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Talent Tech Stacks: Play Loud, Build Smart · Edan Haddock - Total Talent

• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Eden Haddock Total Talent.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Eden Haddock, your host, your amplifier of bold ideas, and your roadie for all things talent.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're plugging into a topic that's equal parts thrilling and intimidating.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Building the right talent tech stack.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the truth.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: The right stack can be a supercharger.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: It can turn a good talent team into a strategic powerhouse.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: But the wrong stack, that's dead weight.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: It slows you down, burns through budget, and leaves everyone frustrated.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: I want to give you something different today.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Real world no fluff guidance on how to research, design, and select the tech that works for you.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Not the vendor's dream, not the consultant's template, but one that fits your people and your mission.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: So tune your guitar, warm up your vocals, and let's dive into the set list.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Your HRIS, the drum beat of the band.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Every band needs rhythm.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: And without it, even the best solos fall flat.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Your HRIS is that rhythm.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's the beat that drives everything else.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Many teams skip this step.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: They start with the front end, the shiny tools, things like sourcing platforms, AI overlayers, snazzy ATS dashboards, but they forget the foundation.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: If payroll data can't flow cleanly into unboarding, or if learning doesn't sync with performance data, you've got noise, not music.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Picture it.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: A candidate becomes an employee.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Their data moves from offer to onboarding to payroll to performance.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: That flow should feel seamless.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like a drumline that never misses a beat.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: When you start with your HRIS and work backwards, you protect that rhythm.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Every other instrument slots in smoothly.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the move.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Map it out visually.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Create a diagram of your employee journey.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Then overlay the systems.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Anywhere there's a gap, mark it.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: And anywhere the data has to be manually re-keyed, circle it in red.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's where the pain is.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where you need your tech to sink.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Get the HRIS right, and everything else is easier.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Ignore it, and you're building chaos.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, why consultants can't headline your show?
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get real about consulting firms.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: They'll tell you they have the answers that they've built stacks for dozens of companies just like yours.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the problem.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: You are not a template.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, a consultant can give perspective, but too often they're incentivized by the vendors that they recommend.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a bias baked in.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: No, I'm not saying never use them.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: What I am saying is don't hand them the keys to your show.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: You're the headline act, and they're an opener at best.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you do bring one in, interrogate them.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Have they actually implemented this system themselves or just watched a demo?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Do they have live references and not just case studies from a glossy deck?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: Importantly, who pays them and how?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Because you're paying them.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Who else is paying them?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: And how?
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then take their advice with a filter.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Run your own due diligence.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Ask your own questions.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because here's the secret.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Building a stack isn't rocket science.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Really, it's it's listening to your people, testing the flow, and staying brutally honest about what works and what doesn't.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need a consulting army.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: All you need is curiosity and courage.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: The total talent view.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: See the whole stage.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Many teams make the mistake of thinking tech for recruitment, but that's too narrow.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Your stack should support the entire talent lifecycle.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Think of it like the stage setup at a festival.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: Not just the main stage, but the sound, the lights, the backstage crew, the crowd barriers.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: From your career site to ATS, to onboarding, to learning, to exit surveys, and everything in between.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: It all matters.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: A candidate doesn't care if your ATS is best in class, if the onboarding feels like a 1990s fax machine.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: A manager won't thank you for slick dashboards if they can't approve a requisition without six clicks.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: So when you evaluate platforms, be the candidate.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Apply for a role.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Was it seamless or clunky?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: Be the manager.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Approve a role?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Review candidates?
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Did it empower you or frustrate you?
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: This one's important.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Be the people partner or the HR business partner.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Did the system help you advise better?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Or dump data in your lap?
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: That perspective is gold.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: It forces you to see the stack as a whole, not just a collection of tools.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: When you evaluate this way, you're not just buying features, you're buying an experience.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: The open API illusion.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk buds words.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: Open API.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds limitless, right?
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like anything can integrate with anything.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the catch.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Not all APIs are created equal.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Some are robust highways, others are narrow dirt roads.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Don't just take the vendor's word.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: They'll say, of course it integrates.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: But what they mean is it integrates with limitations, with extra work, with costs we're not showing you.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: So here's the play.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: Find another customer already running the integration you need.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: Ask them directly.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Does it actually work?
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Or does it slow down reporting?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Does it break under the load?
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And ask what the hidden costs are.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: That can be time, money, and frustration.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: That insight is priceless.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Because nothing kills momentum faster than a system that claims to be plug and play.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: But when it really requires duct tape and late night troubleshooting.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Open API isn't a promise.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's a question mark.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: So treat it like one.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now the trap of the modular giants, the big enterprise platforms.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Enterprise vendors love to play this game.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Sell you a core system, then upsell you the add-ons and everything else.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Analytics, extra.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Onboarding, extra.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Workflow automation, extra.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: And suddenly, the system you thought was cost effective has ballooned.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: And worse, you're stuck.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because with the enterprise platforms, once you've gone all in, it can be painful to leave.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll talk about that in a moment.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the rule with those platforms: look for transparency.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: If a provider won't tell you the total cost up front, that's a red flag.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Think of it this way: if you bought a car and the dealer said, Oh, by the way, the steering wheel is extra, you'd laugh them out of the lot, right?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: So why do we accept it with talented?
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Demand honesty.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: Demand clarity.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: And if they can't give it, move on.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to talk about the other systems, the ones that aren't classified as enterprise stacks or enterprise platforms.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: Really, we're in an era where systems are much easier to switch on and off than ever.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: So why do many teams sign five-year deals?
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's fear.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: The fear of change, the fear of disruption, and the fear of making the wrong call.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: But the truth is the wrong call is survivable if it's short.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: And this is where I challenge to look beyond those big names and those enterprise platforms that everyone else is using, or the ones that you see sponsoring the big events, those big names.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Look at the others.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: What else is out there?
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why I say, you know, look at them and commit for 12 months.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Test, measure, learn, and if it doesn't deliver, walk.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: Don't tie yourself down.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Flexibility is your leverage.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: And remember, the best vendors will back themselves.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: They'll say, fine, take the twelve-month contract.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: We know you'll stay because you'll love it.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: The ones that insist on long lock-ins, they're showing you their hand.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps they don't trust their own product.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if that's the case, believe them.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now here's a hack.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: PR is currency.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Vendors crave case studies.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: They want your logo, your testimonial, your story.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: Offer it.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: But make it part of the negotiation.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: You want a discount?
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Offer to speak at their event.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: You want better service levels?
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: Offer to do a joint press release.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: You want extra features thrown in?
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Offer to be a reference client.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: Think like a band cutting a deal with a record label.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Exposure is valuable.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: But only if it's on your terms.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: Make them earn it.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: Don't just hand your story over for free.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: Glossy conferences, keynote speeches, sponsored white papers, they're fun, but they're theater.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: The real truth lives in the references.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Call them.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: And as many as you can.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Don't just take the three names the Vendor gives you.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hunt down others.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Jump onto rubber band, reach out.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: Jump onto the Slack group that tell an acquisition down under.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Reach out.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Our industry are very helpful and very generous here in Australia and beyond.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: And LinkedIn is your friend here.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Put a post out.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: Call to arms.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: Ask the real questions.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: What's the worst thing about this system?
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: How responsive is support when it really matters?
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: What's broken right now that you're living with?
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: And if you had to do it again, would you?
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Those conversations are where you cut through the noise.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's where you find out whether a platform is a rock solid partner or just a pretty face with an expensive rider.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: Another tip from me MVP first, perfection never.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: Perfection is a mirage.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: You'll never get it at launch.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: So don't aim for it.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: Aim for MVP.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Minimum viable product.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Get it live, get people using it, and then iterate.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: Think about it like a band on tour.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: You don't debut a new album with a twenty-five song set list polished to perfection.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: You test the songs.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: You watch the crowd.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: You swap in what lands.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: The set evolves night after night.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Your tech stack should be the same.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: Launch, learn, adapt.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because the moment you say we're finished, you've lost.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: The tech landscape moves too fast.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: And in 2025 and beyond, even faster than ever.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: So your stack isn't a project.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Don't treat it like a project.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: It needs to be a living, breathing ecosystem.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: So here's the encore.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: A talent tech stack isn't about chasing trends or outsourcing decisions.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's about building a system that amplifies your strategy, not distracts from it.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: Start with your HRIS, own your decisions, evaluate through a total talent lens, challenge the open API hype, avoid modular traps, stay flexible, negotiate smart, and make PR work for you.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: And above all, launch fast, learn faster, and evolve constantly.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: Get it right, and your stack will hum like a perfectly tuned band.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: Get it wrong, and you're just noise.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: This has been Eden Haddock, Total Talent.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: Stay bold, stay human, and keep it rock and roll.