Best Practices to Recruit Epicor ERP Talent: Steps to Take as an IT or Human Resources Leader
As cloud technologies and ERP systems evolve, the demand for professionals with specialized skills to optimize these platforms is growing rapidly. The talent shortage for qualified ERP experts is widening as larger enterprises absorb top talent. Epicor Software, a leading Tier 2 ERP vendor, is known for its industry-specific solutions in discrete manufacturing, wholesale distribution, building supplies, and retail sectors. Recently, Sam Gupta from ElevatIQ ranked Epicor Kinetic as the #2 discrete manufacturing solution available on the market. Epicor’s platforms are designed for small to mid-size businesses, and can scale to meet enterprise needs. Unfortunately, recruiting Epicor ERP professionals can be time-consuming and expensive due to the niche expertise required. This blog aims to guide ERP and Human Resource leaders on how to find, evaluate, and hire industry professionals with Epicor ERP experience.
What is the Business Case and Short and Long-Term Goals for the hire?
A clearly defined business case for your Epicor talent request is the first step of the talent acquisition journey. Synergy and goal alignment across the organization is crucial for successful onboarding and retention of top talent, and often serves as a great motivator for teams to rally around.
Questions to consider:
Where do your Epicor objectives rank compared to other key business objectives?
Does your current team have the skills necessary to achieve your ERP objectives?
What does the team’s bandwidth currently look like and how might it change with future projects?
How will you calculate ROI for the hire? How will this hire bring value to the organization?
What’s most important – speed to fill, outputs, or budget?
Understand the Tasks and Skills Required to Complete your Objectives. Don’t focus on Job Titles.
Before you start the recruitment process, it’s crucial to clearly define the specific tasks and timelines for your ERP objectives. A talent assessment is one part of a larger gap analysis, which should be conducted on an annual basis. If you are unsure where to start, we would highly recommend having a few consultative conversations with Epicor consultants, or check out the Epicor User Group (EUG) forum site EpiUsers for topic and product-specific discussion forums. Epicor has a highly engaged, independent user group with members from around the world.
Common ERP recruitment misconceptions:
Hiring for “years” of experience. Years do not necessarily equate to competency. Instead focus on the specifics of projects completed, a candidate’s willingness to learn new skills, and reference calls.
“Consultants are a waste of money.” ERP optimization should be considered an investment and part of your ROI equation. While rates and upfront costs may be higher than hiring directly, oftentimes, the solutions are superior and completed faster.
“I need a local resource to understand our manufacturing environment and processes.” Hiring talent to come on-site doesn’t mean the hire needs to be local. Main Line Talent has successfully placed remote analysts, controllers, and ERP managers and worked with customers on building travel schedules for remote hires. A structured travel schedule and willingness to invest in top talent outside of a commutable radius can significantly open up the candidate pool of Epicor talent across North America.
“I need someone Epicor certified to handle my Epicor projects.” Epicor certifications are only offered and required for Epicor and partner channel consultants. Epicor customers and their employees do not have access to these certification programs. For any direct-hire needs, we recommend removing this qualification. MLTG can make recommendations on qualified service partners for project-based assignments.
Common Epicor-related tasks & projects:
New site implementations, major upgrades, and process improvement projects.
Customization for dashboards, forms, and business processes (BPMs)
3rd party application integrations
New module rollouts
End-user training
Core skills to consider:
Products: Each Epicor product is unique and specific to industry. When recruiting, ensure you understand which ERP product the candidate has worked with – Epicor ERP/Kinetic, Epicor Prophet 21, Epicor BisTrack, Epicor CMS, or Epicor Eclipse.
Modules: Experience with core Epicor ERP modules like Financials, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, etc are essential. If a core module does not need optimization, then it may not be a required skill. Focus core module requirements related to the gaps in your system. Strong analysts should have a basic understanding of quote to cash.
Customization and Integration: Developers need strong programming skills, particularly in C#, to customize Epicor to fit specific business processes and write custom BPMs (Business Process Management). Proficiency in SQL and SSRS are useful for on-premise environments, while Javascript and .NET programming can also be helpful for cloud environments. Low code/no code customizations can be achieved through Epicor’s Application Studio.
Business Process Knowledge: Analysts and consultants should be able to translate complex business requirements into actionable ERP configurations. While writing BPMs is likely a developer task, all other ERP-related roles including supply chain managers and cost accountants should be able to communicate their requirements to a technical resource.
Add-on modules and 3rd party integrations: Many customers will bolt on additional modules and applications to their base Epicor ERP system. Customers may consider candidates with tax software experience like Avalara, supply chain apps like SourceDay, or barcoding apps like BarTender. A full list of Epicor partner ISVs can be found here.
Onboarding and Retention Strategies
After making your Epicor hire, either internally or through an Epicor-specific recruitment agency like Main Line Talent Group, the focus should shift to onboarding and retention. Here are some observations we have seen from successful and unsuccessful placements:
Attributes of successful placements:
The company has organized and structured onboarding
Impactful integration with the immediate team and supporting teams
Single-line reporting structure
Seamless technology access
Clear goals and expectations for the first 30, 60, and 90 days of employment
Challenges of the role clearly communicated during the interview process
Career progression plans clearly established
Characteristics of some unsuccessful placements:
Absent or disengaged hiring manager
Limited or no engagement with other team members or departments
Delays in system access
Unclear work or task expectations
Poor communication with leaders or team
“Low-ball” offers that encourage candidates to continue interviewing
Limited room for professional growth including exposure to new technologies, training, leadership opportunities, etc.
Final Thoughts
Recruiting Epicor ERP talent requires a thoughtful and targeted approach, starting with goal alignment and a thorough talent assessment. Achieving ERP-related objectives oftentimes calls for a sophisticated, blended talent strategy that combines recruiting Epicor professionals directly and outsourcing tasks to consultants. For assistance in recruiting Epicor ERP talent, consider working with a recruitment agency that specializes in ERP systems to streamline the hiring process and access a larger pool of qualified candidates. Main Line Talent Group offers direct-hire recruitment services and Epicor ERP contractors for Epicor customers and service providers across North America.
About Main Line Talent Group:
Main Line Talent Group (MLTG) is a leading Epicor talent and recruitment agency dedicated to optimizing human capital through technology. MLTG aligns corporate objectives with strategic ERP initiatives, ensuring clients leverage people to achieve success and minimize turnover costs. Our holistic approach to talent management and commitment to fostering long-term relationships sets us apart from other agencies. We offer executive search and project-based staffing services for Epicor ERP-related roles across IT, Operations, and Accounting. MLTG is not affiliated with Epicor and is a 3rd party service provider.
