Eightfold Deployment: Proof of Concept

Once you secure stakeholder buy-in, the next step is the Eightfold Proof of Concept (PoC).

The PoC acts as a small-scale implementation to validate Eightfold’s effectiveness in your environment before a full rollout.

Define the scope carefully

Select a business unit, geography, or recruiting process that represents a microcosm of your organisation. For a large enterprise, this might mean starting with one country or a subset of roles. Some companies pilot Eightfold proof of concept for R&D hiring only or begin with internal mobility use cases.

Ubisoft, for example, focused on internal talent mobility during its pilot to address employees’ demand for career growth opportunities. Another organisation might pilot external hiring for a hard-to-fill job family to see if AI sourcing delivers better candidates.

Set clear success criteria and KPIs for the PoC

Decide what outcomes will define success. These could include reducing time-to-hire by a specific percentage, increasing diverse candidates in pipelines, improving candidate satisfaction scores, or achieving strong user adoption among recruiters. Measurable goals allow the PoC to demonstrate concrete value.

Many companies also use pilots to test technical fit. This includes validating integration with the existing ATS, such as Workday or SAP SuccessFactors, and ensuring data flows correctly. Any integration or data migration should ideally be tackled during the pilot on a limited scale.

HSBC’s Eightfold pilot job description illustrates this approach. The implementation lead develops project plans and timelines, collaborates with cross-functional teams to design the solution, and ensures requirements are met. In short, treat the PoC as a project with defined deliverables.

Collect user feedback continuously during the PoC

Monitor how recruiters and hiring managers interact with Eightfold. Are AI recommendations relevant? Is the interface intuitive? Combine this qualitative feedback with quantitative KPIs to guide adjustments. Iteration is common during pilots. Teams often tweak candidate matching algorithms or adjust workflow configurations to fit user needs.

Demonstrate quick wins to maintain momentum

Highlight early successes, such as “Eightfold found 50 high-quality passive candidates for our sales role in two days, which would have taken weeks manually.” Share these wins widely. Gartner advises focusing on small, high-impact improvements first to build confidence and support for broader adoption.

A well-run PoC validates the technology and builds a group of enthusiastic early adopters who can act as change champions later.

At the end of the Eightfold Proof of Concept (PoC), usually after four to six weeks or an agreed period, hold a review with all relevant stakeholders. Compare results against the success criteria. If objectives were met or substantial value was shown, proceed confidently to full implementation. If not, use the learnings to adjust the approach or reconsider if necessary.