At Level, we use digital tools in a variety of ways — and invent our own when our business needs demand. But development is always an investment. When does it make business sense? When is digital innovation incremental, and when is it disruptive? We’ve seen how technology has transformed marketing and a host of other industries. This week, I met with a leader in the recruiting space to learn about some unexpected and powerful ways that technology has produced business success for them. Sergio Valladares is the Technology Development Director at gpac. For the Test. Learn. Grow. podcast, he told us his story and shared insightful lessons on when, and how innovation happens.
Digital Tools or Digital Transformation?
At gpac, technology helps to automate the recruitment matchmaking process. They strive to create the best possible experience for candidates and companies – great fit, exciting opportunities, and simplified paperwork. By breaking down and rebuilding the entire process, they’ve created a new category of recruitment services.
Their next pivot: proprietary professional development for their recruiters. Gpac grew their recruiter pool from 250 to 1,000+ in recent years. By focusing on the drivers of their success and investing in tech platforms, gpac aims to offer a superior product that can scale with demand.
Advice from a Visionary Leader
Sergio offered some hard-learned takeaways from his 25+ year career in technology.
Leave your ego at the door. Leaders must be willing to listen, answer honest feedback, and adapt toward shared goals.
Start from a problem, not a product. We’ve all seen sketches or ideas for great products. Nothing wrong with that! Before you make anything, Back up to the problem that it addresses and start over.
Assemble the right team. Successful innovation incorporates best practices – in UX, customer research, development, and beyond.
Reconcile with change. It’s going to happen no matter what. Suffer, or embrace change and enjoy the ride!
Keep learning. Your product is never finished. Sergio’s team is working on deep-learning algorithms that will improve product performance. If they don’t, someone else will.
We love starting conversations about the promise of digital transformation. Connect with Sergio on LinkedIn or Twitter for insights on technology leadership and the future of talent. Want to talk about how digital could transform your business? Level Agency can help. Reach out to connect!