The HR Tech Reckoning: What to Reevaluate, Repurpose, or Retire in 2025

During the pandemic, HR and TA leaders were given unprecedented budgets to support remote hiring, DEI initiatives, and workforce agility. For many companies, HR tech spending exploded—fast decisions were made, and vendors were brought on without a clear long-term strategy. Fast forward to 2025: sales cycles are slower, CFOs are tightening wallets, and TA leaders are under pressure to do more with less. But, despite visible signs of waste, many HR teams resist auditing these investments, let alone having transparent conversations about value and impact.

It’s time to shift the narrative. HR leaders need to lead the charge in reassessing post-pandemic investments. According to Aptitude Research, only 38% of TA leaders can show ROI on their technology investments, and 1 in 3 believe their current budgets are being wasted.

Let’s fix that.

We created the following framework to help with spend: Reevaluate. Repurpose. Retire.

1. Reevaluate – What’s still earning its place?

Ask:

• What tools are actively used by recruiters and hiring managers?
• Which platforms have adoption below 50%?
• Are we measuring success through real metrics like time-to-hire or recruiter efficiency?
• Is this solution integrated—or creating more silos?

According to Aptitude Research, the biggest frustrations with TA tech are lack of integration (41%) and cost of implementation (36%). That’s not just a nuisance—it’s wasted money.

2. Repurpose – Can this solution serve another function or team?

Ask:

• Can underused solutions support internal mobility or onboarding instead of external hiring?
• Is there an opportunity to centralize this platform across functions (e.g., CRM used for alumni engagement or DEI tracking)?
• Can you negotiate cross-functional funding for tools that serve HR and L&D?

 Some platforms have broad capabilities, but HR often isolates them to one use-case. Break down internal silos to unlock more value.

3. Retire – What needs to go?

Ask:

• Does this solution duplicate functionality we already have elsewhere?
• Is there a vendor up for renewal in the next quarter that hasn’t demonstrated ROI?
• Could a consolidated platform replace multiple point solutions?

 Aptitude’s research shows price and lack of ROI are the top reasons companies replace vendors. Yet HR often holds onto “legacy tools” out of habit or sunk cost fallacy.

Guiding Questions:

• Is the tool actively used by recruiters or managers?
• Are its capabilities fully leveraged, or is it duplicative?
• Does it integrate with your current systems?
• What is the total cost of ownership (TCO)?
• Can it serve another function or team?
• When is the contract up for renewal?

How to Present This to the CFO or CIO

Once you’ve audited your tools through the 3R framework, reframe the conversation in CFO-speak:

1. Lead with outcomes. Don’t talk about features—talk about metrics: reduced cost-per-hire, lower attrition, and recruiter efficiency.

2. Demonstrate cost avoidance. Show how retiring tools avoid future spend and allows reallocation toward growth or automation.

3. Speak to transformation. Only 32% of HR professionals are active in transformation discussions, according to Aptitude. That must change. Budget optimization is transformation.

4. Use a one-page ROI brief. Outline total cost of ownership, direct and indirect benefits, and a clear timeline for realizing value.

The post-pandemic budget high is over. What remains should be investments that move the business forward. The HR function can’t afford to be sentimental about software. This is about leadership, discipline, and driving business impact.