2025 RPO Trends Report: Essential Insights for RPO Buyers and Providers

The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), in collaboration with Lighthouse Research & Advisory, is excited to announce the release of the 2025 RPO Trends Report: A Buyer’s Guide for Buying and Optimizing Recruitment Process Outsourcing Solutions. Now in its third edition, this industry-leading research provides unparalleled insights into the evolving landscape of RPO, helping employers and RPO providers navigate a rapidly changing hiring environment.

Why This Report Matters Now

The hiring landscape in 2024 has been shaped by economic constraints, fluctuating workforce demands, and technological advancements in recruiting. As we look ahead to 2025, organizations are increasingly turning to RPO solutions to improve hiring efficiency, reduce costs, and leverage AI-powered recruiting strategies. However, buyer priorities, engagement models, and expectations are shifting, creating new challenges and opportunities for RPO providers.

The 2025 RPO Trends Report offers a comprehensive look at these changes, using insights from 522 talent acquisition leaders across industries to uncover the most pressing trends in RPO investment, pricing models, AI adoption, and provider selection criteria.

Key Findings from the 2025 RPO Trends Report

Here’s a preview of some of the most impactful insights from this year’s research:

Forecasting Hiring Needs Remains a Major Challenge

• 56% of employers report difficulties in accurately forecasting hiring requirements.
• RPO providers play a critical role in helping organizations navigate workforce planning with data-driven insights.

The Rise of AI and Automation in RPO

• AI-powered recruiting solutions are now the most in-demand service from RPO providers.
• Employers are 3.5x more likely to prefer RPO partners with AI capabilities than those without.

Project-Based RPO is Growing Rapidly

• Project-based RPO is gaining traction as organizations seek flexible, short-term solutions to meet immediate hiring needs.
• Employers are testing technology-enabled hiring strategies before committing to full-scale RPO partnerships.

Cost and Value Are Driving Provider Changes

• 50% of employers are considering switching RPO providers or bringing recruitment back in-house within the next 1-2 years.
• Cost is the top reason organizations reconsider their RPO partnerships, followed by hiring speed and quality concerns.

Gen Zero: The Untapped Market for RPO Growth

• A significant segment of employers (first-time RPO buyers) remains hesitant due to lack of clarity on the RPO value proposition.
• The report offers a business case framework to help organizations evaluate and justify RPO investment.

Recognizing the Experts Behind the Research

The 2025 RPO Trends Report would not have been possible without the contributions and expertise of the RPOA Research Committee, whose insights and industry knowledge helped shape the direction and quality of this study. We extend our deep appreciation to: Kim Davis, Pam Verhoff, Joe Marino, Jason Krumwiede, Rob Navarette, Kelly Burlage, Trent Cotton, and Gloria McLennan.

A special thank you to Ben Eubanks of Lighthouse Research & Advisory and Lamees Abourahma of the RPOA for their leadership in driving this research forward. Their commitment to elevating this study year over year has made it an essential resource for RPO buyers and providers alike.

What This Means for RPO Buyers and Providers

As the RPO market evolves, understanding buyer expectations and market shifts is crucial for both RPO buyers and service providers. Employers looking to refine their talent strategies can use the report to benchmark against industry trends, while RPO providers can leverage these insights to align their services with buyer needs.

Get Your Copy of the Report

The 2025 RPO Trends Report is now available for download! Whether you’re an HR leader exploring RPO for the first time or an RPO provider looking to enhance your value proposition, this report provides the data and insights you need to make informed decisions.

📥 Download the full report here.

🔍 Have questions about the findings? Join the conversation on LinkedIn and share your thoughts on the biggest trends shaping the RPO industry in 2025!