Marketing sets the expectations that lead to regret for HR Tech Buyers.

Gartner’s research found that regret feelings peak before implementation even starts, pointing to frustration with the buying experience itself. The issue is significant enough, according to Gartner analyst Hank Barnes, that it “raises the question of whether B2B technology buyers have negative attitudes towards purchases by default.”

What’s driving that pessimism? Mismanaged expectations. When Gartner looked at vendor-related factors, mismanaged expectations came in at 42%.

Marketing sets false expectations

Our research reveals that marketing contributes to this issue, with 45% of HR leaders describing vendor marketing as “overly optimistic and unrealistic.” Nearly half your buyers don’t believe what you’re saying. When 43% say vendor marketing lacks the information needed for decisions, they’re telling you they can’t get the transparency they need, even when they’re actively looking for it.

The result is that buyers go into purchases with hope rather than realistic expectations. The uncomfortable questions that should get asked during evaluation never surface:

• “What happens when our CEO changes and priorities shift?”
• “What if IT pushes back on integration?”
• “What’s the realistic timeline when things go wrong?”
• “Can our team handle the change management this requires?”

Reality hits after signing

Without honest answers to these questions, buyers underestimate what’s required. After the contract is signed, reality sets in. Our research shows what happens:

• 49% underestimated time, effort, and resources
• 35% experienced longer-than-anticipated implementation
• 33% struggled to get IT support
• 31% saw weaker adoption than expected

It plays out like this: your champion spent six months selling the exec team on your platform. They’ve staked their credibility on this decision. Now implementation is three months behind schedule, IT is frustrated, early adopters are complaining, and they’re left explaining why the promised ROI isn’t materialising.

The consequences compound

Gartner found that this pattern has consequences: organisations with high regret took 7 to 10 months longer to complete purchases than those with no regret. The frustration compounds.

The seeds of regret get planted during the marketing and sales process when expectations aren’t properly set.

Most vendors think about churn when a customer doesn’t renew. But regret starts costing you long before that.

1.  Implementation overruns damage your reputation.

When half your buyers get blindsided by costs they weren’t told about upfront, they remember. And they tell other buyers. In a market where referrals and case studies drive deals, every regretful customer becomes negative word-of-mouth waiting to happen.

2.  You inherit your champion’s credibility problem.

Every botched implementation makes it harder for your internal champion to be taken seriously. When 49% of HR leaders already struggle to convince people of the value of HR tech, a failed project exacerbates this issue. A weakened champion can’t advocate for renewal or expansion.

3. Low adoption shows up in your metrics.

With 48% of HR leaders struggling to drive user adoption, your expensive software is likely gathering dust. Low adoption numbers are the first warning sign before churn. They also make it impossible for your customer to justify the investment internally.

4. Regret freezes future spend.

When a third of HR leaders can’t prove investment value to leadership, it affects every future budget request. One regrettable purchase can freeze their entire HR technology agenda, including the expansions, upgrades, and additional modules you were counting on.

1. Stop lying about how easy it is.

Your case studies showcase perfect implementations and ideal scenarios. Meanwhile, 45% of buyers think you’re overly optimistic. Show realistic timelines and honest trade-offs. Acknowledge challenges overcome, not just results achieved. When you acknowledge that things can go wrong, you build trust and help buyers set the right expectations internally.

2. Give them the information they’re asking for.

When 43% say your marketing lacks decision-making information, that’s your problem. Create transparent pricing guides that explain the total cost of ownership. Develop ROI calculators that use their data, not fantasy numbers. Develop readiness assessments that enable them to identify gaps before committing. They’re asking for transparency. Give it to them.

3. Arm your champions for the internal battle.

Your buyer is building a business case for the CFO, getting buy-in from IT, and managing stakeholders. Most vendors leave them to fight that battle alone. Create business case templates, IT technical briefings, and change management playbooks. A third struggle to get IT support. Give them the ammunition to bring IT along.

4. Show the adoption reality, not an adoption fantasy.

Stop those demos where everyone embraces change on day one. Nearly half of HR leaders struggle to drive adoption. Show what success looks like with sceptical managers, resistant employees, and competing priorities. Provide adoption playbooks and change communication templates that prove you understand

In a market where 83% of buyers regret their purchases, where 45% find marketing unrealistic, and 43% can’t get the information they need, there’s massive competitive advantage for vendors willing to be different.

HR leaders are walking a tightrope between business demands and employee needs, between executive expectations and business reality. They don’t need another vendor adding pressure with unrealistic promises.

The 83% regret rate isn’t any single vendor’s fault. But it is the collective cost of a market optimised for short-term sales rather than long-term success.

The stakes are too high for this cycle to continue.