Let’s be honest: Automation projects often fail for a number of businesses.<\/p>\n
In fact, McKinsey reports 70% of transformations fail. For digital projects, Gartner puts it at 80%. Not because the technology doesn’t work, but because you haven’t prepared for the human side of change.<\/p>\n
Not always a fail, obviously. But not meaningful implementation either.<\/p>\n
The pattern is predictable: leadership gets excited about a new tool, consultants have no reason to use it, everyone goes back to doing things exactly how they’ve always done them.<\/p>\n
Here’s what nobody tells you about automation adoption: the technology is (kinda) the easy part. Automation is pretty simple. I could teach you the basics in half a day.<\/p>\n
The hard part? Leading humans through change.<\/p>\n
So, how do you:<\/p>\n
Well, let\u2019s start with the uncomfortable part: If your team is resistant to automation, you’re not set up for success.<\/p>\n
Your recruiters have built their identity around being busy.<\/p>\n
\u201cBusywork\u201d is the time-consuming activity that feels productive but has low impact. Whether it\u2019s manual data entry, hours of sending emails, or reviewing hundreds of CVs \u2014 you\u2019re about to take that work away. No wonder they\u2019re resistant.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re challenging how your team measures their worth. Who are they if they’re not the person who ‘does everything manually, because that’s the personal touch?’<\/p>\n
Before you can address resistance, you need to understand it.<\/p>\n
What’s really driving your team’s hesitation?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s your choice to address this identity shift, to name it.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t shy away from this conversation \u2014 actively talk about it with your team.<\/p>\n
But understanding the fear or reservations isn\u2019t enough. You need to get clear on the benefits. Starting with yourself.<\/p>\n
Why are you investing in automation as a leader? Get specific. Is it to scale the business? Reduce errors? Free up budget for growth? If you’re not clear on this, your team won’t be either. And if automation isn’t written into your operational strategy with real commitment behind it, nothing will change.<\/p>\n
Then, what’s in it for your consultants? Your team needs to know what automation means for their daily work:<\/p>\n
Get specific with your examples:<\/p>\n
\u201cHey team, we haven’t spoken to 60% of our active candidates. With automation, we can get that time back or let automation initiate those conversations. Let’s experiment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThis number of placed candidates didn’t get their first-month check-in last quarter. Automation can help when we forget.”<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s not leadership vs consultants. It’s about everyone understanding the real value and moving forward together.<\/p>\n Your team’s resistance to automation often has little to do with the technology itself. It has everything to do with whether they trust your emotional state during uncertainty.<\/p>\n When you talk about automation and process improvement (if you haven’t discussed it yet, start now!), they’re not just listening to your words. They’re getting a vibe. They’re really asking: \u201cDoes my leader believe this will work?\u201d<\/p>\n The most successful automation rollouts are led by leaders who’ve genuinely resolved their own anxiety about the unknown. This doesn\u2019t mean having all the answers. Pretending you do will make things worse.<\/p>\n What your team needs to see:<\/p>\n Your team’s adoption speed has a lot to do with your internal emotional state. Not just your change management tactics. Before convincing your team, convince yourself. What are you anxious about? What gets you excited?<\/p>\n Want buy-in? Let your team build it with you.<\/p>\n Start with finding the right people and asking the right questions:<\/p>\n How to make it happen:<\/p>\n Everything starts with the user group. They test automation and advocate for it with your wider team.<\/p>\n Training isn\u2019t a two-day workshop followed by “good luck.” It’s an ongoing commitment to your team’s success.<\/p>\n Start with the foundations:<\/p>\n Fix the basics before adding automation on top of chaos.<\/p>\n What actually works:<\/p>\n Remember: automation amplifies what’s already there. Bad processes become automated bad processes. Good foundations become scalable success.<\/p>\n The goal isn’t perfection from day one. It’s progress, consistently supported, until the new way becomes the normal way. Start small, build from there.<\/p>\n The majority of automation projects fail due to people issues, not technology. But yours doesn’t have to. This requires ownership from the top.<\/p>\n Start here:<\/p>\n Look, leading through automation adoption is scary. You’re asking people to change how they’ve worked for years. You’re challenging their professional identity. And yes, some will resist no matter what you do. But most of your team? They’re just waiting for someone to show them it’s going to be okay. To prove that automation makes their work more meaningful, not less.<\/p>\n Be that leader. Start small. Stay curious. And remember every agency that’s successfully automated started exactly where you are now. The only difference? They took the first step.<\/p>\n Hamish Annan is a recruitment and marketing automation consultant who helps recruitment teams through the challenges of adopting automation. Follow him on LinkedIn<\/a> or get in touch at hamishannanconsulting.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let’s be honest: Automation projects often fail for a number of businesses. In fact, McKinsey reports 70% of transformations fail. For digital projects, Gartner puts it at 80%. Not because the technology doesn’t work, but because you haven’t prepared for the human side of change. Not always a fail, obviously. But not meaningful implementation either. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":574,"featured_media":79812,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[554,556],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staffing-technology","category-tips-tricks-and-how-tos"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYour Team Is Reading Your Vibe<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Involve Your Team in Implementation<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Provide Ongoing Training and Support<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Your Next Move<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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