A whopping 70% of digital transformations fail. And 75% don’t deliver their expected results. Why? If not properly defined and communicated, changes in technology and processes frighten and frustrate employees. Instead of the improved efficiency and productivity you were hoping for, you’re met with resistance and misalignment across departments. When your team isn’t on the same page, your candidates and customers notice, too.
So, how can you, as a staffing firm leader, leverage digital solutions successfully to stay ahead of the curve in today’s competitive market? The first step is to help your team adapt through the use of an effective technology change management plan.
At ASA’s Staffing World, occurring every year, the Aqore team spoke with staffing industry leaders who leverage our workflow automation and task management technology. In addition to the insight we gathered at the conference, Aqore has spent over 20 years guiding staffing company leaders through implementing new staffing software.
Read on for our recommendations and best practices around getting team members excited about new technology changes.
The more you prepare up front, the better off you’ll be once you’re in the thick of the implementation process. Audit and test new technology before you take any further steps. This ensures you and your team understand what your tech solutions partner— and their software— can do for your business and what work will be required on your end.
One way to prepare is by scheduling demos of the software you hope to utilize. At Aqore, we offer Zenople demos and complimentary training sessions on the many tools and functions within the platform every month. Educational opportunities such as these are some of the many ways we strive to be a true partner to our clients, making this huge change in processes simple for you and your team.
It can be easy to get overwhelmed when going through such a large change in your organization’s processes. Setting deadlines and sticking to them is the best way to break the process down into achievable goals.
Start your to-do list with your audiences at the forefront of your mind and go from there. What do your clients, candidates, consultants, and employees need to know about this transition? What’s the best way to provide them with that information? Be it pre-recorded instructional videos, an F.A.Q. Page, or simply sharing a link to your calendar so people can schedule a meeting with you, will allow your team to create their own game plans.
To build familiarity with your new tech as efficiently as possible, involve a wide range of employees at the first opportunity during implementation. That way, you have a broad team of torchbearers spread throughout your organization, ready to champion your company’s efforts. By having at least one employee using each tool’s functionality, you can spot any potential process issues early on.
Consider who will be most affected by this technology change and assemble a specialized change management team with a wide range of skills and positions. The broader, the better— from recruiters to stakeholders— since these individuals will disseminate their knowledge among their teams as they help onboard everyone else.
Verbally telling employees how to use new software won’t set them up for success. Instead, allow team members ownership of the solution and agency in their discovery. Thinking about user adoption in the beginning stages of implementation will bring a more positive learning experience and a better relationship with all company initiatives moving forward.
When educating your organisation on new technology, there’s no such thing as overcommunication. Create an internal communication strategy centred around the implementation. Whether consultants, clients, recruiters, sales, or H.R., whoever will be affected by the change should know why you’re making it, what’s required of them, and what they can expect— now and in the future.
Your communication efforts should also excite your company about the additional improvements and functionalities this tech will bring to their roles. Building that excitement will make the implementation process easier for your entire team.
When implementing new tech, encountering issues is inevitable. However, working with the right partner to solve problems as they arise can ease tensions and create a smooth experience for your employees, clients, and candidates alike. The ability to trust your partner with everything— from the most minute technical details to larger-scale project management— reduces your mandatory effort for implementation.
Our partners at Ascend Staffing leaned on the Aqore team during the implementation process. With their trust and our software support, their company grew by 90% in just over a year. Their team was searching for a quick onboarding software solution with an excellent ATS to ensure employees were paid on time and clients received easy-to-read invoices. Zenople’s open API provided even more, allowing them to begin working with other vendors!
Small things can make a huge difference in aligning an organization behind a project. The correlation between effective change management and the likelihood of a project’s success is undeniable. In fact, a project is six times more likely to be successful when there’s excellent change management.
But implementing and managing an extensive technology change in your organization isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s the beginning of what should be an ongoing and fruitful partnership as you work together to achieve continued growth for everyone involved. Adopting a technology change management strategy like our outlined will allow you to get the most value from your technology investment while keeping your team engaged and inspired.
Implementing new technology doesn’t have to be a challenge. Request a demo of Aqore’s Zenople today, and you’ll gain access to a team of industry experts who will guide you every step of the way.
