Onboarding: The Secret to Successful AI Rollouts in Recruitment Agencies

Despite the promise of new technology, 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail to meet their goals verified.com.au.  And more often than not, the reason isn’t the technology itself it’s the rollout and adoption. In other words, great software means little if your team isn’t fully using it.

That’s why onboarding support and professional services aren’t “nice-to-haves”. They’re the secret power behind getting real value from new tech. This is especially true for AI tools for recruiters and other advanced platforms in the recruitment industry, where process change can make or break ROI.

Great Tech Alone Isn’t Enough

We’ve all seen it: an agency invests in a tool with huge potential (say, an AI-driven CV formatting tool or recruitment automation platform), but after the launch fanfare, usage dwindles. Teams revert to old habits, and ROI flatlines. Why does this happen? Often, employees aren’t engaged or comfortable with the new system. In fact, a McKinsey study found that such failures are largely due to employee resistance and poor change management practices verified.com.au – not the tech itself. It’s not that the tool didn’t work; it’s that people weren’t guided on how to work with the tool.

This phenomenon leads to “shelfware” – software that’s bought but never fully utilised. Analysts estimate over 25% of business software ends up as shelfware leadspace.com. Likewise, research shows 70% of software features go unused by customers whatfix.com. That’s a huge waste of potential value. Why invest in cutting-edge AI for recruitment agencies if your team only uses a fraction of its capabilities?

Consider the alternatives some agencies try: There are plenty of point solutions out there – CV formatting software like AllSorter, video interview platforms such as Odro, or candidate presentation tools like Candidately. Some recruiters experiment with general AI (e.g. using ChatGPT to write candidate summaries) or outsourcing tasks to external services. These tools and approaches might each solve part of the puzzle, but without a structured onboarding and integration plan they often suffer the same fate: low adoption and inconsistent use. Busy recruiters will default to familiar manual processes if the new system feels confusing or unsupported. The result? Missed opportunities and unrealised efficiency gains.

Industry research backs this up: organisations that invest in thorough onboarding see dramatically higher adoption rates and faster time-to-value. Gartner has noted that companies leveraging professional services during tech rollouts achieve up to 80% higher user adoption and 50% faster time-to-value. The takeaway is clear – great tech alone isn’t enough. Success comes from getting your people to actually use the tech well.

Real Results from Focused Support

The difference a focused onboarding makes is night and day. For example, one mid-sized recruitment firm (around 250 consultants) rolled out HireAra’s AI platform last year with full onboarding and professional services support. Six months in, they reported tangible improvements:

• 30% faster candidate submissions (less time from vacancy to sending candidate CVs to clients)

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• 22% higher send-to-interview ratio (more submitted candidates progressed to interview stage)

• Improved recruiter confidence in using the platform (as reported by team surveys)
  

Their leadership credited these gains to a “partner-led rollout” – in other words, treating the implementation as a joint effort between their staff and HireAra’s onboarding specialists. Instead of just handing over software, HireAra’s team worked shoulder-to-shoulder with recruiters: delivering hands-on training, refining workflows, and showing exactly how automation fits into each consultant’s day. The transition was seamless because people felt supported at every step.

And this isn’t an isolated case. Another HireAra client, global agency Spencer Ogden, saw massive efficiency gains by combining our AI with a structured rollout. By empowering internal “super-users” and phasing the deployment region by region with ongoing support, they achieved an 80% reduction in time spent editing each candidate profile on average hireara.ai What used to take consultants 20–30 minutes of tedious manual CV formatting was largely eliminated. HireAra’s platform automatically generated beautifully branded CVs and summaries, and the team was trained to trust and utilize these features fully. The result was not only time saved, but a consistent, high-quality presentation of candidates that strengthened their brand. Spencer Ogden’s rollout plan included dedicated super-user training and a country-by-country adoption program co-run by HireAra’s experts and the agency’s own ops leaders hireara.ai – a recipe that ensured no office was left behind in adoption.

When focused support is in place, the new technology quickly shifts from “just another tool” to an essential part of the team’s routine. Recruiters start seeing quick wins (like filling roles faster, or spending less time on admin), which reinforces further use in a positive feedback loop.

Why Professional Services Drive Long-Term Value

The right onboarding program doesn’t just show users which buttons to click – it aligns the technology with your business goals and day-to-day operations. Professional services experts take time to understand your agency’s workflows and KPIs. They ensure that the AI tool is configured to complement your processes (for example, integrating with your ATS/CRM, or customising templates to fit your brand). This alignment means every recruiter knows when and how to use the tool to maximum effect, rather than viewing it as an extra chore.

Crucially, effective onboarding also addresses the human side of tech adoption. It provides change management: setting expectations, getting buy-in from stakeholders, and building excitement by highlighting “what’s in it for me” for the team. Consultants feel supported through the change their feedback is heard, their questions answered. This boosts confidence and reduces the natural resistance to new ways of working. In turn, adoption is higher and sustained. Studies show that when users receive proper training, they not only use more of a product’s features, but 78% of employees say they need additional training to utilise workplace tools effectively whatfix.com. Satisfied, well-trained users will stick with the platform and explore its more advanced features over time, increasing the solution’s value to the business.

From a bottom-line perspective, great onboarding accelerates time-to-value. Rather than a lengthy trial-and-error period, your team hits productivity milestones in weeks instead of months. You start seeing ROI faster – whether that’s more placements, improved candidate experience, or higher client satisfaction. And long term, professional services keep paying off: they often include ongoing check-ins, refresher sessions, and optimisation workshops that ensure your firm continues to get the most out of the software as your needs evolve. It’s a long-term partnership, not a one-time transaction. This is key in the AI era, where new features and updates roll out frequently – having an enablement partner means your team stays ahead of the curve and leverages new capabilities as they emerge.

Key Ingredients of Effective Onboarding

What does a successful onboarding program look like in practice? Here are a few proven elements that drive higher adoption and value:

• Executive Sponsorship & Alignment: Leadership should communicate why the new AI for recruitment agencies is being adopted, how it ties to business objectives, and set the expectation that it’s a strategic priority (not just another app). When agency directors and ops leaders champion the change, teams are more likely to buy in.
  

• Tailored Training & Coaching: Rather than generic tutorials, training sessions should be customised to recruiters’ roles and daily tasks. For example, show consultants how HireAra’s CV formatting tool automates the exact workflow they used to do manually. Hands-on practice, Q&A sessions, and even one-on-one coaching for key team members (like top billers or team leads) help build confidence.
  

• Workflow Integration: Ensure the new tool fits seamlessly into existing processes. This might mean integrating HireAra with your CRM so that formatted CVs and AI-generated notes save directly into candidate records (preventing double work or data silos). When the tech enhances rather than interrupts the recruiter’s flow, they will naturally use it more.
  

• Champion Users and Phased Rollout: Identify a few enthusiastic users to become your internal champions or super-users. Train them first and deeply they can evangelize and support others. Rolling out in phases (e.g., by office, region, or team) allows you to refine the approach and build success stories early. This strategy was used successfully in the Spencer Ogden deployment, where super-users led country-by-country adoption with HireAra’s team backing them up hireara.ai. It creates internal experts and momentum.
  

• Ongoing Support & Optimisation: Don’t consider onboarding a one-time event. Maintain a feedback loop with your vendor’s support team or professional services. Regular check-ins, advanced training on new features, and sharing of best practices keep users engaged. For instance, HireAra provides ongoing AI enablement support to clients even after go-live hireara.ai – this helps teams continuously improve and ensures the software keeps delivering value as your business scales or changes.
  

By investing in these aspects, you greatly reduce the risk of your shiny new tool collecting dust. Instead, it becomes part of the fabric of your organisation, used to its fullest potential.

Unlock the Full Value of Your Tech

The bottom line is this: great technology can give you a head start, but great onboarding will carry you over the finish line. In an industry as competitive and fast-paced as recruitment, you can’t afford to have your AI platform underutilised or misaligned. Whether you’re adopting HireAra or any other AI tool for recruitment agencies, how you implement and support it internally will determine the results you get.

Don’t let 70% of your tech investment go to waste due to poor adoption. Don’t settle for the hope that consultants will “figure it out eventually.” Instead, take a partner-led approach and turn your rollout into a success story. Your consultants will thank you and so will your bottom line. After all, when recruiters are empowered to do their jobs faster and better (think 30% faster submissions or more placements from the same effort), everyone wins: candidates, clients, and your firm’s revenue.

Customer Testimonial

HireAra is a great time saving tool Working with HireAra has been an absolute pleasure. The team is professional, proactive, and genuinely committed to delivering results. What stood out the most was their clear communication, attention to detail, and ability to truly understand our needs.I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend HireAra. - Shannon Russell, Recruitment Operations Expert | Build Space TrustPilot: https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/68358b3aa5fa20cc7568ae12

Exceptional Partnership and Service HireAra has been a helpful tool to streamline our recruiting process. The service and partnership we have received from their staff has been exceptional! - Joe Rosenfeld, Founder | Fieldlink Case Study: https://www.hireara.ai/customer-case-studies-1/fieldlink-accelerates-candidate-presentation-with-hireara-

Ready to unlock the full value of your tech investment with the help of HireAra’s expert onboarding team?

Book a quick demo today to see how we can partner with your agency for a seamless, impactful rollout. Let’s turn your next tech initiative into a success story, together.

See how other recruitment agencies have succeeded with HireAra : Customer Stories