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Outsourcing vs Recruitment
Outsourcing vs Recruitment
Key Takeaways
- Recruitment fills a specific role with a candidate who becomes your employee.
- Outsourcing hands over an entire function's staffing and management, not just one hire.
- Outsourcing works best for functions that are necessary but not core to what makes your business competitive.
Different units of work
Recruitment operates at the level of an individual hire: you define a role, a supplier or agency sources candidates, and one person joins your payroll.
Outsourcing operates at the level of a whole function: cleaning, security, warehouse operations, or an entire back-office team. You're not hiring people one at a time — you're handing over the staffing, supervision and often the management of that function to a partner.
| Recruitment | Outsourcing | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit of work | One role, one hire | An entire function |
| Who supervises day-to-day | You, once hired | The outsourcing partner |
| Headcount flexibility | Fixed once hired | Scales with the partner's pool |
| Best fit | Roles that define your edge | Necessary but non-core functions |
When to choose which
Recruit directly for roles that define your competitive edge. Outsource functions that are necessary to operate but aren't what your customers are actually paying for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between manpower supply and traditional recruitment?
In traditional recruitment, the candidate becomes your direct employee once hired. In manpower supply, the worker stays legally employed by the supplier while working under your day-to-day supervision — the supplier carries payroll, insurance and compliance.
Related Workforce Solutions
Related Workforce Solutions
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