A year of transformation at Findem: What we've learned about talent tech adoption

One year ago, I joined Findem with the ambitious title of “Chief Transformation Officer.” Since then, I’ve spent 12 months deeply immersed in the process of learning, listening, and collaborating with our phenomenal customers and team. Now, I’m excited to share how true transformation is taking root in the talent acquisition teams we work with.

In this blog, I’ll update you on what we’ve built, the lessons learned, and how our customers are transitioning from primarily outbound sourcing to multichannel sourcing, all with the guidance of our transformation team.

The vision for multichannel sourcing

I’ve often discussed the immense value of a multichannel sourcing strategy in talent acquisition. We’ve seen incredible results with this approach at Intuit and Okta, but here’s what companies need to know: true transformation starts by empowering your team to engage talent from any hiring channel, whether it’s inbound applicants, past candidates, referrals, alumni, or talent pools you’ve nurtured.

Too often, teams rely heavily on outbound sourcing, reaching out to cold leads. But today, with the power of AI, we can move beyond that. The key to success lies in rethinking the process, committing to working differently, and selecting the right technology. It’s about change management as much as it is about the tools themselves.

The talent acquisition technology challenge

Talent acquisition leaders are frustrated with the high costs and inefficiency of external sourcing. According to a KPMG survey, 63% of respondents expected more from their technology investments. But simply swapping one tool for another isn’t the answer. It may reduce costs, but without a fundamental shift, it’s a diminishing return.

The root issue? Resume data is largely the same across platforms, which results in competition for the same talent and missed opportunities to engage unique or known candidates. Most recruiters identify talent through two means: reviewing inbound applicants or outbound sourcing with Boolean searches. However, neither of these methods fully leverages proactive strategies across all available channels.

Outbound sourcing is often the most significant technology investment for TA leaders, yet it only accounts for around 15% of annual hires for most companies. A more expensive tool doesn’t guarantee better results. Instead, organizations need a holistic approach that enables proactive engagement across all channels, from referrals to alumni, to reduce reliance on external searches and build diverse, high-quality pipelines faster.

The recruiting software adoption problem

A significant barrier to transformation is how vendors approach adoption. Most vendors focus on product introduction but fail to solve the underlying problems recruiters face. Consider these common struggles:

• Train the trainer approach: Companies assume their product is easy to use, so they train a single point of contact. However, transforming recruiting practices requires more than that – it demands expert guidance and support.
• Limited training: Many vendors provide little beyond product demos, leaving users to figure out the nuances on their own. Support is often confined to technical issues, not strategic adoption.
• Lack of transparency in goals: Are you buying a tool, or investing in a platform designed for transformational change? Vendors must provide measurable outcomes, usage metrics, and clear ROI.

Swapping point solutions with this approach might lead to incremental benefits. Adopting a multichannel sourcing strategy requires a technology solution as well as a partner in managing change.

A new path forward

This year at Findem has been one of building and refining. Our goal was to reimagine the user experience to maximize value realization and optimization. We launched Copilot for Sourcing, built on Findem’s unique 3D talent data cloud, to streamline the sourcing process, unify data, and empower users to proactively search across multiple hiring channels.

Beyond technology, we’ve assembled a team of value consultants — industry experts who deeply understand recruiting pain points. Their role is to partner with our customers, not just as technology providers but as true change agents, guiding them through the adoption process.

To enhance this transformation, we’ve also launched Analytics Essentials, which offers clear visibility into performance, usage, and ROI over time. This transparency helps our customer success managers (CSMs) and customers understand user behavior, make informed decisions, and continually optimize their strategies.

Real-world results: A success story

Are we where we want to be? Not yet. But we’re on the right track. Recently, a customer came to us frustrated that the promised change hadn’t materialized. After reviewing their analytics, we quickly identified the issue: their team was still focused on outbound searches, with an average of two weeks from search initiation to candidate contact.

By guiding them through the transition to Copilot, they saw the value and time savings of a multichannel approach. The Copilot shortlist prioritizes best-matched candidates from warmer channels — referrals, past candidates, and best-matched applicants. With automated matching, ranking, and filtering, we reduced their average first contact time from 13 days to just 2 days. Even more encouraging, their sourcing strategy diversified: 24% of candidates now come from employee connections, 18% from known candidates in the ATS, and nearly 10% from alumni.

It’s too early to measure the full impact, but this transformation is already reshaping their talent acquisition process. This is how you drive real change that sets your team apart, meets business goals, and ensures long-term success.

The future of talent acquisition

Transformation in talent acquisition doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a combination of the right mindset, strategy, technology, and most importantly, partnership. At Findem, we’re committed to empowering teams to rethink how they engage with talent, helping them shift from reactive to proactive, from outbound to multichannel, and from incremental gains to transformative success.

This is just the beginning. Together, we’re not just adopting technology — we’re leading a movement that’s fundamentally changing how the best talent is sourced and secured.