Every year, the HR Tech Conference in Las Vegas sparks big conversations about the future of HR technology. With the wave of recent acquisitions and mergers in our space, one debate feels especially timely for our CareerXroads community:
Should organizations rely on enterprise-wide HR suites, or invest in best-of-breed solutions?
It’s not a new question, but the stakes keep getting higher. Here’s how the discussion seems to be playing out
The Best-of-Breed Argument: Sharper Tools, Faster Innovation
Many of members point out that best-of-breed applications thrive because they do one thing exceptionally well. Recruiting, performance management, learning - pick your function, and there’s a specialized tool pushing the boundaries.
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Faster innovation: These providers can roll out updates quickly and respond to market needs before enterprise systems catch up.
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Excellence over “good enough”: For critical areas like candidate experience, the difference between a modern, dedicated tool and a clunky module bolted onto a suite can be the difference between winning or losing top talent.
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Proof in acquisitions: When Workday or SAP acquires a best-of-breed vendor, it’s not charity - it’s recognition that their customers wanted capabilities the suite alone couldn’t provide.
For TA leaders especially, candidate experience is too important to settle for average. That’s why many keep a best-of-breed approach at the tip of their tech stack.
The Enterprise Suite Argument: Integration and Scale
Others in the CXR community remind us not to underestimate the hidden tax of juggling multiple systems.
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Seamless connections: Payroll to recruiting, performance to succession planning—it’s all built to talk to each other.
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Less complexity for IT: No endless API troubleshooting, no constant vendor updates to manage.
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Governance and scalability: As organizations grow, consistency in compliance and data becomes just as valuable as shiny new features.
Over time, the argument goes, those integration headaches and hidden costs can outweigh the benefit of sharper individual tools. Enterprise-wide systems may not dazzle in every module, but they deliver balance across the people strategy.
Where This Debate Really Matters: Talent Acquisition
Here’s where our community often lands: not every HR function carries equal weight. Talent Acquisition is different.
It’s the front line of the business and moves faster than almost any other HR function. Locking TA fully into an enterprise system risks slowing innovation and dulling a company’s competitive edge. Many leaders in our forums see value in keeping TA best-of-breed, even if other functions live inside the enterprise suite.
Our Take
The reality is, there isn’t one “right” answer. The mix depends on your organization’s size, maturity, and strategy.
But this debate is far from theoretical - it’s shaping the roadmaps, budgets, and vendor relationships of every TA leader we know.
That’s why we’re continuing this discussion inside the CXR Community this week while HR Tech unfolds. If you’re wrestling with your own HR tech strategy, join the conversation. Share where you’ve drawn the line between stability and innovation, and where you’ve chosen not to compromise.
This isn’t just a conference hallway debate. It’s an ongoing challenge for every TA leader. We’d love to hear:
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Where do you lean: enterprise suite or best-of-breed?
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Which HR functions (beyond TA) do you believe demand excellence over integration?
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How do you weigh hidden costs against the promise of sharper innovation?
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