Mechanical & Electrical

RPO vs Traditional Recruitment: Which hiring model is right for you?

The evolution of permanent recruitment models has been remarkable over the past ten years. The once simple decision between in-house and agency recruitment has evolved into a dynamic landscape saturated with options, all designed to provide organisations with enhanced flexibility, control, and efficiency. The three most common models include Permanent Recruitment, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and RPO On-Demand. Each serves a different purpose, but understanding where one ends and another begins can be challenging. Each plays a unique role in the journey of business growth, yet understanding the transition from one to the next can be difficult. This bitesize guide outlines the unique offerings of each model, highlights their differences, and provides insights on selecting the approach that aligns perfectly with your hiring requirements. Click to navigate: What is permanent recruitment? What is an RPO? What is RPO On-Demand? What is Permanent Recruitment? Permanent recruitment, commonly known as perm recruitment, represents the classic agency model that many businesses recognise. This approach focuses on securing permanent employees rather than relying on temporary or contract arrangements. Agencies are often engaged by clients to enhance their internal hiring teams or talent acquisition efforts, either for particular positions or when specialised knowledge is needed. The recruitment agency identifies, screens, and presents candidates for specific roles. It continues to be the preferred choice for organisations in need of flexibility or assistance with specialised positions. Yet, permanent recruitment models vary significantly. Here are the three primary approaches: Contingency: Multiple agencies vie to fill the same vacancy, with payment awarded solely to the agency that successfully places a candidate. This approach emphasises rapid execution and network reach, but it may result in inconsistent quality. Exclusive: A single agency is granted exclusivity to fill the role within a specified timeframe. The recruiter can dedicate more time in sourcing and screening, free from competing with others. Retained: An agency is formally engaged on a retained basis (often with part payment upfront) to conduct a bespoke search. This is common for senior, specialist, or hard-to-fill roles and involves a consultative partnership that includes thorough candidate assessments. Many clients manage agency relationships through a bank of approved agencies, called a Preferred Supplier List (PSL). Some PSLs are tightly structured with defined service levels and performance reviews; others evolve informally based on trust and track record. Over time, HR or talent teams learn which partners deliver best for particular disciplines or regions. For agencies, earning a spot on a PSL means proving consistent delivery and understanding a client’s culture beyond individual vacancies. When Perm Recruitment is most effective Permanent recruitment offers flexibility and taps into extensive networks, but it can become expensive or unpredictable when scaling up hiring efforts. This model is ideal for: Companies experiencing minimal or consistent recruitment activity. Companies in need of specialised talent that is hard to find within their own ranks. Businesses seeking quick solutions without the burden of long-term obligations. What is an RPO? Recruitment Process Outsourcing, commonly known as RPO, involves delegating all or part of your recruitment function to an external provider. An RPO partner integrates seamlessly into your organisation, taking charge of recruitment from start to finish or at specific stages, rather than tackling each vacancy individually. This partnership is designed to enhance efficiency while elevating candidate quality and ensuring predictable costs. Some RPO partners go beyond the conventional scope of recruitment to also cover workforce planning, internal mobility, and talent analytics. How RPO transforms hiring The RPO model gives organisations enterprise-level capability without expanding their internal headcount. A mature RPO solution will often go beyond typical RPO hiring to build an infrastructure recruitment that seamlessly combines specialist knowledge and operational excellence. The RPO model gives organisations with enterprise-level capabilities while keeping internal headcount in check. An advanced RPO solution exceeds conventional hiring practices, creating a recruitment infrastructure that effortlessly integrates operational excellence with your people, processes, and technology. This may include: Sourcing and screening candidates at scale. Crafting a compelling employer branding and enhancing the candidate journey. Deploying applicant tracking systems and analytics dashboards. Providing real-time hiring metrics and insights into the talent market. Introducing workforce planning and internal mobility strategies. Benefits of RPO Partnering with an RPO provider can transform how you attract, engage, and retain talent. In addition to improving process efficiency, the model delivers tangible business impact across: Consistency – every candidate experiences the same process, strengthening the employer brand. Cost efficiency – lower cost per hire through process optimisation and reduced agency reliance. Scalability – resources adjust seamlessly to meet hiring demand. Strategic partnership – dedicated experts continuously refine processes and outcomes. Visibility – Utilising data-driven reporting to improve decision-making. In a typical RPO partnership, it's not unusual to see time-to-hire improvements of around 20–30% once processes are standardised. When is the right time for an RPO model? RPO is ideal for organisations experiencing high or variable hiring demands, working across multiple business units, or looking at ambitious growth targets. This model is particularly effective when recruitment demands exceed internal capability or when a business wants to elevate talent acquisition to a strategic level. What is RPO On-Demand? On-Demand RPO takes the structure and expertise of RPO and applies it flexibly for short-term or project-based needs. Often referred to as Project RPO or RPO Lite, this solution is designed for organisations seeking a more organised and proactive strategy than traditional agency recruitment, without the need for a complete outsourcing partnership. How RPO On-Demand works An RPO On-Demand provider seamlessly integrates with your internal team for a fixed period or defined project. Specialist recruiters or campaign managers join your existing processes, elevating them to help you deliver outcomes fast. Our RPO On-demand solution consists of five core modules: talent consultancy, talent outsourcing, search and select, campaign management, and early careers consultancy. You pay only for what suits your needs. Benefits of RPO On-Demand Many organisations use RPO On-Demand to enhance recruitment performance and gather valuable insights before evolving into a long-term RPO partnership. The typical benefits of project RPO include: Quick access to experienced recruiters and technology. Ability to scale up or down in weeks rather than months. Lower fixed cost and no long-term contract. Improved time to hire through proven processes. Continuity and brand consistency for candidates. When Businesses Use RPO On-Demand RPO On-Demand is particularly effective when internal capacity and timelines or project scope shift unexpectedly. It lets organisations scale quickly without losing control of quality. Common use cases include: Rapid scaling following new investment or expansion. Launching a new site, division, or product line. Short-term spikes in hiring volume, such as seasonal peaks. Overloaded internal teams needing extra resource. Testing outsourced recruitment before committing to full RPO. Comparing perm recruitment, RPO, and RPO On-demand In practice, the difference lies in how much control and structure you want. Permanent recruitment offers flexibility and reach for individual roles. RPO On-Demand introduces dedicated expertise on a project basis. Full RPO embeds that expertise permanently, transforming recruitment into a scalable business function. Feature Perm Recruitment RPO RPO On-Demand Commitment Per-hire engagement Longer-term partnership Project or campaign Scope Individual roles Part of or end-to-end process Modular services Scalability Limited Very high (enterprise-wide) High (short-term) Control Agency-led Outsourced and strategic Shared with internal team Cost model Fee per placement Monthly or per-hire SLA Pay-as-you-use Best for One-off or specialist hires Continuous, large scale recruitment Rapid or project hiring How to choose the right recruitment model The best recruitment model depends on your hiring patterns, internal capability, and business goals. Ask yourself: How variable are our hiring volumes? Do we want to own or outsource recruitment infrastructure? What level of visibility and reporting do we need? How fast do we need to scale? The answers help identify whether agility, scalability, or partnership is your priority. Here are a few guiding scenarios: You hire fewer than 10 people a year: Permanent recruitment keeps the process light and flexible. You have an internal team but face short-term growth or transformation: RPO On-Demand gives temporary capacity and expertise. You hire 200+ people a year or across multiple site and disciplines: RPO provides end-to-end structure and the consistency to garner measurable results. Permanent recruitment, RPO On-Demand and full RPO hiring models each bring a different balance of flexibility, control, and partnership. The key is aligning your approach with your organisation’s stage of growth and the outcomes you want from your hiring process. For smaller businesses or one-off hires, agility and speed may matter most. For growing organisations, scalability and consistency often take priority. And for large enterprises, the value lies in visibility, insight, and long-term talent capability. Reviewing your current pain points, such as time to hire, candidate quality, or recruiter workload, can help reveal whether your existing approach still serves your future goals. Here are five signs your hiring strategy needs a serious overhaul.

The Future of Nuclear talent with Nancy Bellingan

Whether it was standing out as the only girl in a physics class of 20 in Italy or driving across Europe to begin a new role in the UK, Nancy Bellingan has built her career by embracing challenges head-on. In episode 6 of Rullion Reflections, Nancy explores the future of nuclear. She explains why education, visibility, and breaking down barriers are just as important as technology in shaping the next generation of nuclear talent. Watch the full Rullion Reflections Ep. 6 interview with Nancy or read on for the key highlights from the conversation. At the cutting edge with Createc Today, Nancy brings her experience to Createc as a Radiation Physicist. Known for pioneering work in nuclear decommissioning, robotics, and 3D radiation mapping, Createc is the kind of environment where no two days look the same. Her journey to the role was as memorable as the work itself. Packing up her life in Germany, she carefully measured her small car to make sure every box would fit, then drove across Europe, through Belgium and the Channel Tunnel, before finally arriving in Cumbria. “It was completely full – I couldn’t have squeezed in another thing,” she laughs. Nancy first connected with Createc at DigiDecom, a digital decommissioning conference, where she was struck by the company’s innovative spirit and by the leadership of Rosie, now one of her colleagues. That chance meeting led to an opportunity, and Nancy quickly knew it was the right fit. “They replied within an hour of my application and offered me the job the next day. That efficiency really stood out, and once I started, I didn’t know I could like a job this much. No two days are ever the same.” Early Inspiration Nancy’s interest in science began early. Growing up in Italy, she often followed in her brother’s footsteps; whether it was rugby, scuba diving, or computer games. When he became interested in nuclear, so did she. But it was role models like Licia Troisi, an astrophysicist and fantasy author from her hometown, who showed her what was possible. “I wanted to be like her: an astrophysicist who also wrote books,” Nancy recalls. “In the end, I only did one part: the nuclear physics.” That mix of curiosity, role models, and resilience meant that being “the only girl in the class” never discouraged her. Instead, it became part of her drive. Nuclear education as the foundation Nancy believes it all begins in the classroom. Too often, the first time young people hear about nuclear is through disasters or sensationalised media. These historic events must not be forgotten, but they should be understood in context, alongside decades of progress in safety, innovation, and regulation that make the nuclear industry what it is today. Nuclear today is one of the most heavily regulated and scrutinised energy sectors in the world, monitored by organisations like the IAEA, ENSREG, and the ONR in the UK, with multiple layers of safety protocols in place to minimise risk. Early nuclear education is one of the best ways to reshape understanding. By introducing nuclear concepts in school science classes, students can see how nuclear is used today as a clean energy source and through its life-saving medical applications. In countries like Belgium and France, nuclear is woven into environmental studies from a young age, creating a more balanced foundation where nuclear is part of education; students grow up seeing it as normal, not controversial. For example, Belgium’s parliament recently voted to drop the phase-out of nuclear energy, extending reactor lifetimes and exploring new builds. And in 2025, France will generate nearly 70% of its electricity from nuclear power. This early education not only helps to shift public opinion but also to show students the vast opportunities available in nuclear careers, helping to bring in the next generation of nuclear talent. Attracting and retaining future of nuclear talent “How can we get more young people into the nuclear industry?” Sibel asks. The irony, Nancy points out, is that even when students choose nuclear pathways, many find the doors closed. Security clearance, nationality restrictions, and slow recruitment processes often block skilled candidates from entering. The result is bright minds drift into other industries, while nuclear struggles to fill the pipeline it desperately needs. Nancy sees the cost of this up close: graduates with the right skills and passion who simply can’t find a way in. It’s not that the talent isn’t there; it’s that the system is too rigid to welcome them. And every missed opportunity is another gap in research and development, another idea never explored, another innovation lost. "I have so many former students who studied nuclear-related subjects and they’re not getting jobs. It’s not that they don’t want to join, it’s that sometimes they’re not let in." To sustain the future of nuclear talent, the industry must turn inspiration into opportunity. That means breaking down barriers, making hiring fit for purpose, and showing students clear and diverse career paths. Without young professionals in the labs, in R&D, in decommissioning, and in innovation, nuclear risks losing momentum in the global energy transition. Belonging and visibility Young people need to see themselves reflected in the industry if they’re going to believe they have a place in it. Representation is as important as technical skill because it shapes who feels welcome to apply in the first place. Nancy believes the key to attracting and retaining talent is visibility: role models across gender, ethnicity, and background. Nuclear should be seen as a place for all kinds of people, across all kinds of roles. What makes this possible is culture. Nancy’s own story highlights the generosity of mentors who opened doors for her, trusted her, and gave her room to grow. That spirit of support and knowledge-sharing is nuclear’s hidden strength and the reason the sector can continually renew itself through each new generation. "We shouldn’t just focus on gender. Diversity should also mean ethnicity, background, language, and culture. Students need role models so they can see it’s possible and then decide for themselves." What is the future of nuclear power? "Nuclear is like sci-fi.” Nancy says. “You don’t invent new jobs; you take existing ones… and put them into the setting of nuclear." Just as sci-fi doesn’t invent entirely new storylines but reimagines them in futuristic settings, nuclear takes existing professions like chemistry, robotics, mechanical engineering, and even HR, and situates them within a unique environment. This perspective reframes nuclear from a niche field to a cross-disciplinary hub where a diverse range of skills can find application. For those outside the industry, it opens the door to consider nuclear not as “other”, but as an extension of their own expertise. Looking Forward The nuclear industry is at a turning point. Perception, education, and diversity aren’t side conversations; they’re the frontline of the future of nuclear talent. If the sector wants to thrive, it must act: Inspire early through education Remove barriers to entry Showcase diversity and belonging Share knowledge openly across generations and borders Nancy’s journey is a reminder that nuclear’s story is still being written. And the next chapter will be defined by the choices the industry makes today. Ready to start your own nuclear career? View our latest nuclear jobs. Watch the full interview.