It’s no surprise that digital transformation ranks number one in 7 Critical Strategies to Prepare for the Future of Human Resources, according to a recent article posted by SHRM. That’s why SHRM Hawaii leaders are partnering with TechForce Hawaii to deliver a strategic HR workshop this month, building on topics raised at TechForce Hawaii Conference & Expo which brought together thought leaders in business, technology and education to discuss tech workforce development transformation.

Companies that embrace digital technologies in their talent acquisition functions are two times more likely to improve quality of hire and retention, and three times more likely to improve the candidate experience. Source: Digital Transformation in Talent Acquisition study from Aptitude Research and Alexander Mann Solutions

I had the pleasure of speaking to one of our most forward-thinking clients, Stefan Baier from Stefanini. Inc. What I enjoy most about talking with Stefan is that we’re usually on the same page in our philosophy about business and how technology is transforming our daily lives. I learned a lot from our most recent conversation on digital transformation and how smart companies must always be looking to the future.

Sylvia: Stefan, I always appreciate you sharing insights on how you approach business relationships. As you know, “Creating Win-Win Relationships” is our motto here at SmartSearch. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me and answer a few questions.

In regards to technology, why do companies need to look at their current day business with the future in mind?

Stefan: First off, technology is changing at a rapid pace. So, if you are not looking ahead, you are already behind. There have been so many advancements in recruitment technology over the years, and for me personally, once Stefanini started to maximize the power of automation, reporting, and analytics, it ignited a different business culture of how we go about the day-to-day staffing operations. By spending more time focusing on the “future” outcome, you can maximize the technology to help you get where you want to go faster and in a more efficient way. Combining the forethought and the capabilities of today’s technology allows an organization to set and track Key Performance Indicators in real-time, and what I call at Stefanini, Data Points in the ATS. Having these data points in real-time on a dashboard allows our team to be agile if we need to make changes along the way in our process. 

Companies must also consider what is it that actually moves the business forward in the direction it needs to go. Our goal is to focus on what matters most to the customers, employees, and partners. Knowing what improves the bottom line and what are the indicators needed to validate whether or not you’re achieving the desired results is vital. 

At Stefanini, it might sound like a recording; however, you often hear “what gets measured, gets done!”  

In the staffing business, for example, is it a volume game versus a quality game, or what is the right hybrid of quantity over quality when comparing the various client job orders.   Keeping in mind, this all may deviate from account to account. 

The key data points and metrics definitely need to be easily accessible to tell the story.   The data must allow my account leaders an easy way to look at their business from another set of lenses.  Stefanini is a digital company; it is in our DNA. We feel so strongly about the usage of data that we cascade the use of data-driven requirements back to the Account Leads’ annual goals and objectives.  Each of our account leaders, which we call RDMS, have to create their own custom dashboards and be able to use the data to tell the story along with implementing on-going changes to the process and overall delivery model. It is the expectation that the RDMs continually review their data and predict what will happen next, and it’s easier when you have the right tools.

For example, one of the things I like about SmartSearch is the configurable dashboards. They allow Stefanini access to multiple layers of real-time data and reports. The data points are readily available for continuous performance monitoring that enables us to be agile while driving process improvement daily.   

Sylvia: Why is it essential that businesses configure, implement, and manage their software and technology with a partnership attitude? 

Stefan: The word partnership means we’re all continually learning together; it’s about sharing information that keeps us all moving faster, improving every day, and all benefitting from collective knowledge. Having this partnership mindset will alleviate the stress when something may not always go as planned. As it often can when implementing and/or updating any technology solution.  

Recruiting technology is evolving at a rapid pace, so having a partnership mindset allows the client/technology-supplier partnership to flourish. On one side, if you are a valued supplier partner, your technology provider may offer you advanced access to the latest technology innovations, allowing you to be on the forefront. On the other side, a good staffing supplier partner will openly communicate the nuances of the technology, provide objective feedback, which can improve product quality and lessen heartache with future clients. For me, personally, implementation is never complete. As the technology partner, my agenda is always to be moving the needle forward making suggestions on how the technology can be improved to better support our business.  SmartSearch has always been open-minded and responsive to new ideas. 

Partnerships fully engage in sharing best practices and routinely take time out of their busy schedules to share new thoughts and ideas. We both rely heavily on each for success in our own business.

Sylvia: In what ways can companies get the most out of their technology, and how can they gauge success?

Stefan: It’s important to start with a user-friendly technology platform that does not require a developer and/or outside consultant to configure your system. In fact, most developers may not understand the business more than you, so don’t be afraid to dig in yourself or challenge some of your current teams on learning how to configure a system. Make it fun! And it’s essential to always think with the end goal in mind, embrace change and don’t be afraid to pilot new things.

Never be afraid of new technology. To truly maximize results, you have to challenge the technology, your technology partner, and the status quo, so think big, make changes (be agile) and reconfigure or realign if needed as the business grows and changes.