It sounds backwards, but hear me out - the best time to retain an RPO partner is when you least need them.

I get it. When hiring is slow, it feels like the perfect time to tighten the belt, keep things in-house, and turn down those "we'd love to partner with you" emails and calls.

"We're good right now. No need for extra help."

Delete the "sales" email.

I see it and hear it all the time.

But here's what usually happens:

A few months go by and then your phone rings from your internal business leaders.

• Your sales team closed a big deal.
• A new acquisition just closed
• A new product launch is greenlit.
• Leadership decided to add a third shift.
• Seasonal demand spikes earlier than expected.
• A key union announced a labor strike.

Suddenly, you've gone from "we're fine" to "we need to hire 200 people yesterday."

And that's when the scramble starts.

When you retain an RPO partner in the middle of a crisis, you're instantly working uphill:

• Contracts still need to get through legal
• Recruiters don't know your processes, culture, or hiring managers
• Implementation is rushed
• Relationships are being built under fire instead of over coffee
• Those change management plans we all preach are thrown out the window

Everyone's in firefighting mode, and instead of solving problems strategically, you're just trying to keep your head above water.

Here's the flip side: When you bring on an RPO partner during a slow period, you buy yourself time - and time is the biggest advantage in building a great partnership.

You don't even have to start with your entire hiring operation. Start small. Pick a single department or a handful of hard-to-fill roles and let your partner handle those. Use that time to:

• Introduce recruiters to your hiring managers without the pressure of urgent reqs
• Let them learn your business, workflows, and culture
• Build trust through small wins before the big challenges hit
• Set up the right processes and tech integrations without racing the clock

I've seen both sides play out. The clients who call us when they're slow are the ones who handle unexpected surges with ease. The ones who wait until the wave is already crashing? They're stuck paddling furiously just to keep up.

So if you're sitting in a slow quarter thinking, "We don't need help right now," that might be your biggest signal to start looking for a partner.

Because when the surge comes - and it will - you'll already have a partner who knows your business, your people, and how to deliver.

Ready to have that conversation? Let's connect!

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Andee can be reached at akroe@psgglobal.com