attractive because it’s highly customizable – you can structure (and price) the relationship to suit your current needs, and rework the relationship as your requirements change.

Use Data-Driven Hiring and Retention Strategies

By leveraging analytics, companies can identify hiring trends and track key metrics like time-to-fill, employee engagement, and retention rates to refine recruitment processes and improve workplace satisfaction. Aside from hiring the right people, reducing turnover is a critical piece of the workforce success puzzle. It begins with evaluating the onboarding and training experience, identifying areas of improvement, and revamping processes. By increasing employee satisfaction, companies experience decreased costs associated with turnover and HR departments can focus on strategic business demands, instead of constant training and onboarding.

Increase Your Employee Value Proposition

There are two types of employee value proposition – traditional and non-traditional. Traditional is all about the title, career paths, compensation, benefits, great leadership, and the overall prestige of the company. Non-traditional highlights your commitment to the individual, including mental health benefits, strong company culture, and different forms of career progression. When recruiting new employees, your approach should be creative and hyper-personalized so your team feels valued and appreciated from the time they apply through their tenure with the company.

Top Hiring & Industry Trends for 2025 and Beyond

Growing Need for Tech Talent

The demand for skilled professionals in computer and mathematical occupations will continue to surge through 2033, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sector is projected to grow by 12.9% – the second-fastest rate among all occupational groups. This expansion is driven by several key factors:

Increasing need for enhanced computing services
Rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions
Growing volume of data requiring sophisticated analysis

Additionally, rising cybersecurity threats and attacks on U.S. businesses are fueling a heightened demand for information security analysts.

Skills-Based Hiring Over Degrees

More companies are moving beyond degree requirements and prioritizing candidates with relevant skills, certifications, and hands-on experience. By expanding the talent pool, companies will find candidates who bring fresh perspective to their teams. There is also an emphasis on transferable skills – for example, the ability to clearly communicate ideas to others, solve unexpected problems, or work well in a team. Workers with these skills can be used in various parts of the company and within multiple industries, so they’re better equipped to adapt to changing conditions.

Refined Focus on Employer Branding

A company’s employer brand is its most valuable recruitment tool – and we expect more organizations will refine their focus on developing their reputation in the market. A strong, well-maintained employer brand has multiple benefits and sets your company apart from competitors.

43% decrease in cost-per-hire in companies with strong employer brand
69% of candidates likely apply to a company that actively manages their employer brand
84% of employees consider leaving their current jobs if another company has a better reputation

“A strong employer brand not only attracts more qualified applicants but also increases retention rates and employee engagement.” – Erika Scanlin, EG President and Talent Strategist (full post)

Choosing the Right Recruitment Solution

Once you decide you need EGs help improving your recruitment processes and candidate reach, it can be overwhelming figuring out which solution would work best for your organization. The good news – you don’t have to do it alone. At EG, our team of experienced Talent Strategists is ready to create a customized recruitment program that fits exactly what you need today – and has the expertise and flexibility to continue meeting your needs tomorrow. Meet the solutions:

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

EG RPO gives your company a team of experts who design, implement, and manage your company’s critical recruiting and onboarding needs. Instead of hiring one in-house recruiter to handle everything from frontline to tech to executive roles, your RPO team is strategically built with Talent Strategists who bring diverse industry experience and specialized expertise, ensuring your unique challenges are met with customized solutions.

Professional Placement

EG Professional Placement matches your organization with top professionals who are ready to go. It’s a fast and efficient solution. Our Talent Strategists get inside your company, build relationships, and gain critical insights into the markets you serve and types of hires you need. Our deep pool of available talent puts the right people in the right positions – right when they’re needed.

EG Tech

EG Tech is our recruitment solution designed to help businesses find the best possible tech talent in the quickest possible time frame. We provide a suite of skills capabilities expertise that covers all aspects of your IT needs – from software development to cloud migration to cyber security and more. Our team has built an extensive network of highly skilled IT professionals ready for new opportunities.

About EG

EG is a trusted leader in recruitment and workforce solutions, helping businesses build and retain strong, high-performing teams. With decades of experience, we specialize in tailored recruitment strategies, including Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Professional Placement, and EG Tech. Our Talent Strategy services focus on employer branding, employee engagement, and workforce empowerment to help companies boost retention and truly gauge their employer perception. At EG, we combine data-driven insights and a personalized approach to help people succeed.