Episode 203
Seth Wear on TA Tech Transformation Without a Bigger Budget
Seth Wear shares how Wabtec moved from Workday Recruiting to SmartRecruiters by self-funding the shift and fixing processes first. Learn the lean methodology that identified 46% of hiring delays were tech-driven, and how to build a business case when budget is frozen.
Episode Key Takeaways
Nearly half of hiring delays stem from the tool itself, not the team. A value stream mapping exercise revealed that 46% of Wabtec’s time-to-fill problems traced directly to configuration gaps and lack of automation in their previous ATS—a finding that justified the entire tech migration without requiring new headcount.
Process redesign must precede platform selection. Spending 2.5 years on team structure, process standardization, and behavior change before going live with new tech meant the system became an enforcement agent rather than a band-aid. Interview rounds dropped from six to two; scheduling delays fell from 14–48 days to near-zero through automation.
Seth argues that recruiters are routinely deprioritized in tech decisions. Optimizing for hiring manager or candidate experience while ignoring recruiter efficiency—the actual power users—leaves manual work intact. SmartRecruiters was chosen partly because it required minimal hiring manager training and offered out-of-the-box automation for screening and interview scheduling.
Self-funding forces ruthless prioritization. When told to fund the transformation internally, Wabtec cut subscription licenses to sourcing databases and home-built career site features—framed as ‘buying iPhones when you can’t afford bread and milk.’ The trade-off: fewer tools, but a foundational career site, ATS, and CRM that actually work together.
Quantify the business impact in language finance understands. A 25% reduction in time-to-fill on 100–150 concurrent roles translates to roughly $4.8M in recovered revenue or reduced vacancy costs annually. Connecting TA metrics to revenue, cost of vacancy, and time-to-productivity is how leaders secure buy-in when discretionary budget is gone.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
How do you identify which hiring delays are caused by your ATS?
Map every step of your recruiting process with recruiters, hiring managers, and HR in a room. Document variability—where people say ‘we do it this way, sometimes that way.’ Use sticky notes or a value stream map to spot bottlenecks. Wabtec found that 46% of delays were tool-related: manual screening, interview scheduling friction, and lack of automation. That data justified the platform change.
How do you fund a TA tech transformation with no budget increase?
Reframe existing spend. Wabtec cut contingent worker hours (manual work now automated), reduced sourcing database subscriptions, and deferred nice-to-have features. They committed to a five-year self-funded plan with finance as a partner. The key: show that efficiency gains (faster time-to-fill, fewer manual steps) offset the cost of the new platform and reduce total TA spend over time.
What should you measure after a TA tech implementation?
Track time-to-fill and time-to-start (target: 25% reduction). Monitor career site traffic, CRM engagement, and candidate NPS. Measure cost of vacancy impact—if you shrink time-to-fill by 25% on 100+ roles, calculate the revenue or cost savings. Quality matters too: ensure automation doesn’t degrade hire quality. Avoid metrics that create friction; they distort candidate experience.
Why does process redesign need to happen before platform selection?
If you implement a new ATS without fixing process, you automate broken workflows. Wabtec standardized interview rounds (two instead of six), removed scheduling delays, and clarified roles before going live. This meant SmartRecruiters could enforce rules (e.g., ‘only two interviews allowed’) rather than just enable chaos faster. Process first; tech second.
How do you get hiring managers to accept stricter hiring processes?
Be explicit and frame it as expertise. When Wabtec capped interviews at two rounds, managers initially resisted—until leadership explained the business case: fewer rounds mean faster decisions, less candidate drop-off, and quicker time-to-productivity. Most hiring managers appreciate clear guidance; they don’t inherently know best practice. Plant the flag, show the data, and they’ll follow.