“Have you heard?” a colleague asks and then goes on to say, “The company wants to get rid of us. It’s planning to sign a contract with an RPO firm that will bring in its own recruiters. They’ll sit right where we’re sitting now. All this has been going on behind the scenes, and the company wants us to think it’s business as usual. Don’t worry. It’s not like they’re signing the contract tomorrow and kicking us out the next day. I don’t know about you, but my plan is to be long gone before they ever give me the boot. The other recruiters are looking, too. So update your resume and do what you have to do.”

You have a few minutes to absorb this news before your next interview. Your colleague’s words resound in your head and you reflect, realizing that things are starting to make sense. How could you have not seen it coming? Then again, you weren’t looking for anything. You’ve been busy supporting your hiring managers. You love your job and, therefore, doing your job well has been your primary focus. And now this happens.

That would explain why HR has started distancing itself from recruiting. You’ve noticed how frequently recruiting has been on the outside of closed-door meetings. It’s now obvious that HR has been slowly closing ranks and meeting with RPO specialists to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its recruiting services. HR leaders know that if recruiting can be outsourced, so can benefits, compensation, and any other functions that senior management targets. HR is in survival mode.

Instead of “checking out” like the other recruiters have done, take a few minutes to check out the facts. Ask a trusted HR mentor to either dispel the rumors or confirm the facts. If your fears are confirmed, set a plan in motion. Take action and, similar to HR, go into survival mode. Assess your own productivity. Just because the sum of the whole is ineffective and inefficient, your individual job performance could be the exception. Maybe the only thing keeping your performance from meeting senior management’s expectations is a tried and true recruiting process like the one used by the RPO firm that’s courting your company.

If you want to continue recruiting for your company and you sincerely feel good about the level of service you provide to your hiring managers, make a point of meeting with the HR leaders and telling them how your potential could be realized by using the tools and processes of an RPO. Ask them to recommend retaining you to ensure a smooth transition once the contract has been signed. Rally the support of your hiring managers, and strategize ways in which HR can lead the campaign to retain you.

Once you’ve made your request, rely on your past performance to do the rest. But don’t be negligent. Just as you wouldn’t present your number one candidate to a hiring manager without having a backup, you need an alternate plan for yourself. Let’s face it, you could soon be out of a job. So update your resume. Pursuing other options is empowering. In fact, well-orchestrated “time off” that doesn’t impede productivity can be strategic at this point.

Work with one or two good headhunters. Remember, this is your backup plan. You won’t have time to conduct your own job search. You’ll be too busy giving 110% to your company to keep your productivity high. Now is not the time to slack off when the other recruiters have made it so easy for you to stand out and when the RPO consultant will be evaluating your performance.

Good employees are tough to replace, and you’ve already proven that you are a good employee. If your plan works, the RPO firm will start to hear good things about you from HR. As tempting as it will be, do not approach anyone at the RPO firm. They are already aware of you. Now allow them to do what they do best. Let them recruit you. You’ll find that you’ll have more leverage when it’s time to negotiate an offer. Good luck!

Ann Willingham, Recruiting Consultant