Embarking on a major system like NetSuite brings many benefits — but also many staffing-related challenges. Organisations frequently encounter delays, budget overruns, skills gaps or poor adoption. In this article, we explore the most common staffing challenges for NetSuite projects and present actionable ways to overcome them.
Common staffing challenges
1. Talent scarcity and competition
Because NetSuite is a niche platform, the pool of professionals with strong experience is relatively limited. A staffing services firm notes:
“The most skilled professionals rarely stay on the job market for too long—often only a matter of hours or days.”
This means you may struggle to find the right person, or your process may be too slow and you’ll lose candidates.
2. Hiring for general ERP experience, not NetSuite-specific
Many companies make the mistake of thinking “any ERP person will do”. But NetSuite has its own architecture, scripting languages, modules, cloud nature and configuration paradigm. The staffing-services article warns:
“Many firms mistakenly hire professionals with generalized ERP experience… NetSuite offers various certifications… Ideally… you must find a skilled professional with valid NetSuite certifications and real-world NetSuite implementation experience.”
This mismatch can lead to long ramp-up times, errors, and even failed implementation.
3. Poorly defined roles and unclear expectations
If you haven’t clearly defined what you expect from a NetSuite resource (implementation vs support vs upgrade vs customisation) you may end up hiring someone who doesn’t match the job, causing confusion and frustration. Read more here about NetSuite staffing!
4. Over-reliance on temporary staff without long-term plan
Often organisations hire a bunch of consultants for go-live but neglect the follow-through. Without ongoing support staff or knowledge transfer, the system might under-perform after launch.
5. Change management and adoption issues
Even with the best technical staff, if the users aren’t trained, processes aren’t adjusted and adoption is weak, staffing alone won’t save you. The staffing challenge isn’t just “who works on NetSuite”, but “how they help the business use it”.
6. Integration and specialised skill gaps
NetSuite often needs to integrate with ATS, payroll, CRM, e-commerce, legacy systems etc. If you don’t staff for these integrations (e.g., a NetSuite integration specialist) you may face data errors or project failure.
Overcoming staffing challenges
Streamline your hiring process
Given the scarcity of skilled NetSuite professionals, you must move quickly. Simplify your process, reduce unnecessary steps, make offers quickly, and be prepared to act. The longer you wait the higher the risk of losing top candidates.
Use specialist recruiting agencies
General recruiters may lack access or insight into the NetSuite talent market. Use agencies or staffing firms specialising in NetSuite, who understand roles, skills and market rates. For example, one recruiter focused exclusively on NetSuite roles.
Define roles clearly from the start
Before hiring, map out what needs to be done: Are you implementing, upgrading, maintaining? What modules? What integrations? What timeline? Create clear job descriptions that reflect your roadmap. This avoids mismatch and sets expectations.
Mix short-term and long-term staffing strategies
Don’t just hire for go-live; also plan for ongoing support, optimisation and upgrades. Structure staffing such that you have a core team (permanent) and flex consultants (contract) for peaks. This ensures sustainability.
Prioritise NetSuite-specific experience and certifications
When evaluating candidates, look for real-world NetSuite project experience (ideally in similar sized businesses or same industry), NetSuite certifications if applicable, and examples of customisations/integrations. Avoid assuming generic ERP experience is sufficient.
Build internal knowledge transfer and training
If you rely entirely on external staff, you risk knowledge loss when they leave. Ensure included in the staffing plan is knowledge transfer: documentation, training for internal staff, support hand-over. This contributes to long-term success.
Plan for integration and ancillary skills
If your NetSuite project involves ATS (for a staffing firm), payroll, CRM or other systems, you’ll need staff (or consultants) with integration experience. Ensure your hiring plan covers these roles (integration specialist, data migration lead, etc). For example, recruiters highlight integration between ATS platforms and NetSuite for staffing firms.
Retain and develop your NetSuite talent
Given demand for NetSuite professionals, retention is important. Provide career paths, training, exposure to new modules, certifications, and recognition. Encourage these staff to become internal champions of NetSuite.
Case example (illustrative)
A staffing agency implementing NetSuite may hire:
- A NetSuite project manager to manage the timeline, stakeholders and go-live readiness.
- A functional consultant to map staffing-agency processes (placements, bill rates, contracts) into NetSuite.
- A developer/integration specialist to link their ATS with NetSuite and automate invoice generation.
- A permanent NetSuite administrator for ongoing support.
- A change-management/training lead to ensure recruiters, back-office staff adopt the new system.
If the agency fails to hire the integration specialist quickly, they may face manual work, data duplication, errors in invoicing and lost margins. If adoption is poor, users may continue using spreadsheets, undermining the value of the NetSuite investment.
Summary
Staffing challenges in NetSuite projects are significant but surmountable. The key is planning: define your roles and roadmap, act fast, prioritise NetSuite-specific skills, combine contract and permanent hires, and build for the long term (not just go-live). If you do this, you’ll greatly reduce risk and increase the chance your NetSuite deployment delivers real business value.
