HRTech 2019 Conference Recap

The week after HRTech can feel a lot like the day after Christmas. You wait all year for the big day with so much excitement and anticipation that, when it’s over, you can’t help but feel a little empty. This year, we’re battling the post-HRTech blues by recapping some of our favorite talent acquisition sessions from the conference. 

The Landscape of Talent Acquisition Technology

Madeline Laurano, Founder of Aptitude Research, led a great session on the past, present, and future of talent acquisition technology. The industry analyst shared her recent research on the TA tech landscape and translated her findings into actionable suggestions for HR to utilize when selecting TA technology solutions and providers. 

Madeline challenged everyone in the audience to ask themselves, “Do your providers spark joy?” Knowing this is rarely the case, Madeline introduced the "partner over provider approach." To reduce organizational risk and elevate user satisfaction, this approach is worth the initial legwork. When selecting partners, organizations should be ready to ask internal, external, and experience questions to ensure everyone's goals are aligned.

Consider our favorite advice from Madeline’s session:

1. Ask providers about their roadmap - If you’re planning to get married, you’ll want to ask your partner about their long-term goals. The same goes for your provider-- especially as you focus on the partner over provider approach. 
2. Journal your tech - Have users journal about their experiences with the technology solution, including any suggestions they may have for improving the process. This will give you a platform of information to discuss when evaluating your tech solutions.

Madeline also introduced the 2019 Talent Acquisition Technology Buyer’s Guide, authored by herself and George LaRocque of #HRWins. This guide includes:

• The future of ATS, screening, assessments, and CRM
• Key requirements to base your technology stack upon
• Strategies for evaluating your providers and investments
• A TA technology roadmap for success

The Evolving Talent Acquisition Tech Stack

Tim Sackett moderated a knockout panel with talent acquisition leaders: Jennifer Shappley, Sola Osinoiki, and Jim Livingston. One of the biggest matters discussed was the unfortunate trade-off between the candidate experience and the recruiter experience. 

Many organizations today center their talent acquisition strategies on the candidate experience by finding ways to make it easier for candidates to apply. However, these organizations are finding that ease for candidates often equals more work for recruiters. For instance, a simpler application process can encourage more applicants, but it can (and often does) make the recruiter’s job more difficult on the back-end. Recruiters are then left with an extensive list of candidates they need to narrow down-- opening the door for subjectivity.   

“We want it (the application process) to be easy, but we want to narrow down to the best,” said Jen Shappley of LinkedIn. 

So, the big questions become: 

1. How can we “crack the nut” on improving the candidate experience and the recruiter experience? 
2. Where do we deploy humans, and where do we deploy technology solutions in this effort? 

HRTech made it clear: All signs point to AI. In another session, Sabrina Lucas & Tracey Patterson of Accenture shared that over 50% of all recruiting activity will be automated in the next three to five years. If we can implement AI to help alleviate the admin tasks associated with screening and assessments, recruiters can spend more time building relationships with candidates and hiring managers. 

This session was an indicator of a turning point in the AI conversation for HR. The conversation is no longer, “should we use AI?” The conversation is now, “how do we implement AI?” 

If you’re eager to learn more about talent acquisition technology and how to develop your tech stack, download the 2019 Talent Acquisition Buyer’s Guide today!