HR Tech: An Industry Rorschach Test
What do you see? A butterfly or an agentic AI solution transforming the modern workplace?
I’ve lost count of the number of HR Tech Conferences I’ve attended since my first one in 2009. In the dingy basement at the back corner of McCormick Place, the show was much smaller. You could walk every aisle in the expo hall in a brisk 5-10 minute walk. You could fit all the attendees in one of the breakout rooms used in 2025.
Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you probably weren’t there.
The spectacle that exists today makes it impossible to get a feel for the room the same way you could 16 years ago. That makes me more convinced than ever that HR Tech is a reflection of our own experiences as much as it is a bellwether for what’s going on in the industry.
Feeling cynical about the crest of the AI hype cycle? You’ll find plenty of reasons to embrace the cynicism. A booth proudly proclaiming to be “like ChatGPT but for hiring” is both unintentionally hilarious and an indicator of how much AI has latched onto every last function of HR, whether buyers actually want it or not.
Feeling like innovation is starting to ramp up? Even beyond the ruckus of AI and agents, there are some interesting things happening that work leaders have needed for far too many years.
Feeling hopeful for a soft economic landing and continued investment in the industry? The show size (as big as ever), increased buying behaviors, and a Fed interest rate cut made those proverbial wallets feel a little looser.
Feeling like we’ll go back to reinvesting in employee experience like we did in 2022? Well, even a Rorschach test can do only so much projection.
So what am I seeing?
Show me, don’t tell me
AI was ubiquitous. There were a scant few booths that didn’t have a mention of AI and disappointingly, no strong counter to the AI-fication of everything. HR Tech can be a miserable place in the throes of a hype cycle. The eyes glaze over like looking at the menu at Border Grill for the seventh time.
What would’ve been nice to see is a strong, clear AI story. Instead, there was a lot of bark and little bite.
Vendors had issues answering questions like:
How does your AI work in plain language?
Who is using your AI solution?
How is it improving outcomes?
How is it improving the experience, especially for employees?
Of course, I wasn’t talking to the product leaders (I didn’t think I’d even be coming to the event until a few weeks ago). But very few people generally do. If your whole team can’t answer these questions credibly, it’s bad.
Ultimately, buyers aren’t looking for AI in and of itself. They are looking for answers to problems their organization is facing. A lot of them are distrustful of big promises because HR technology providers often struggle with basic automation and janky integrations already. Anyone who is in the CHRO seat has had a major technology failure in the last five years. Even if intrigue is high, they are probably going to focus first on getting the basics right.
Skills no longer pay the bills
In the paraphrased words of Supertramp, goodbye skills, it’s been nice. Hope you find your paradise.
What was once the hot trend for a few years was much less prominent this year. I’m not surprised, though. Skills are hard to quantify and capture in the same way that credentials or years of experience are. A credential is binary. You either have it or you don’t. Skills have a whole range of possibilities. And even people at the same skill level will vary.
Not only that, there’s a whole philosophy around taxonomy and organization that carries some very strong feelings. That makes the match, even for true believers, about as easy as finding the owner a glass slipper after that late night party in Eye Candy.
Pragmatically, we need some sort of answer for skills. Buyers seem to be struggling here but they also seem happy to ride it out with existing tools.
Does anyone care about the employee experience anymore?
I get that the pendulum has swung power back to employers but wow. No wonder employees are slow walking AI adoption. Even the hint that AI could do some work that humans are doing has led people to talk about EX as an afterthought. Or worse, that AI will make the employee experience better (which just isn’t showing up in any data).
This is real short-term thinking. There aren’t too many companies out there with sustainable success that also don’t at least try to create a great employee experience. And I believe EX is innate in an organization, through good times and bad (or whether the power dynamic is in their favor or not).
The thing is, being a good workplace also stands out more when you have the option to act like a jerk and still get people to work for you. Maybe vendors feel like EX is implied but buyers do not.
Cheers and jeers
What was good and what was bad?
Cheers: New team
It was great getting together with some of my new (Mary Ellen Slayter and Alec Cherrin) and not-so-new (Steve Smith and Anthony Spangler, APR) colleagues at Rep Cap and having some great meetings at HR Tech. Everyone was excited!
Jeers: Vegas
I got sick, my feet still kinda hurt, and the dry air never goes away. I get why HR Tech is in Vegas, probably for the long haul, but I don’t have to like it. I want to go back to a real city, maybe one with some humidity and things besides Vegas-priced and styled bars and restaurants.
Cheers: Old and new connections
It was great seeing so many people (too many to count, I’m sorry, I can’t tag you all). As a guy who’s always happy to stay in my cave of an office away from socialization, the sprint of talking with this many people all at once is a lot. My heart is happy and I was glad to see y’all but I’m also happy for some quiet again.
Jeers: Badge scanning
I don’t know what happened but a bunch of companies decided to get really aggressive with the badge scanning this year. I had multiple people scan my badge without even asking and it seemed like everyone was looking for those sweet leads. My month-old email inbox is suffering already.
News from the show
SAP confirms completion of the SmartRecruiters acquisition - link
Visier Inc. launches Manager Agent - link
Employ (Jobvite/Lever/JazzHR) showcases AI Screening Companion - link
Perceptyx debuts AI Agent Suite and reimagined platform - link
Cornerstone OnDemand presents next evolution of the Cornerstone Galaxy platform - link
RADICL launches AI-native platform to reimagine how people and teams organize around work - link
Beekeeper introduces Manager Hub and My Portal for frontline EX - link
PageUp launches AI Skills Matching and “Paige” virtual assistant - link
Remote expands global HR & Payroll with Remote Surveys and enhanced HRIS - link
Salary.com introduces CompAnalyst AI Suite - link
Skillsoft unveils next‑gen Percipio learning platform - link
Proctorio announces Secure Interviews (anti‑fraud for interviews) - link
RChilli Inc. introduces AI agent capabilities for autonomous recruitment data ops - link
Nayya unveils year‑round, AI‑driven benefits actions and guidance - link
Chime Workplace integrates financial wellness with Workday - link
Guardian Life expands Guardian Access APIs for real‑time benefits data exchange - link
EMPTrust Employee Onboarding Modules debuts EVA Section 2 Employment Verification Agent for I‑9 - link
TraineryHCM launches AI in ReviewCloud + new JobArchitect module - link
iCIMS releases the 2025 State of Frontline Hiring report - link
ADP announces Lyric HCM named a Top HR Product of 2025 - link
Workday announces Workday Wellness named a Top HR Product of the Year - link
Paradox, A Workday Company announces Immersive Job Preview named a Top HR Product of the Year - link
Eightfold AI announces recognition as one of HR Executive’s 2025 Products of the Year - link
RedThread Research announces Ingentis has joined its Tech Consortium and previews member showcases at HR Tech - link
The Josh Bersin Company announces 30 AI HR Tech Trailblazer vendors to be unveiled in the HR Tech 2025 keynote - link
HR Executive & HR Tech announce the 2025 Top HR Products of the Year - link
A note on this newsletter going forward
I am still working on getting up to speed in my new role, so things might be touch-and-go for a bit as I get into a new rhythm. Stay tuned for updates on the evolution, and maybe eventually some new brand and name. If you’re subscribed, you won’t miss it. If you’re not? Well, I pray to the LinkedIn algorithm that you’ll find me sooner than two weeks later.
That’s it for this week!