The drive towards digital transformation within the staffing trade continues to realize velocity, with digitized knowledge shortly turning into the rule as a substitute of the exception. In our 2023 GRID Business Traits Report, for the primary time, digital transformation got here in because the #2 general precedence among the many corporations surveyed. However our examine additionally revealed that many firms are nonetheless early of their adoption and struggling to implement automated processes to speed up their candidate and shopper engagement.
So, what are the keys to a clean and profitable digital transformation? How do you determine priorities, handle change, and guarantee adoption? And the way do you keep away from getting derailed alongside the way in which?
At Interact Boston 2023, Bullhorn’s Mitesh Ashar, EVP, Product & Operations, posed these and different questions to 2 leaders at IT {and professional} staffing firm Dexian (previously generally known as DISYS & Signature Consultants): Blake Harris, Vice President, Gross sales and Recruiting Operations, and Vinnie Devoe, Director of Enterprise Purposes.
Learn on for a recap of their dialog, and take a look at the Bullhorn Interact Content material Hub for extra from this 12 months’s occasion.
From consolidation to alignment
In 2021, DISYS and Signature Consultants merged, turning into one of many largest IT {and professional} staffing and options firms in the US. Following the merger, the 2 firms did a full analysis of their respective tech stacks, taking a look at overlaps and gaps, and making certain that that they had the suitable instruments in place to fulfill their enterprise targets. The following step within the journey was to consolidate the 2 firms’ techniques—a significant enterprise.
Now, post-consolidation, with DISYS and Signature working underneath one roof as Dexian, the corporate is targeted on reaching alignment in its workflows and processes. That features trying on the total expertise journey throughout all events concerned: candidates, purchasers, and inside staff. As Devoe defined, “We’re figuring out the place the gaps are, after which we’ll begin taking a look at newer applied sciences that would enhance that have throughout the board.”
Harris emphasised that the entire modifications and enhancements the corporate is making are totally aligned with their enterprise priorities, as articulated by government management. So, when the sphere requests new automations or options, her crew evaluates them by that lens. “While you align to your organization’s priorities, all the things falls into place,” Harris mentioned. “But when it’s one thing that’s going to take us sideways, we all know to not focus in that space.”
Altering the sport with Bullhorn Automation
Lots of the enhancements Dexian has remodeled the previous couple of years are the results of leveraging automation. Knowledge cleaning, together with closing out outdated jobs, is one space the place automation has been extremely helpful. Now, when a job is getting outdated, an electronic mail will robotically exit to the salesperson, alerting them that the job can be closed until they take motion.
Automation has made a fair greater influence for the corporate on the nurturing and redeployment entrance. Now, the workflow robotically sends out reminders when job finish dates are approaching or when no one has been in contact with a candidate in a given period of time. “We’re continually staying forward of issues, so we are able to establish who’s eligible for redeployment and transfer them onto the suitable listing and get them their subsequent alternative,” mentioned Blake. Utilizing automation on this manner, the corporate was in a position to drive its redeployment fee as much as 35% final 12 months.
Dexian has been in a position to leverage different capabilities within the Bullhorn platform as properly. One instance is customizing web page and subject interactions in order that customers are pressured to enter full and correct knowledge and don’t need to be chased down for that data later. “Between Bullhorn Automation and the power to construct your personal subject and web page interactions,” Devoe mentioned, “there actually isn’t something that we haven’t been in a position to do.”
Driving adoption by beginning early
Even the neatest enhancements to your techniques and workflows gained’t repay if no one makes use of them. Managing change and driving adoption are all the time difficult, however the important thing, Harris and Devoe agree, is beginning on the prime: “We introduce the change to management first—that is the ‘what,’ that is the ‘why,’—and we get their buy-in,” Harris mentioned. “We’d like that as a result of it can go down from there to the sphere.” She additionally emphasised the significance of pondering by the potential downstream results of any modifications and ensuring that every one related teams perceive what’s forward and the way it will have an effect on their work.
Dexian is lucky to have somebody in a devoted change administration function, they usually ensure that individual is concerned as early as doable once they’re making modifications to workflows or implementing new options. Harris mentioned additionally they begin getting ready coaching supplies early within the course of, taking screenshots whereas nonetheless within the manufacturing setting, and letting leaders see the coaching supplies first. From there, the change administration function is accountable for ensuring the sphere understands the modifications and is totally skilled.
Harris additionally addressed one of many widespread questions staffing corporations have about coaching: how do you ensure that what staff be taught truly “sticks”? Having a very good studying and growth crew, she mentioned, is a key a part of it. “[Our team] is all about how folks be taught and what number of instances they should see one thing or learn one thing and the completely different ways in which they digest it.” Offering coaching in a number of modalities is vital, each she and Devoe mentioned, since folks be taught in numerous methods. Some may want watching movies or attending webinars, whereas others may want written directions or a job support they’ll print out and hold by their desk.
Utilizing a roadmap to staying on monitor
For Dexian, the primary key to profitable digital transformation is having a plan—and sticking to it. It’s very fundamental, however having a know-how roadmap that aligns together with your firm priorities is vital,” mentioned Devoe. “You utilize it for 3 issues: planning, prioritization, and communication.” The communication piece, he mentioned, is very vital. A roadmap permits him to point out each management and folks within the subject what’s on the docket and what the plan is for the following two years, laying the groundwork for profitable adoption.
Having a roadmap additionally helps groups keep disciplined alongside the way in which. With clearly outlined objectives and a big-picture perspective, groups are much less prone to get slowed down by requests or distracted alongside the way in which by the most recent and biggest factor to come back down the highway. Harris suggested, “If it’s not on that roadmap, if it’s not aligned to your priorities, don’t get derailed.”
On the similar time, Devoe identified, a roadmap is a dynamic doc. When new wants floor or priorities shift—as they inevitably do—the roadmap means that you can visualize what these modifications will seem like and the influence they’ll have on the plan as an entire.
Don’t get comfy
Dexian has made large strides in its digital transformation journey over the previous three years, laying the inspiration for extra enhancements going ahead. The following step for them can be studying extra about what’s accessible on the Bullhorn platform in addition to by the Market, then researching, demo-ing, choosing, and implementing the merchandise and instruments that serve their enterprise priorities.
The important thing, Devoe says, is to maintain transferring ahead. His recommendation: “Don’t cease taking a look at what you possibly can change. Don’t get comfy. When you will have one thing good, you possibly can hold making it higher. If it’s actually vital for what you are promoting, all the time be seeking to improve it.”
In search of extra insights from Interact Boston 2023? Try our Content material Hub for recaps, movies, and extra from this 12 months’s occasion.
