Model comparison
Saiyō vs RPO: built for scale-ups, not the Fortune 500.
RPO was designed for enterprises hiring hundreds of roles a year under multi-year contracts. Saiyō is built for technology scale-ups hiring 5 to 150 specialist roles, embedded, headhunted, on a flat monthly subscription with no per-hire fees.
The short answer
RPO outsources your hiring function on a multi-year contract. Saiyō embeds a small senior headhunting team alongside yours on a flexible subscription with hiring credits deployed across roles and months. If you're hiring under 100 specialist roles a year and want proactive, headhunted candidates, RPO is overbuilt , and over-priced, for the job.
At a glance
| Dimension | Saiyō (RaaS) | Traditional RPO |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Embedded subscription headhunting | Outsourced recruitment function |
| Sourcing | Proactive outbound to passive talent | Mostly inbound + ATS pipelines |
| Commercials | Flat monthly fee, unlimited hires | Per-hire fee or large management retainer |
| Contract length | Flexible subscription, scales with your hiring plan | Typically 2–3 year MSAs |
| Onboarding | Live in 1–2 weeks | 8–12 week implementation |
| Team size | 1–3 senior headhunters embedded | Large delivery team, junior heavy |
| Best fit | technology scale-ups hiring 5–150 roles/yr | Enterprises hiring 500+ roles/yr |
| Quality of candidate | Headhunted, pre-qualified | High volume, variable quality |
| Specialist reach | One accountable embedded headhunter, backed by a curated global network of specialist headhunters | Reach limited to the provider's own delivery pool |
How traditional RPO works
RPO providers take over some or all of your recruitment function. They bring a delivery team (often offshore-heavy), recruitment tech, and a defined process. The economics work at high volume: you trade per-hire agency fees for a managed cost-per-hire that scales down as you grow. Implementation is heavy, contracts are long, and the model assumes process repeatability.
- 2–3 year contracts standard
- 8–12 week implementation
- Delivery teams are typically junior-heavy
- Optimised for volume and process, not bespoke search
How Saiyō works differently
Saiyō embeds 1–3 senior headhunters alongside your team on a flat monthly subscription. They work in your ATS, attend your stand-ups and proactively go after passive candidates your competitors are trying to keep. Onboarding is days, not months. Commitment is a flexible subscription with hiring credits deployed across roles and months. There are no per-hire fees, no surprise invoices.
- Live in 1–2 weeks
- Flexible subscription, scales with your hiring plan
- Senior headhunters only, no junior pyramid
- Proactive headhunting, not inbound triage
When RPO is the right choice
- You're hiring at true high volume (500+/yr) across many sites
- You want a fully outsourced TA function with process and tooling
- You can absorb a 2–3 year contract and an 8–12 week implementation
- Most of your roles are repeatable and pipeline-driven, not headhunt-led
When Saiyō is the better fit
- You hire 5–150 specialist roles a year, not 500 generalist ones
- You want passive, headhunted candidates, not inbound applicants
- You need a subscription that flexes with your hiring plan, not a 3-year contract
- You want one predictable line item, not a per-hire variable cost
- You're done with junior-heavy delivery teams managing your hiring
Considering RPO?
See how Saiyō compares in a 30-minute call.
We'll walk you through how our embedded subscription model stacks up against an RPO contract for your specific hiring plan, no hard sell.
- Shortlists in under 10 days
- 96% offer acceptance
- 100-day replacement guarantee
- Up to 59% lower cost per hire
30 minutes. Senior partner, not an SDR. No obligation.