When to Pilot a New TA Tool, and When to Say No
As a Talent leader, I get approached 20+ times a week, whether calls, emails, or LinkedIn messages, from vendors insisting that their product will "solve my problems." Funny thing is, most of them don’t even know what those problems are.
My golden rule: For me, if you come to me with a pitch that assumes what I need, without asking or listening, that’s an automatic NO. You're not interested in understanding my context; you just need a sale, and I don’t need noise in my week.
The tech partners I’ve piloted (and there have been a few) and the ones I’ve ultimately selected are the ones who took the time to get to know me, my team, our challenges, and our goals. They didn’t just offer a solution; they worked with me to shape it. That’s the difference between a vendor and a real partner.
So, How Else Do I Decide When to Pilot a New TA Tool?
I’m all about innovation and pro-focus. If you’re trying to decide whether to pilot something new, here’s what I ask myself, and what I recommend you consider:
Does this align with a real priority?
A tool might be flashy, smart, or even affordable, but if it doesn't align with what your team actually needs right now, it's a distraction. Every pilot has a cost in time, attention, and team energy.
Is the problem clearly defined and owned?
Before reaching for a tool, be brutally honest: Is the issue we're trying to solve clearly defined? Do we understand the root cause? Is it a people/process problem before it's a tech one? If no one owns the problem, the tool won't get traction, even if it’s great.
Will this integrate into our existing systems and workflow?
Tools that exist in silos tend to die in silos. If a vendor can’t clearly show how their solution fits with our stack (and that includes compliance, integrations, and team adoption), it’s another red flag.
Are they here to partner or to sell?
This is big, so I will repeat myself. I’m far more likely to engage with vendors who ask questions, listen deeply, and understand our ecosystem. The best partners see themselves as collaborators, not saviours. If your message is all about what you do, not what I need, you've already lost me.
Can we measure success, and will we learn something?
Not every pilot leads to a rollout. However, a good pilot always provides us with valuable insight. I’ll consider a trial if it’s structured with real KPIs, clear timelines, and a learning mindset. If it’s just a free trial with no follow-through? Hard pass.
I’ve Also Been Late to the Party
That said, I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t always embraced change quickly.
Online referencing tools are a perfect example. I was sceptical at first. I didn’t think we needed to “digitise” something we’d always managed with a phone call and a spreadsheet. However, when I finally took the time to explore the solutions on the market, I saw the upside, and there was a great deal of it.
Lesson learned: Sometimes the resistance isn't about the tool, it's about timing, trust, or just misunderstanding the value.
Due Diligence is the Difference
With so much innovation in TA tech right now, it’s worth taking a measured approach. I’ve found that you often need to test a few options side by side to really understand what’s worth the investment.
That means:
- Asking hard questions
- Involving your team in demos
- Checking references from similar-sized orgs and larger enterprises
- Validating integration claims
- Being honest about the internal capacity to implement
The good tools don’t need to oversell; they’ll prove themselves when put to the test.
The Bottom Line
The TA tech space is noisy. Most of us are overwhelmed with offers from vendors who promise to “solve everything.” But when you’ve seen enough cycles, you realise: Not everything needs a tool, and not every tool deserves your time.
We don’t need more sales reps telling us they have the answer.
We need fewer people asking the right questions.
And we need to stay curious enough to explore what might work on our terms, in our time.
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