Stevan Rolls told Recruiter: “If you operate an RPO model as we do, the RPO is really an extension of your team and not a separate entity. The people in the RPO need to feel part of Deloitte as much or more than Alexander Mann.”

Around 30 Alexander Mann staff work with Deloitte as part of a recruitment function that hires more than 1,000 graduates and hundreds of experienced hires a year. Rolls says that while recognising that a commercial relationship requires “a certain distance”, it is important for the client company to work with the RPO to create a sense of belonging.

This must be done at an individual level, said Rolls.

“It’s about the tone you set in dealing with people, how you help to resolve issues, and doing small and informal things that make people feel part of the team.”

It includes how you talk to people and including them in meetings. “It’s a whole range of small things,” said Rolls.

“Some people go into an RPO because if it all goes wrong there’s somebody they can blame, and they can shout and be nasty to the RPO staff, but that is not the best way to get the best out of people,” he added.