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The Problem
Talent Acquisition is under pressure. We know it. You feel it, fully, every day. Executive teams expect HR and TA leaders will step up to solve those challenges and keep ahead of the competition by continually optimising TA processes and technology to attract, engage and hire great talent when required (no pressure then!) Thankfully, the penny has dropped. Executive teams know full well the link between hiring top talent and achieving superior business outcomes (a.k.a. survival). As a result, 90% of companies surveyed by Gartner indicated they’re planning to overcome HR and hiring challenges by increasing investment in HR Tech.
If you’re getting new $$ investment, brilliant but chances are your tech implementation will fail. 2021 research from Josh Bersin, global industry analyst suggests 42% of HR tech projects fail after two years. This isn't a random data point. Unleash.ai research of 1000 companies paints a more dire picture with 84% of respondents claiming their recent projects were unsuccessful.
As an HR or TA Leader, you know you can't risk the reputational damage and shattered team morale of a failed TA project. So, how do you avoid this pitfall and turn the odds back in your favour? Read on to find out.
The Solution
Well, there is a way. According to Unleash, 72% of highly successful tech projects hired an SI partner. The message here is simple. Don’t go it alone. Enlist an SI partner like Talent Tech Solutions to ensure that your TA project has the highest chance of success.
But what is an SI partner? And what do they do for you?
SI Partners
Let’s square away the jargon first. SI means “system implementor” or “system integrator” and SI partners provide you with the specialist resources necessary to complete your project, including project management, process mapping and optimisation, solution design, configuration, technical integration delivery, testing, change management and training.
A good SI can also help you with the financial aspects of your project, by creating a winning business case, negotiating commercial discounts and managing project budgets.
“It’s not uncommon that the commercial discounts we negotiate more than cover our costs.
SI partners are commonplace in many IT programs but are less understood by Talent teams.”
Choosing an SI Partner
SI partners have the potential to be the difference between success and failure. How do you choose the right one for your project? Here are recommendations. If you follow them, you’ll be on the path to success.
Ask your Tech Vendor sales or account management team for a recommendation. it’s in their best interests that you’re highly successful and renew your contract so their recommendation is reliable.
Ask Around: Reach out to trusted sources in the TA industry and ask for their recommendations. They will help you narrow your search.
Ask Google. Google is a powerful resource that can help you find potential partners and look up customer reviews.
Pro tip:
SI partners generally require formal accreditation to implement the tech you’ve chosen. Reduce risk further by selecting a specialist SI partner over a generalist firm or freelancer.
SI partners come in all shapes and sizes, from the Big 4 auditing firms down to niche specialist firms. Any option has pros and cons. It’s our experience that specialist firms, while smaller, have a bigger stake in the game so work harder. This is true for Talent Tech Solutions. Our reputation is built on delivering premier outcomes for clients. Over servicing clients is how we survive and grow.
Why wouldn’t I do it myself?
This is a very common sentiment until people actually start doing it themselves.
A successful project requires a level of capability and time. Typically internal project resources are expected to maintain their “business as usual” workload on top of project work. This often results in burnout, quality issues or missed deadlines.
A successful project needs to dedicate time and resources to the project. Adding it on as a "learning opportunity" will almost always result in a negative outcome.
Pro tip:
Your Tech vendor should be able to provide you with a resource plan. Essentially a list of capabilities/ job roles and a conservative estimate (best case scenarios rarely come true) of the number of hours or days per week each resource will need to be available.
Have an honest discussion with internal resources about their workloads and how they’d cope juggling both project and business as usual work.
Spend money to save money. If your internal TA/HR resources are already over stretched an SI partner will provide the capabilities and time required leaving your team to do what they’re best at - hire and retain great talent!
Working with an SI partner
Remember that SI partners are there to make your project a huge success. Here are some ideas that you should keep in mind in order to get the most out of your partnership.
Work with them: Your SI partner has many skills and experiences that will bring value to your business. Pay attention to the things you can learn from them and work together to identify areas that require extra attention. This attention to detail and an extra pair of experienced eyes will skyrocket your project's chances of success.
Be respectful and remember that your SI partner is there to help you. They want you to succeed. Pay attention to their feedback and be willing to compromise when necessary.
Communicate: Keep the lines of communication between you and your SI partner open. If you’re struggling with something, remember that your SI partner is there to help you. Deadlines and commitments are important, and if you are having trouble meeting them, talk to your SI partner, and they will discuss solutions with you.
Conclusion
Statistically, the odds of achieving a highly successful TA Tech project are low. Tech implementation is business transformation and to succeed, you’ll need specialist capabilities (e.g. a project manager, business analyst, system analyst, test analyst, change manager, trainer etc). If you don’t have the resources internally, mitigate risk by enlisting an SI Partner.
Talent Tech Solutions is the ‘go-to’ SI partner in Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region. Our team of certified professionals are trusted by forward thinking organisations due to our reputation and proven track record in delivering super successful TA projects and transformations. Just ask our satisfied clients.
Don’t go it alone, you can’t afford it.
About Us
Talent Tech Solutions is Asia Pacific’s leading Talent Operations and Tech consulting firm. We understand that our clients’ reputations are built on the successful delivery of Tech projects.
We provide expert advice so you can make smart decisions when choosing new tech. Our consultants can do all the heavy lifting to ensure implementation is on time, on budget, meets objectives and is a great experience. Not ready to fly solo? We provide Talent Ops as a Service so your Tech and Process is continually improved and fully adopted.
With over a decade of local and international experience we add capability and capacity to our clients existing team. We're technology agnostic and specialise in the selection and implementation of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), Candidate Relationship Management (CRM), conversational AI / Chatbots, Assessment and Onboarding solutions and System Integrations.
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