Slightly more than half, 52%, of organizational leaders are satisfied with the data they currently receive from their recruitment process outsource provider, according to a report from HRO Today and Futurestep, a division of Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY). Low volume of data, accuracy of metrics and alignment with business outcomes were specifically highlighted as problem areas by businesses monitoring performance metrics, with satisfaction levels reaching 49%, 52% and 41% respectively.

“It’s clear from this report there is still some work to do when it comes to analytics,” said HRO Today CEO Elliot Clark. “Continuous innovation and trust will make for an improved relationship, enabling success over a sustained period of time, but companies and RPO providers need to align metrics with business objectives from the offset to gather truly valuable data.”

Other key findings for understanding how metrics are used revealed:

• “Time-to-hire” is an almost universal key performance indicator (KPI), with 87% of business using it.
• “Source of hire” was voted the most useful KPI for evaluating RPO effectiveness at 75%.
• More than half, 57%, of those not satisfied with their metrics complained the data does not link with other systems.
• “Increased quality of candidate pool” was the most desired metric businesses are not currently capturing at 44%.

“The whole point of metrics is to enable better decision-making, but the benefits of a true partnership can be felt beyond the realm of data,” said Jeanne MacDonald, president, global talent solutions at Futurestep. “The real key to long-term satisfaction is ensuring clients have a well-rounded talent acquisition strategy that helps them not only find the best talent but also nurture it for future growth.”

Futurestep and HRO Today magazine conducted a series of in-depth phone interviews with HR executives who employ an RPO service provider and shaped the survey to provide quantitative data on the issues covered. The online survey was launched in 2014 and included 265 respondents directly involved in working with RPO services.