Over the last several years of working on the HR Technology Conference program, I consistently observed that the largest percentage of speaker submissions represented talent acquisition professionals. From national retailers or restaurant chains sharing their approaches to high-volume hiring to tech companies discussing new ways to find highly skilled talent or marketing firms discussing the latest methods to build interest around their employer brands—talent acquisition has always been at the forefront of the HR Tech Conference.
The preponderance of talent acquisition content that we have seen reflected in the HR tech market generally is also on display at the conference expo, which will be full of exhibitors that are developing solutions both directly and indirectly related to assisting employers with meeting their hiring challenges. And in the Startup Pavilion, you can see for yourself all the newest technologies to help talent acquisition leaders. Simply put, there is, has been and likely will continue to be lots of technology development in the talent acquisition domain. It pretty much is a full-time job for many excellent industry analysts (many of whom you will see at HR Tech) to try and keep track of all the new innovations.
This trend makes sense, given the persistence of the tight labor market here in the U.S., and in many other parts of the world. Recent data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that national unemployment reached its pre-pandemic low of 3.5%. Additionally, the labor force participation rate stood at an historically low 62.1%—a level not seen during non-recessions since the late 1970s. Now, take this raw, macro-level data and fold in your personal experiences finding new talent to fill open roles, as well as your observations as a consumer feeling the impact of low or understaffed organizations throughout the economy. If you’ve traveled by air recently or had to wait 35 minutes in a fast-food drive-through line, you’ve likely encountered some of the strain driven by talent shortages. For years, the challenge of finding the right people to add to the organization has been of primary importance to HR and business leaders. And, as I always mention, when there is an HR challenge, the HR technology market responds accordingly.
So, what can HR, talent acquisition and business leaders do to respond to these challenges? One step is to become more informed of the large and growing market for TA tech solutions. At the HR Tech Conference, we plan to provide the world’s largest showcase of talent acquisition products and providers in our expo, and in numerous solution provider and demonstration sessions. Additionally, as has been customary at HR Tech, we will feature leading organizations like McDonald’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and more, whose representatives will share their experiences with hiring in this difficult labor market and how the thoughtful application of new technology has been an enabler of their success.
The talent acquisition technology options available to organizations have never been so numerous and so powerful. Making the “right” technology decisions is hard. But the conference exists to help. I hope you plan to continue to leverage the resources and opportunities available at HR Tech to support your organization in making these critical TA technology decisions.
Click here to register for the HR Technology Conference, Sept. 13-16 in Las Vegas.
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