How We Helped an FDI Company Decide Between In-house HR, Headhunt, and RPO in Vietnam

The Real Cost of In-house HR

We broke it down into two scenarios:

1. Hiring a junior HR (12–15M VND/month):

• Affordable, could handle admin tasks too.
• But lacked the sourcing skills and networks to bring in senior talent like a Sales Manager.
• Needed a strong manager to guide them. Without that, risk of mistakes and wasted time was high.
• Limited career growth in a small office → high turnover risk.

2. Hiring a senior HR (25–40M VND/month):

• Independent, capable of handling the full recruitment cycle.
• Could even set up basic HR systems and processes.
• But for only 5–10 hires a year, the workload was too light compared to their capability.
• After a year or two, they’d feel underutilized and probably leave.

In both cases, in-house HR didn’t look like a great fit for a very small, new office.

The Headhunt Option

We then looked at headhunters.

• They excel at senior positions and have ready-made candidate networks.
• They reduce hiring risks and move fast.
• But fees are steep: typically 18–25% of annual salary per hire.

That meant a Sales Manager hire could cost 100–150M VND in fees.
Great for one or two critical roles — but expensive if used for every junior hire.

Introducing a Third Option: RPO

This is where We suggested something the CEO hadn’t considered: Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO).

We introduced them to Invest Talent’s RPO service, which charges a monthly fee comparable to hiring a senior HR — but with far more guaranteed output.

Their service covers the entire recruitment cycle:

• Recruitment planning & position analysis
• Job ad copywriting & multi-channel posting
• Resume screening & initial interviews
• Candidate shortlisting & presentation
• Interview coordination & employer support
• Onboarding assistance & performance follow-up
• Weekly progress reporting & monthly review

Why this matters for small FDI offices:

• No need to train or manage an in-house HR.
• No risk of underutilized senior HR staff.
• More cost-predictable than headhunt fees.
• Clear SLAs and candidate warranty.

The CEO’s Decision

After reviewing all three options, the CEO chose RPO as the primary solution, with headhunters reserved for very niche senior roles.

It gave them:
⏰ The agility of outsourcing
The professionalism of a senior recruiter
The predictability of fixed monthly costs
The assurance of guaranteed outcomes

For small FDI companies entering Vietnam with modest hiring plans, the choice isn’t just “in-house vs headhunt.”
Sometimes, the smartest play is RPO — a hybrid model that gives you the best of both worlds while keeping costs under control and results reliable.