The drive towards digital transformation within the staffing business continues to achieve pace, with digitized information shortly turning into the rule as a substitute of the exception. In our 2023 GRID Business Developments Report, for the primary time, digital transformation got here in because the #2 total precedence among the many corporations surveyed. However our examine additionally revealed that many corporations are nonetheless early of their adoption and struggling to implement automated processes to speed up their candidate and consumer engagement.
So, what are the keys to a clean and profitable digital transformation? How do you identify priorities, handle change, and guarantee adoption? And the way do you keep away from getting derailed alongside the best way?
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 often called 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 corporations in the USA. Following the merger, the 2 corporations did a full analysis of their respective tech stacks, taking a look at overlaps and gaps, and guaranteeing that they’d the fitting instruments in place to satisfy their enterprise goals. The subsequent step within the journey was to consolidate the 2 corporations’ programs—a significant enterprise.
Now, post-consolidation, with DISYS and Signature working beneath one roof as Dexian, the corporate is concentrated on reaching alignment in its workflows and processes. That features wanting on the total expertise journey throughout all events concerned: candidates, shoppers, and inner workers. 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 all the modifications and enhancements the corporate is making are totally aligned with their enterprise priorities, as articulated by government management. So, when the sector requests new automations or options, her staff evaluates them by way of that lens. “If you align to your organization’s priorities, every little thing falls into place,” Harris stated. “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
Most of the enhancements Dexian has remodeled the last few 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 e mail will routinely exit to the salesperson, alerting them that the job can be closed until they take motion.
Automation has made a fair larger affect for the corporate on the nurturing and redeployment entrance. Now, the workflow routinely sends out reminders when job finish dates are approaching or when no person has been in contact with a candidate in a given period of time. “We’re consistently staying forward of issues, so we are able to establish who’s eligible for redeployment and transfer them onto the fitting listing and get them their subsequent alternative,” stated Blake. Utilizing automation on this manner, the corporate was capable of drive its redeployment fee as much as 35% final 12 months.
Dexian has been capable of leverage different capabilities within the Bullhorn platform as nicely. One instance is customizing web page and discipline interactions in order that customers are pressured to enter full and correct information and don’t need to be chased down for that info later. “Between Bullhorn Automation and the power to construct your individual discipline and web page interactions,” Devoe stated, “there actually isn’t something that we haven’t been capable of do.”
Driving adoption by beginning early
Even the neatest enhancements to your programs and workflows received’t repay if no person makes use of them. Managing change and driving adoption are at all times difficult, however the important thing, Harris and Devoe agree, is beginning on the high: “We introduce the change to management first—that is the ‘what,’ that is the ‘why,’—and we get their buy-in,” Harris stated. “We want that as a result of it’ll go down from there to the sector.” She additionally emphasised the significance of considering by way of the potential downstream results of any modifications and ensuring that each 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 position, they usually make it possible for particular person is concerned as early as attainable after they’re making modifications to workflows or implementing new options. Harris stated in addition they begin getting ready coaching supplies early within the course of, taking screenshots whereas nonetheless within the manufacturing surroundings, and letting leaders see the coaching supplies first. From there, the change administration position is answerable for ensuring the sector understands the modifications and is totally educated.
Harris additionally addressed one of many frequent questions staffing corporations have about coaching: how do you make it possible for what workers study really “sticks”? Having a superb studying and growth staff, she stated, is a key a part of it. “[Our team] is all about how folks study and what number of occasions they should see one thing or learn one thing and the totally different ways in which they digest it.” Offering coaching in a number of modalities is vital, each she and Devoe stated, since folks study in several methods. Some may favor watching movies or attending webinars, whereas others may favor written directions or a job assist they’ll print out and maintain 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 important,” stated Devoe. “You employ it for 3 issues: planning, prioritization, and communication.” The communication piece, he stated, is particularly vital. A roadmap permits him to point out each management and other people within the discipline what’s on the docket and what the plan is for the subsequent two years, laying the groundwork for profitable adoption.
Having a roadmap additionally helps groups keep disciplined alongside the best way. With clearly outlined targets and a big-picture perspective, groups are much less prone to get slowed down by requests or distracted alongside the best way by the newest and best factor to return 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 identical 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 affect they’ll have on the plan as a complete.
Don’t get comfy
Dexian has made enormous strides in its digital transformation journey over the previous three years, laying the inspiration for extra enhancements going ahead. The subsequent step for them can be studying extra about what’s obtainable on the Bullhorn platform in addition to by way of the Market, then researching, demo-ing, deciding on, 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 may change. Don’t get comfy. When you’ve one thing good, you may maintain making it higher. If it’s actually important for your online business, at all times be trying to improve it.”
On the lookout for extra insights from Interact Boston 2023? Try our Content material Hub for recaps, movies, and extra from this 12 months’s occasion.
