HR generalists are the proverbial jack of all trades, master of none. Find out why working with a dedicated talent management specialist is better for your business and your bottom line.

1. HR SPecialistHR Generalist
talent mayhem...or
talent management?
vs

2. What’s the Difference?
HR generalists are the proverbial jack of all trades, master of none. Their
core areas of business are ERP, payroll and HRIS, and if they offer talent
management, it’s often as an add-on or an acquired business, not as an
organically grown solution.
Only an HR specialist can put your talent management front and center.
A specialist focuses on one thing, and one thing only: how to help you
source, develop, and engage your workforce nimbly and easily.
Find out why working with a dedicated
talent management specialist is better for
your business and your bottom line...

3. OR
one integrated platform
designed just for
talent management?
Would you rather buy a
clunky talent add-on from a
general HR/ERP suite…

4. A specialist by nature is dedicated to
doing one thing and doing it really,
really well. This single-mindedness
translates to an ongoing commitment
to designing and implementing faster,
smarter ways to source, develop, and
engage your workforce.
For a generalist, talent management
software is an afterthought at best—
and at worst, merely bounty from
their latest merger, an inherited tool
the generalist doesn’t know how to
develop or manage.
SPecialistGeneralist
vs
E=MC2

5. Would you rather make multiple
calls and wait weeks for a
support ticket to be resolved…
Get all your answers
from a dedicated Client
Success Manager?
OR

6. A specialist offers a single support
team for all products, making it
easy to get answers quickly on your
schedule, not the vendor’s. A dedicated
support manager helps you solve daily
challenges—and build a powerful talent
management strategy over time.
Generalists simply can’t provide
targeted, timely answers to your
questions when they’re distracted
supporting multiple, disjointed
product lines resulting from numerous
acquisitions. You’re left waiting days
or weeks for answers while your team
suffers and productivity languishes.
SPecialistGeneralist
vs
Hi It’s
me Jim!Hi, Jim!

7. Would you rather
remember multiple logins
and passwords…
simply one?
OR

8. A specialist always begins with the end
(user) in mind. A seamless interface
ensures a comprehensive view of every
facet of talent management in one place,
with one login and password.
Generalists expect you to remember
logins and passwords for a variety of
interfaces. This is a huge hindrance
to getting true visibility into your
organization—and increasing user
adoption. What good is software if
everyone’s too intimidated to use it?
SPecialistGeneralist
vs

9. experience true,
seamlessly delivered
innovation?
Would you rather
buy expensive
software upgrades…
OR

10. By focusing on one key area—talent
management—specialists have more
freedom and resources to innovate.
And since specialists only deliver
cloud-based solutions, new features
are added at no charge to you and you
always have the most current version
of the platform.
Generalists care about selling you a
broad mixed bag of buggy cloud and on-
premise HR applications and expensive
upgrades, sometimes as often as every
year. If support is sunsetted for your
existing version, you’ll have no choice but
to purchase the new version.
SPecialistGeneralist
vs

11. Would you rather
experience a patchwork of
modules and interfaces…
powerful configurability
and scalability?
OR

12. Specialists believe the tool should
always adapt to the client, not the
other way around. This outlook
results in the creation of flexible and
configurable systems designed to
integrate seamlessly with any HRIS—
and grow with you.
For generalists, “configurability” is
more of a marketing buzzword than
a reality. Multiple acquisitions make
true integration impossible. Instead,
clients usually have to pay for expensive
customizations, making for less flexibility
moving forward.
SPecialistGeneralist
vs

13. You wouldn’t expect your family practitioner to
perform neurosurgery or a fast food cook to create
a sushi masterpiece, so why leave your talent
management to a generalist? An HR specialist
provides tools designed to help you attract, develop,
and retain talent—more efficiently, with less
paperwork and definitely less mayhem.
More than 1,400 companies around the globe rely on Cornerstone OnDemand’s specialized
integrated talent management suite to recruit top talent, manage performance, plan for succession,
and develop leaders. Find out more by visiting csod.com
©2013 Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc. All Rights Reserved. csod-generalistsvspecialists-9/2013