TalenTeam isn’t just fast, they really understand our business. Their deep expertise and collaborative approach help us shape better requirements and get solutions that actually fit.
Comprehensive suite covering every step of the skills transformation journey.
TalenTeam isn’t just fast, they really understand our business. Their deep expertise and collaborative approach help us shape better requirements and get solutions that actually fit.
Established by the University of Cambridge in 1858,Cambridge Assessment is an international not-for-profit organisation providing education programmes and exams to over 8 million learners in over 170 countries. With about 2-3,000 employees, it has an unrivalled depth of experience in national education systems, international education, and English language learning. The qualifications offered are backed by the largest research capability of its kind.
Cambridge Assessment’s three exam boards provide assessment and test design, curriculum development,monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance, and teacher and trainer development.
In addition to its work in assessment delivery and development, the organisation’s research and consultancy groups also influence, advise and guide on all aspects of education policy and strategy around the world.
For many years Cambridge Assessment had operated a suite of legacy systems, primarily developed inhouse, which were then nearing end of life. About six years ago it reviewed its IT landscape and standardised its finance functions on an SAP platform. The HR department supported this strategy and implemented SAP SuccessFactors to support its HR functions.
Cambridge Assessment partnered with SAP to deploy the main uccessFactors modules, including EmployeeCentral,Learning, Performance & Goals, and Recruiting. Whilst projects were completed relatively quickly, this model didn’t always deliver the potential benefits. It decided to create a skilled in-house team, capable of implementing new releases and minor enhancements. This team has a deep understanding of the organisation’s processes and is ideally equipped to get the best out of the technology.
Having moved from an implementation phase to a period of continuous improvement, Cambridge Assessment reassessed its partnership needs. “We learned that one size doesn’t fit all for SAP implementations, and consultants who are expert in Finance may not be appropriate for HR,” says Melissa Hull, Application Manager at Cambridge Assessment. As an active member of the SuccessFactors user community, Melissa heard about TalenTeam’s capabilities and asked them to present to the HR team.
Established by the University of Cambridge in 1858,Cambridge Assessment is an international not-for-profit organization providing education programmes and exams to over 8 million learners in over 170 countries. With about 2-3,000 employees, it has an unrivalled depth of experience in national education systems, international education, and English language learning. The qualifications offered are backed by the largest research capability of its kind.
Cambridge Assessment’s three exam boards provide assessment and test design, curriculum development, monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance, and teacher and trainer development.
In addition to its work in assessment delivery and development, the organisation’s research and consultancy groups also influence, advise and guide on all aspects of education policy and strategy around the world.
For many years Cambridge Assessment had operated a suite of legacy systems, primarily developed inhouse, which were then nearing end of life. About six years ago it reviewed its IT landscape and standardised its finance functions on an SAP platform. The HR department supported this strategy and implemented SAP SuccessFactors to support its HR functions.
Cambridge Assessment partnered with SAP to deploy the main SuccessFactors modules, including Employee Central, Learning, Performance & Goals, and Recruiting. Whilst projects were completed relatively quickly, this model didn’t always deliver the potential benefits. It decided to create a skilled in-house team, capable of implementing new releases and minor enhancements. This team has a deep understanding of the organization's processes and is ideally equipped to get the best out of the technology.
Having moved from an implementation phase to a period of continuous improvement, Cambridge Assessment reassessed its partnership needs. “We learned that one size doesn’t fit all for SAP implementations, and consultants who are expert in Finance may not be appropriate for HR,” says Melissa Hull, Application Manager at Cambridge Assessment. As an active member of the SuccessFactors user community, Melissa heard about TalenTeam’s capabilities and asked them to present to the HR team.
Melissa Hull
Application Manager at Cambridge Assessment
TalenTeam demonstrated a deep understanding of Cambridge’s business and a talent for explaining technical issues to non-technical people. “This was a step-change from what we were used to with our previous partners,” says Melissa, “so we asked them to help us implement SuccessFactors’ Position Management functionality.” Melissa explained, “This was a complex project. It was a bit like trying to add a present to another one that had already been wrapped. But everything went so much more smoothly than other implementations we had done. Since then, we haven’t looked back.”
Before implementing Position Management, they reviewed the end-to-end processes and SuccessFactors configuration to identify opportunities for software updates or take-up of existing functionality. With Position Management fully deployed, Cambridge Assessment now has an improved view of the organisation’s hierarchy and can see at a glance how many positions are filled and where gaps exist.
On the back of TalenTeam’s performance with Position Management, Cambridge Assessment asked them to implement the Recruiting Marketing module. Cambridge Assessment has an extended workforce of approximately 30,000 assessors and runs seasonal recruitment campaigns to ensure staffing levels are sufficient for upcoming exams. Up until then, the access point was a very basic affair with a flat web page and little branding. It needed a clean and informative portal to reach potential applicants and make applying easier. “The portal needed to cater for a wide range of digital abilities so having a simple, compelling and easy-to-use interface was essential,” says Melissa.
TalenTeam employed its Rapid Deployment Solution to reduce deployment time and completed the project in weeks rather than months. The project kicked off at the start of the Covid lockdown so was conducted remotely from start to finish, a challenging environment for running intensive workshops. A new applicant portal was designed, with branded imagery and compelling messaging highlighting what it’s like to work with Cambridge Assessment. “We now have the opportunity to showcase our organisation and its story to potential recruits.”
Cambridge Assessment continues to drive improvements, with the support of TalenTeam who will help to analyse data to understand how applicants interact with the organisation. Key indicators, such as the location of applicants, and how far they got in the process if they didn’t complete it, will help to shape future campaigns.
The next round of improvements will focus on delivering Job Profiles. With this functionality, Cambridge Assessment will be able to define profiles including descriptions, skills requirements, competencies and educational requirements. These will simplify the recruitment of multiple applicants for similar roles, as well as drive career progression and succession planning.
Having implemented the core SuccessFactors modules, Cambridge Assessment moved into a phase of getting the most benefit from the technology. With the right partner, it is now reaping more returns from its investment.
Melissa says, “Avoiding excessive customisation has delivered more standardisation and making use of the SAP community has made implementing improvements quicker and smoother.”
Cambridge Assessment continues to drive improvements, with the support of TalenTeam who will help to analyse data to understand how applicants interact with the organisation. Key indicators, such as the location of applicants, and how far they got in the process if they didn’t complete it, will help to shape future campaigns.
The next round of improvements will focus on delivering Job Profiles. With this functionality, Cambridge Assessment will be able to define profiles including descriptions, skills requirements, competencies and educational requirements. These will simplify the recruitment of multiple applicants for similar roles, as well as drive career progression and succession planning.
Having implemented the core SuccessFactors modules, Cambridge Assessment moved into a phase of getting the most benefit from the technology. With the right partner, it is now reaping more returns from its investment.
Melissa says, “Avoiding excessive customisation has delivered more standardisation and making use of the SAP community has made implementing improvements quicker and smoother.”
