Filling the Gap: How RJR Approaches HCM Staff Augmentation

A UKG Pro implementation is four weeks from go-live. The lead configuration analyst just gave two weeks' notice. The client has two options: delay the launch by six to eight weeks while HR recruits a replacement, or bring in someone who already knows the platform.

RJR maintains a network of HCM professionals (UKG Pro, UKG Ready, Ceridian Dayforce, Workday, and ADP Workforce Now) who are available for placement into active engagements on short notice. These are not generalist contractors. They are practitioners who have configured the specific modules the engagement requires: payroll, benefits, workforce management, or integrations.

What staff augmentation through RJR looks like

Placements follow a structured intake process. Before any candidate is introduced, RJR maps the open role against the engagement's current phase, the modules in scope, and the data cutover timeline. A configuration analyst placed at week four of a twelve-week project needs a different profile than one placed at week nine during parallel testing.

Onboarding to an active engagement typically runs two to four weeks, shorter than a standard new-hire ramp because the candidate already knows the platform. RJR stays involved through the placement period, providing oversight on deliverables and flagging scope drift before it becomes a timeline issue.

Scope boundaries are structured with quarterly adjustment points, allowing clients to scale hours up or down by up to 50% at each boundary without renegotiating the engagement terms.

Common placement scenarios

• Implementation backfill: a key configuration role vacated mid-project
• Hypercare extension: go-live support beyond the standard two-period window when the client's internal team needs additional runway
• Module specialization: a client with internal HCM staff who lack depth in a specific module (benefits administration, time and labor, or integrations)
• Long-term managed services: ongoing configuration management after go-live, particularly for clients without a dedicated HRIS function

What RJR does not do

Staff augmentation through RJR is not a resume-forwarding service. Every placement is a working engagement, with deliverables defined before placement begins and a named RJR point of contact throughout. If a placement is not tracking against those deliverables, RJR intervenes directly rather than leaving the client to manage the underperformance.

RJR has completed more than 100 HCM implementations. That volume means the firm knows which platform versions have known defects in specific module combinations, which configuration paths create downstream payroll errors, and which cutover timelines are realistic vs. optimistic. That context travels with every placement.

When to engage

The right time to discuss staff augmentation is before the gap becomes critical. A four-week vacancy on a twelve-week project is recoverable. An eight-week vacancy on a ten-week project is not. Contact RJR when the risk first appears on the project board, not after the delay has already happened.