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Today we’re going to go through a bulletproof playbook that will result in the necessary internal buy in needed to successfully buy new HR technology.
Make no mistake: buying HR and TA software is really difficult. There are too many vendors, opaque pricing, and often a lot internal stakeholders. Plus, there’s that whole day job thing you’ve got going with keeping employees happy, and filling new reqs.
The most common reason new HR tools fail is a lack of buy in from the rest of the organization. This usually manifests in one of three ways:
The Real Issue
Let’s face it, HR and talent acquisition are thought of mostly as cost centers. The executive team wants to squeeze as much juice out as possible, with as little investment as possible. It’s not fair, not rationale, but it’s reality for many teams.
Of course, there are exceptions. But, the barrier for human resources to break through and get new tools can be really high–even if new software is desperately needed.
Beyond this, most executives are insanely busy and don’t have the headspace to think through what a new ATS may bring to the table, or why an hr chatbot is a good investment.
So it’s on us to clearly articulate why, how, and what we’ll get from this new investment.
Enter, The HR Tech Roadshow
A roadshow typically happens when a company is trying to go public. They make a presentation about what a great business they have, and then get investors to buy into their company, one presentation at a time.
HR can use the same formula to get executive buy in for new initiatives. It’s all about creating the right presentation, and then getting 30 minutes with each of the key stakeholders in your business.
The Presentation
Your roadshow presentation should have a few key parts.
Here’s an example:
Hopefully this structure is useful to see as a framework, as well as an example. Here is a PowerPoint template you can use as well.
The Audience
Start as early as possible to get in front of the most important stakeholders in your company: CEO, CMO, CFO, CTO, etc. In a larger company, you may be looking at VPs or Directors instead of the c-suite. And, if you’re far along in the buying process, you may be looking to do this with 1-2 people vs 5-6.
Snag 30 minutes on their calendar, and let them know you want to get their advice on an initiative you’re considering. People love to give advice.
Go through the presentation slide by slide, controlling the conversation. Of course, take questions as they come. But, don’t let this conversation get derailed by the random tangents many of our top business minds are prone to. Stick to the topic at hand – and remind them you only have 30 minutes to chat!
The ask here is to get their blessing: “So, you agree I’m thinking about this correctly?”
Getting even a verbal buy-in here allows you to say, “Ok great, I’ll keep you in the loop on how this progresses.” From here, keep them in the loop! If there is a big update, let them know. More likely, it’ll be small updates on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. Put a reminder in your calendar to send them a quick note so they feel a part of what you’re doing.
The Results
Getting the key stakeholders in your business onboard early for any new initiative is essential in making it a success.
Now, you have powerful allies when you need help getting the budget for your new initiative. When the CFO says “No,” you’ve got the CTO in your corner explaining why it’s worth the money and why they care.
You can also circumvent the random stakeholder who always seems to come out of the woodwork late in a project’s life by having one of your allies let them know why this is a priority.
Lastly, having cross functional buy in at the senior level is important for implementation of most HR tech – which typically involves getting employees onboard. The best way to do that of course is to start with the why, and have it articulated through the voice of a functional leader vs HR.
There you have it: a gameplan for creating your very own roadshow with the end goal of getting your new initiative across the finish line. Feel free to customize this formula to fit your use case, and let us know if you learn anything we should be sharing on this topic!
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