Talent acquisition technology (TA Tech) is evolving rapidly, and with it, the need for a robust business case to justify its adoption. As organizations strive to remain competitive, investing in effective TA Tech can transform recruitment from a cost-heavy function into a strategic asset. This article explores how to build a strong business case for TA Tech by leveraging insights from Adway’s recent LinkedIn Live event, “How to Build Your Business Case for TA Tech,” featuring Adway's CMO Sara, along with TA experts Chris Haslam and Darren Bush. Below, we’ll break down key strategies to support a winning business case and highlight essential steps to ensure your TA Tech investment aligns with broader business goals.

Keep reading to learn about the impact of data hygiene, AI-driven insights, and budget allocation to transform recruitment from a cost center to a revenue-driving function, all while building a solid business case for modern TA tech! 

You can also catch the full Adway Live episode right here:

Why TA Tech Is Essential for Modern Recruitment?

The TA Tech Landscape Today
The current TA Tech landscape is rich with options, from advanced applicant tracking systems (ATS) to AI-driven analytics and recruitment marketing platforms. With these diverse options, TA Tech can streamline recruitment, improve candidate experience, and provide valuable data-driven insights that impact a company’s bottom line. As discussed in the LinkedIn Live session, organizations can no longer rely on one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, they must build a niche ecosystem of best-in-class tools tailored to their unique challenges.

The Competitive Advantage of TA Tech
Having a flexible TA tech stack not only attracts top talent but also empowers recruitment to act as a revenue-driving function. The rise of specialized tools and AI-driven capabilities has turned talent acquisition into a strategic differentiator, creating a strong case for building a tech-enabled recruitment process. A powerful business case for TA Tech should emphasize how these tools position the company ahead of competitors.

Key Components of a Strong Business Case for TA Tech

Data Hygiene and Integration
For TA Tech to truly drive value, data hygiene is paramount. Without clean, connected data, talent acquisition teams can struggle to gain actionable insights or measure the effectiveness of recruitment strategies. During the session, Darren emphasized that data hygiene supports efficient decision-making and ensures that companies maximize the impact of TA Tech investments.

Key Tip: Start by consolidating and cleaning existing data across various sources, such as ATS, CRM, and social recruitment channels. This will make it easier to track meaningful metrics and ultimately improve the quality of insights.

Collaborative Research and Vendor Engagement
Thorough research and proactive engagement with vendors are essential steps in creating a successful TA Tech business case. Chris and Darren recommended meeting with multiple vendors, taking advantage of free demos, and closely examining each tool’s capabilities. This strategy provides a clear view of the available options, helping you choose tools that best align with your specific recruitment goals.

Vendor Engagement Tips:

• Start by defining your core recruitment challenges and priorities.
• Meet with vendors and be transparent about your research goals.
• Don’t hesitate to ask vendors to support your business case development by providing data, case studies, and ROI projections.

Budget Allocation: Investing in Innovation

The Importance of Budget Flexibility
Allocating 10-15% of your recruitment budget for testing new TA tools ensures your company can stay agile and respond to changing talent needs. Both Chris and Darren emphasized the importance of budgeting for trial and innovation, as this allows TA teams to keep up with the latest trends and solutions in TA Tech. Setting aside this “innovation budget” enables teams to test emerging technologies, assess ROI, and implement the best solutions.

Allocating for Innovation:

• Dedicate 10-15% of the TA budget specifically for innovation and pilot programs.
• Use this budget to try new tools or features that address specific recruitment challenges, such as social recruitment, predictive analytics, or ATS enhancements.

Benchmarking Against Competitors
When building your business case, it’s essential to demonstrate how the proposed TA Tech will enable your organization to perform better than competitors. Many organizations allocate their recruitment budgets exclusively to traditional methods, but the forward-thinking strategy of setting aside funds for innovation allows for faster adaptation to the shifting TA Tech landscape.

Aligning TA Tech with Revenue and Business Goals

Transforming TA Tech into a Revenue Driver

To make a compelling case for TA Tech, align recruitment goals with broader business objectives. TA Tech solutions today offer more than just efficiency; they drive measurable results that can impact business growth and revenue. The LinkedIn Live discussion highlighted that TA Tech can shift talent acquisition from being viewed as a cost center to a revenue-generating function by increasing candidate quality, optimizing time-to-hire, and enhancing overall recruitment effectiveness.

Key Metrics to Support Business Goals

Your business case should include KPIs that directly reflect the technology’s impact on business objectives. Some crucial metrics to consider are:

• Candidate Quality: The quality of candidates attracted through social recruiting or other TA Tech tools.
• Time-to-Attract: Reduced time-to-attract leads to faster onboarding and ultimately impacts productivity.
• Engagement Rates: Track engagement with job ads on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn to measure candidate interest and reach.
  
  

Aligning these metrics with revenue goals not only demonstrates TA Tech’s value but also positions talent acquisition as a strategic contributor to overall business success.

Top Takeaways: Building a Future-Ready TA Tech Stack

After discussing the importance of TA Tech, the panel shared actionable takeaways for building a business case:

• Prioritize Data Hygiene: Ensure data is clean, organized, and connected across different platforms to support clear, actionable insights.
• Collaborate with Vendors: Partnering with vendors helps tailor TA Tech to address specific business challenges, with many vendors offering support in crafting your business case.
• Allocate Budget for Innovation: By setting aside 10-15% for innovation, your TA team can stay competitive and respond quickly to new trends.
• Tie TA Tech to Revenue Goals: Illustrate how recruitment impacts business growth by linking TA Tech investment to revenue-generating metrics like candidate quality and time-to-hire.

Conclusion: Transforming Talent Acquisition with TA Tech

In today’s competitive hiring environment, a well-crafted TA Tech business case is more than just a document—it’s a strategic tool that can transform talent acquisition from a reactive function into a proactive, revenue-generating powerhouse. By focusing on data hygiene, collaborating with vendors, investing in innovation, and aligning recruitment with business goals, companies can build a TA Tech stack that not only attracts top talent but drives meaningful business impact.

For companies looking to stay at the forefront of recruitment technology, Adway’s Talent Attraction Suite offers a powerful, data-driven solution designed to meet the needs of modern TA teams. Follow Adway’s insights for more strategies on leveraging TA Tech to enhance recruitment effectiveness and ensure your business remains competitive in the talent marketplace.

Exploring TA Tech With Industry Expert Matt Alder

For more expert insights into building a strong business case for TA, check out our session with   Matt Alder on Adway’s Talent Attraction strategies. In this conversation, Matt and Adway dive into the evolving talent acquisition landscape, covering essential topics like AI-driven recruitment and the power of social media in reaching top talent. This deep-dive discussion offers valuable perspectives for anyone looking to stay competitive and build a future-ready recruitment marketing business case.

Talk to an Adway expert today to see how our Talent Attraction Suite can optimise your entire recruitment budget, increase candidate quality, and attract top talent faster than your competitors.

Together, let’s build a TA Tech stack that works as hard as you do!