# Integration Partnership Plan: Employee Onboarding Automation Platform

## Executive Summary

This plan outlines a strategy to grow pipeline 2x in 6 months by expanding from 3 to 10-15 integration partnerships with HRIS and ATS vendors. Given the constraint of 1.5 engineers dedicated to integrations, the plan prioritizes partners by market overlap with our mid-market ICP (200-2000 employees), integration complexity, and pipeline potential. The approach uses a tiered partnership model that matches investment to expected return, a structured partner pitch framework, and a multi-touch outreach sequence.

---

## 1. Prioritized Partner Shortlist

### Selection Criteria

Partners are ranked on four dimensions:

| Criterion | Weight | Description |
|-----------|--------|-------------|
| ICP Overlap | 35% | Penetration in the 200-2000 employee segment |
| Integration Complexity | 25% | API maturity, documentation quality, estimated engineering effort |
| Co-Sell Potential | 25% | Partner's willingness/ability to refer and co-sell |
| Market Momentum | 15% | Growth trajectory, brand strength, customer demand signals |

### Tier 1: Strategic Partners (Build First — Quarters 1-2)

These are high-overlap, high-pipeline partners. Prioritize engineering resources here.

| # | Partner | Category | ICP Overlap | Est. Eng. Effort | Rationale |
|---|---------|----------|-------------|-------------------|-----------|
| 1 | **BambooHR** | HRIS | Very High | 2-3 weeks | Dominant in SMB-to-mid-market. Strong marketplace. High customer request volume. Well-documented API. |
| 2 | **Greenhouse** | ATS | High | 2-3 weeks | Leading mid-market ATS. Excellent partner program. Natural workflow handoff from hire to onboarding. |
| 3 | **Lever (Employ)** | ATS | High | 2 weeks | Strong mid-market presence. Clean API. Combined with Jobvite under Employ, covers a wide base. |
| 4 | **Rippling** | HRIS/HCM | Very High | 3-4 weeks | Fast-growing in mid-market. Unity API simplifies integration. High co-sell potential. |
| 5 | **Gusto** | HRIS/Payroll | High | 2-3 weeks | Strong in the 50-500 range, expanding upmarket. Large embedded partner program. |

### Tier 2: Growth Partners (Build in Quarters 2-3)

Solid ICP overlap but slightly lower pipeline urgency or higher complexity.

| # | Partner | Category | ICP Overlap | Est. Eng. Effort | Rationale |
|---|---------|----------|-------------|-------------------|-----------|
| 6 | **Paylocity** | HCM | High | 3 weeks | Growing mid-market HCM. Less mature partner ecosystem but strong customer base. |
| 7 | **JazzHR** | ATS | Medium-High | 1-2 weeks | Simple API. High volume in lower mid-market. Quick integration win. |
| 8 | **Paycom** | HCM | Medium-High | 3-4 weeks | Strong in 200-2000 segment. Less open API ecosystem but high customer demand. |
| 9 | **iCIMS** | ATS | High | 3-4 weeks | Enterprise-leaning but significant mid-market presence. Strong marketplace program. |
| 10 | **Namely** | HRIS | Medium-High | 2-3 weeks | Purpose-built for mid-market. Good API. Smaller customer base but high ICP concentration. |

### Tier 3: Opportunistic Partners (Build in Quarters 3-4)

Lower priority but worth pursuing if engineering capacity allows.

| # | Partner | Category | ICP Overlap | Est. Eng. Effort | Rationale |
|---|---------|----------|-------------|-------------------|-----------|
| 11 | **ADP Workforce Now** | HCM | High | 4-6 weeks | Massive mid-market base but complex integration process and slower partner onboarding. |
| 12 | **UKG Ready** | HCM | Medium-High | 4-5 weeks | Strong mid-market HCM. Longer integration timeline but valuable long-term. |
| 13 | **Ashby** | ATS | Medium | 1-2 weeks | Fast-growing modern ATS. Small but rapidly expanding. Quick build, signals innovation. |
| 14 | **Hibob** | HRIS | Medium | 2-3 weeks | Growing in mid-market, especially internationally. Good for expansion play. |
| 15 | **Workable** | ATS | Medium | 2 weeks | Broad SMB-to-mid-market ATS. Simple integration, adds breadth to portfolio. |

### Engineering Capacity Plan

With 1.5 engineers over 6 months (~26 weeks of capacity):

- **Weeks 1-10:** Build Tier 1 integrations (5 partners, ~12-15 weeks of work, parallelized across 1.5 engineers)
- **Weeks 8-18:** Build Tier 2 integrations (5 partners, ~12-16 weeks of work, overlap with Tier 1 tail)
- **Weeks 16-24:** Build Tier 3 integrations (2-3 partners based on capacity)
- **Ongoing:** Maintenance buffer (~10-15% of capacity reserved)

Target: 12-13 new integrations live by month 6 (total of 15-16 including existing 3).

---

## 2. Tiered Partnership Offer Structure

### Tier Overview

| Dimension | **Referral Partner** | **Integration Partner** | **Strategic Alliance** |
|-----------|---------------------|------------------------|----------------------|
| **Commitment** | Low | Medium | High |
| **Integration Depth** | Listing/link only | Bidirectional data sync | Deep workflow integration + co-built features |
| **Revenue Share** | 10-15% of Year 1 ACV | 15-20% of Year 1 ACV | 20-25% of Year 1 ACV + joint deal registration |
| **Co-Marketing** | Logo placement, joint blog post | Marketplace listing, case study, 1 joint webinar/quarter | Dedicated landing page, joint campaigns, event co-sponsorship |
| **Support** | Shared documentation | Dedicated partner Slack channel, quarterly business review | Named partner manager, monthly syncs, shared roadmap input |
| **Enablement** | Product overview deck | Sales training, demo environment | Joint solution playbook, certified seller program |
| **Typical Partners** | Tier 3, early-stage | Tier 2, most Tier 1 | Top 2-3 Tier 1 partners |

### Detailed Offer: Integration Partner (Core Tier)

This is the primary tier most partners will occupy.

**What We Provide:**
- Full bidirectional integration (employee data sync, workflow triggers, status updates)
- Co-branded marketplace listing with setup documentation
- Joint case study featuring a shared customer
- Quarterly co-marketing activity (webinar, blog post, or social campaign)
- Partner portal access with lead tracking and integration analytics
- 15-20% revenue share on partner-sourced deals (Year 1 ACV)
- Dedicated Slack channel for technical and partnership support
- Quarterly business review to track pipeline and optimize

**What We Ask:**
- Marketplace listing approval and promotion
- Introduction to 3-5 mutual customers for pilot/case study
- Sales team enablement session (30 min) for their mid-market reps
- Quarterly pipeline review participation
- Joint press release or announcement at launch

### Detailed Offer: Strategic Alliance (Top Tier)

Reserved for 2-3 highest-potential partners (likely BambooHR, Greenhouse, Rippling).

**Additional Benefits Beyond Integration Partner:**
- Co-developed integration features based on shared product roadmap
- Named partner manager with monthly strategic syncs
- Joint go-to-market campaign budget ($5-10K/quarter shared investment)
- Priority engineering support for integration issues (4-hour SLA)
- Early access to product roadmap and beta features
- Event co-sponsorship (1-2 industry events/year)
- Joint deal registration with protected pipeline
- 20-25% revenue share on sourced deals

**Additional Asks:**
- Executive sponsor alignment (VP+ level)
- Minimum 5 qualified introductions per quarter
- Joint annual planning session
- Product feedback loop participation
- Co-selling commitment on qualified opportunities

---

## 3. Partner Pitch Framework

### The BRIDGE Framework

A structured pitch approach for partnership conversations.

#### B — Business Context (30 seconds)

> "We help mid-market companies automate the entire employee onboarding journey — from offer acceptance through day-90 productivity. Our customers typically cut onboarding time by 40% and reduce new-hire drop-off by 25%."

Adapt to partner type:
- **For HRIS partners:** Emphasize the gap between HR record creation and actual onboarding execution.
- **For ATS partners:** Emphasize the broken handoff between "candidate accepted" and "employee onboarded."

#### R — Relevant Pain Point (60 seconds)

> "[Partner name]'s customers tell us the same thing: they love [Partner] for [core function], but onboarding is still a mess of spreadsheets and manual emails. Your support team probably fields tickets about onboarding workflows that aren't really your product's job to solve — but your customers expect it."

Key pain points to reference:
- Customers asking partner for onboarding features outside their core product
- Churn risk when customers outgrow basic onboarding capabilities
- Competitive pressure from all-in-one HCM suites

#### I — Integration Value Proposition (90 seconds)

> "We've built an integration that connects [our product] directly to [partner product], so when [trigger event] happens in your system, onboarding workflows automatically kick off in ours. For your customers, it feels native. For your team, it means fewer support tickets and a stronger product story."

Specific value by partner type:
- **HRIS:** "New employee record in [HRIS] triggers onboarding workflow. Employee data syncs bidirectionally. No duplicate entry, no missed steps."
- **ATS:** "When a candidate is marked as hired in [ATS], their onboarding journey starts automatically. Hiring manager gets a checklist, IT gets provisioning tasks, the new hire gets a welcome portal — all triggered from your system."

#### D — Data / Social Proof (60 seconds)

> "We're already integrated with [existing partners], and our joint customers see [specific metric]. [Customer name] reduced their onboarding setup time from 3 days to 2 hours after connecting [our product] to [existing partner]. We have [X] customers in common with [target partner] based on our analysis."

Proof points to prepare for each pitch:
- Number of mutual customers (check LinkedIn, G2, or ask CS team)
- Metrics from existing integration partnerships
- Relevant case study or testimonial
- G2 category rankings and review volume

#### G — Go-to-Market Opportunity (60 seconds)

> "Here's what we're proposing: a co-marketed integration that lives in your marketplace, a joint case study with one of our shared customers, and a revenue share on deals we source for each other. We've mapped [X] accounts where we have relationships your team is prospecting into, and [Y] accounts where you have relationships we'd love intros to."

Include:
- Specific account overlap numbers
- Proposed co-marketing activities
- Revenue share structure (reference the tier)
- Timeline to launch

#### E — Easy Next Step (15 seconds)

> "Can we schedule a 30-minute technical walkthrough with your partnerships and product teams? We'll demo the integration prototype and walk through the co-marketing plan. I can have that ready by [date one week out]."

Always propose a concrete, low-commitment next step:
- Technical walkthrough (not a "sales call")
- Specific date/time
- Clear deliverable you'll bring

### Pitch Preparation Checklist

Before every partner conversation, prepare:

- [ ] Mutual customer count (pull from CRM + partner's public customer list)
- [ ] Partner's marketplace requirements and listing process
- [ ] Partner's current integration partner roster (identify gaps you fill)
- [ ] 1-2 specific shared customer stories or pain points
- [ ] Integration prototype or mockup (even wireframes help)
- [ ] Revenue share and co-marketing proposal customized to partner tier
- [ ] Competitive context (who else is in their ecosystem doing adjacent things)

---

## 4. Outreach Sequence

### Pre-Outreach Preparation (Before Day 1)

For each target partner, gather:
1. **Partnership contact:** Head of Partnerships / BD, or Director of Ecosystem
2. **Product contact:** Product Manager for integrations or marketplace
3. **Mutual customer champions:** 2-3 customers who use both products
4. **Warm intro paths:** Board members, investors, mutual connections on LinkedIn
5. **Partner marketplace:** Existing listings, application process, requirements

### Sequence Overview

| Touch | Day | Channel | Purpose |
|-------|-----|---------|---------|
| 1 | Day 0 | LinkedIn Connect | Warm up with context |
| 2 | Day 2 | Email #1 | Value-led introduction |
| 3 | Day 5 | LinkedIn Engage | Social proof touchpoint |
| 4 | Day 8 | Email #2 | Mutual customer angle |
| 5 | Day 12 | Warm Intro | Leverage shared connection or customer |
| 6 | Day 16 | Email #3 | Integration demo offer |
| 7 | Day 22 | LinkedIn Voice Note | Personal, pattern-interrupt |
| 8 | Day 28 | Email #4 | Breakup / alternative path |

### Touch 1: LinkedIn Connection Request (Day 0)

**Target:** Head of Partnerships or Director of Ecosystem at partner company.

> Hi [Name] — I lead partnerships at [Our Company]. We share [X] mid-market customers with [Partner], and I've been hearing from them about the onboarding gap after [partner's core workflow]. Would love to compare notes on what you're seeing. — [Your Name]

### Touch 2: Email #1 — Value-Led Introduction (Day 2)

**Subject Line Options:**
- "[Partner] + [Our Company]: [X] shared customers, 0 integration"
- "Your mid-market customers are asking for this"
- "The onboarding gap in [Partner]'s ecosystem"

**Body:**

> Hi [Name],
>
> I lead partnerships at [Our Company] — we automate employee onboarding for mid-market companies.
>
> I'm reaching out because we've identified [X] customers who use both [Partner] and [Our Company], and they keep asking us for the same thing: a native integration that triggers onboarding workflows directly from [Partner].
>
> We've already built integrations with [Existing Partner 1] and [Existing Partner 2], and our joint customers are seeing:
> - 40% faster onboarding setup
> - 65% fewer manual handoff errors
> - 3x more completed Day-1 tasks
>
> I'd love to explore whether a [Partner] + [Our Company] integration makes sense. I've sketched out what the data flow could look like and a co-marketing plan — happy to share if you're open to a 20-minute call.
>
> Best,
> [Your Name]

### Touch 3: LinkedIn Engagement (Day 5)

Do not send a message. Instead:
- Comment thoughtfully on a recent post by the partner contact
- Share or react to partner company news
- Engage with their marketplace or ecosystem content

Goal: Increase visibility and familiarity before the next direct touch.

### Touch 4: Email #2 — Mutual Customer Angle (Day 8)

**Subject:** "Quick story from [Mutual Customer Name]"

> Hi [Name],
>
> Wanted to share a quick story. [Mutual Customer] uses [Partner] for [function] and [Our Company] for onboarding. Their HR director told us last week that their biggest friction point is manually recreating employee records after someone is [hired/added] in [Partner].
>
> We've since built a prototype integration that auto-syncs [specific data fields] from [Partner] into our onboarding workflows. [Mutual Customer] is eager to pilot it.
>
> Would your partnerships or product team be open to a 20-minute technical walkthrough? I can show exactly how the data flows and what the marketplace listing would look like.
>
> Best,
> [Your Name]

### Touch 5: Warm Introduction (Day 12)

Activate one of:
- **Mutual customer champion:** Ask a shared customer to make an email intro. ("Hey [Partner Contact], you should talk to [Your Name] at [Our Company] — they built an integration with [Other Partner] that saved us hours.")
- **Investor/board connection:** If you share investors or board members, ask for a warm intro.
- **Industry peer:** If you know someone at a company that already partners with the target, ask for an introduction.

**Script for asking a mutual customer:**

> Hi [Customer Name],
>
> I know you've been wanting a tighter connection between [Partner] and [Our Company]. We're actively exploring a partnership with [Partner] and would love your help. Would you be willing to make a quick email intro to your contact at [Partner]? Even a one-liner like "These two should talk — I'd use this integration tomorrow" would go a long way.

### Touch 6: Email #3 — Integration Demo Offer (Day 16)

**Subject:** "Built a prototype: [Partner] → [Our Company] integration"

> Hi [Name],
>
> I wanted to follow up with something concrete. Our engineering team built a working prototype of the [Partner] + [Our Company] integration. Here's a quick summary:
>
> **Trigger:** [Specific event in partner system, e.g., "New hire record created in BambooHR"]
> **Action:** Auto-provisions onboarding workflow in [Our Company] — welcome emails, IT provisioning tasks, manager checklists, compliance forms
> **Data Sync:** Bidirectional — employee data, department, manager, start date, role
> **Setup Time:** Under 5 minutes for the end customer
>
> I recorded a 3-minute walkthrough video — happy to share it, or better yet, do a live demo with your product and partnerships team.
>
> Would [specific date] or [specific date] work for 25 minutes?
>
> Best,
> [Your Name]

### Touch 7: LinkedIn Voice Note (Day 22)

Send a 30-second LinkedIn voice message (pattern interrupt — very few people use this, so it stands out).

**Script:**

> "Hey [Name], it's [Your Name] from [Our Company]. I've sent a couple emails about a [Partner] integration — I know partnership inboxes get flooded, so I figured I'd try you here. We've got a working prototype, [X] mutual customers asking for it, and a co-marketing plan ready to go. If there's a better person for me to talk to on your team, happy to be redirected. Either way, would love 15 minutes. Cheers."

### Touch 8: Email #4 — Breakup / Alternative Path (Day 28)

**Subject:** "Should I try someone else at [Partner]?"

> Hi [Name],
>
> I've reached out a few times about a potential [Partner] + [Our Company] integration. I know timing and priorities may not line up right now, and that's completely fine.
>
> In case it's helpful, here's where we stand:
> - Working integration prototype (built to your API docs)
> - [X] mutual customers who've expressed interest
> - Co-marketing plan and revenue share proposal ready
>
> If this isn't the right time, no worries — I'll check back in Q[X]. If there's a better person to connect with on your team, I'm happy to be redirected.
>
> Thanks for your time,
> [Your Name]

### Post-Sequence Actions

- **If no response after Day 28:** Add to quarterly nurture (re-engage with new data: additional mutual customers, new integration launches, customer testimonials).
- **If redirected:** Restart sequence at Touch 2 with the new contact, referencing the redirect.
- **If meeting booked:** Move to the BRIDGE pitch framework. Prepare a customized deck with mutual customer data, integration demo, and proposed partnership tier.

---

## 5. Measurement & Success Metrics

### 6-Month Targets

| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| New integrations live | 10-12 |
| Total integrations (including existing 3) | 13-15 |
| Partner-sourced pipeline | 2x current baseline |
| Partner-sourced closed-won | 15-20% of new ACV |
| Marketplace listings live | 8-10 |
| Joint case studies published | 4-6 |
| Co-marketing activities completed | 8-12 |

### Monthly Tracking Dashboard

| Metric | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 |
|--------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| Outreach conversations started | 10 | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| Partnerships in negotiation | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Integrations in development | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Integrations launched | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Partner-sourced leads | — | 5 | 15 | 25 | 35 | 50 |
| Partner-sourced pipeline ($) | — | $50K | $150K | $300K | $500K | $750K |

### Partner Health Scorecard (Quarterly Review)

Rate each partner 1-5 on:
- Integration adoption (% of mutual customers activating)
- Lead flow (qualified introductions per quarter)
- Co-marketing engagement (activities completed vs. planned)
- Technical health (uptime, support ticket volume)
- Relationship strength (exec sponsor engagement, responsiveness)

Partners scoring below 2.5 average should be moved to a lower tier or deprioritized.

---

## 6. Risk Mitigation

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|--------|------------|
| Engineering bottleneck (1.5 engineers insufficient) | High | High | Pre-build integration framework/SDK for faster development. Use iPaaS (Merge, Finch) for commodity HRIS syncs. Reserve custom builds for strategic partners only. |
| Partner non-responsiveness | Medium | Medium | Multi-threaded outreach (partnerships + product + customer success). Leverage mutual customers for warm intros. Attend partner ecosystem events. |
| Integration maintenance burden | Medium | High | Build monitoring and alerting from day 1. Use webhook-based architectures over polling. Budget 15% of engineering time for maintenance. |
| Partner deprioritizes relationship | Medium | Medium | Contractual minimum commitments for Strategic tier. Quarterly business reviews with executive sponsors. Demonstrate measurable pipeline value early. |
| Competitor launches similar integration first | Low-Medium | High | Prioritize Tier 1 partners aggressively. Announce partnerships early (even pre-launch). Focus on integration depth over breadth as a differentiator. |

---

## 7. Quick-Start Action Plan (First 30 Days)

### Week 1
- [ ] Finalize internal alignment on partnership tiers and revenue share approval
- [ ] Begin engineering on integration framework/SDK for faster partner builds
- [ ] Pull mutual customer data for top 5 Tier 1 partners from CRM
- [ ] Identify partnership contacts at all Tier 1 partners

### Week 2
- [ ] Launch outreach sequence for Tier 1 partners (5 partners, Touch 1)
- [ ] Brief customer success team on partnership strategy (enable warm intros)
- [ ] Begin BambooHR integration development (highest priority)
- [ ] Create partnership pitch deck and one-pager

### Week 3
- [ ] Continue outreach sequence (Touches 2-3)
- [ ] Begin Greenhouse integration development
- [ ] Activate mutual customer champions for warm introductions
- [ ] Prepare integration demo environment

### Week 4
- [ ] First partner meetings (target: 2-3 meetings booked from Tier 1)
- [ ] Complete BambooHR integration MVP
- [ ] Begin Lever integration development
- [ ] Launch outreach sequence for Tier 2 partners (5 partners)
- [ ] Publish first marketplace listing

---

*Plan prepared for [Company Name] — Mid-Market Employee Onboarding Automation Platform*
*Target: 2x pipeline growth via integration partnerships in 6 months*
*Engineering Constraint: 1.5 FTE dedicated to integrations*