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Congratulations! You’ve just inked the contract for a brand new piece of shiny HR Tech. You’re excited to kick off the project and welcome the vendor’s consultant, who is reaching out to set up a first meeting. But when the meeting comes, you receive a long and prescriptive list of anxiety-inducing instructions, explaining how the project will be run. You love the deliberate and structured approach, but this isn’t the way your organisation works. What do you do? In this article, we'll help you to manage this scenario by exploring the importance of feeling empowered to state your preferences and share your experiences to shape how the implementation will be executed to align with your specific needs, emphasising the significance of considering your unique requirements as a customer.
As we always do, we’ll start at the beginning giving you all the information you need to know before we start to share your top tips - so be sure to read through to the end.
What is an implementation methodology?
Implementing new HR Tech has the power to unlock productivity, improve experience and greatly improve outcomes. It can also be painful and risky. In an effort to reduce the risk of a failed implementation, to reduce time to value and to standardise implementation experience, software vendors have created their own Implementation Methodologies. SmartRecruiters Hiring Success is a well known example.
The methodology is a framework which sets the tone for how the project will be organised, the resources required to deliver the scope, what tools and templates are used and how work gets done. It’s an essential
Should I panic if my vendor doesn't have a methodology?
No, not necessarily. It depends on the category of technology, your size, scope and complexity. As a rule of thumb;
If you’re a larger organisation investing in enterprise level applicant tracking, candidate relationship management, HCM or talent management software, it's likely the implementation timeline will span many months (5-12+ months) and require a team of generalists and specialists to get live. If you fall into this category, you will certainly expect the vendor to assign a team of their own to support the project and have a mature methodology. If they cant share one
If you’re a smaller organisation buying a mid market solution to support applicant tracking, candidate relationship management or are buying a ‘point’ solution it’s likely that these tools will be fully or mostly self-serve implemented, often within a few days by following online tutorials or with some input from an account manager.
Project management vs implementation
To close Pandora’s box, it’s important to emphasise that when we use the term ‘Agile’ we are not talking about adopting or not adopting an Agile project management methodology. We’re purely talking about the implementation methodology here, and all of the things that it involves.
Here are the main things you should consider
Know what you’re getting in to
During the sales / demo cycle, it’s highly recommended to ask for information and learn about how the project will be organised (the implementation methodology). For example:
What resources are required to deliver the scope?
What are the vendors' expectations about who does what?
How often will you meet?
Who is expected to attend the meetings?
How will the meetings be completed? Onsite or online (& who’s conferencing tools)
How will we share files?
Will configuration workbooks be used?
Who will create and maintain the project plan? What tool will be used for this?
What is the escalation process?
What constitutes a Change Request and how are CR’s handled?
How are project goals identified and measured?
Top tips
Request a meeting pre contract signature to meet with the vendors implementation team, to review the implementation methodology and to ask questions.
If you’re not happy with the assigned consultants from the vendor don’t be afraid to ask for other options. Experience and complimentary work styles are critical to success.
Request that a RACI matrix, aligned to your scope be created so all parties are clear on who is expected to do what.
Who are we, and what do we need?
Your vendor is the expert in implementing their own software and you don’t want them to waste time or energy re-inventing their approach just for you. However, your vendor has an “outside looking in” view on what is required to deliver the project. At kick off, they have little to no awareness of what is required to get the project done within your environment. The onus is on you to educate your vendor then collaborate with them to optimise their approach for your business.
Before diving into the implementation, take the time to think about identifying and articulating your unique needs as a customer. Consider your organisational culture, the intricacies of your talent acquisition processes, and the specific challenges you aim to address. Engage in thorough introspection and collaborative discussions with your talent tech to ensure a tailored Agile approach that aligns with your objectives.
Some examples to think about
Steer Co approvals: Who does this, and how frequent are they?
Go / No Go decisions: What are the dates for these? Who has the final call? What is the specific situation that would lead to No Go?
Deploying changes to prod systems: What are the rules around making changes to live production systems? Do you need a staging environment?
Tools and templates: Will you use SharePoint or google docs? Does the company have templates for you to use for key documents?
Approach to Testing: number of test cycles and duration for each. Testing and defect remediation in parallel. What tools are used to track the status of test scripts / scenarios.
How can we help?
If you’re starting down the path of an implementation and need more resources or an experienced hand to advocate for your best interests, we can help. Our goal at Talent Tech Solutions is to be the bridge between the buyer and seller of tech to ensure all parties success through the implementation. Our consultants have deep product knowledge to unlock the most powerful features of your chosen tech and years of domain experience across TA and HR so we understand your processes and how the solution should be shaped.
Wrapping up Agile Implementation
The extent to which you can collaborate with your chosen vendor and magnify the strengths of their implementation methodology and mitigate issues but aligning on your optimal plan can be the secret to successful implementation. By collaborating closely with your vendor, articulating your unique requirements, and remaining flexible and iterative in your approach, you can achieve a seamless and efficient deployment that aligns with your organisational goals. Remember, the key to a successful Agile implementation is not merely following a set methodology, but adapting it to fit your context, ensuring that your HR tech project not only meets but exceeds expectations. With thoughtful planning, clear communication, and a commitment to continuous improvement, your HR Tech implementation can become a powerful driver of business value and operational efficiency.
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