The Key Takeaways from HR Tech 2020

 

The HR Technology Conference & Exposition was virtual this year and just like everything else that happened in 2020, it took some time to get used to the change. This year, HR Tech was moved from physically on-site in Las Vegas like years past to an online platform called Swapcard, where attendees and vendors could attempt to meet in a LinkedIn–like connect and contact experience. This new experience relied heavily on the attendees’ ability and willingness to connect with vendors, which I am sure was a favored experience for an attendee compared to enduring the normal in–person baiting booth tactics. While we embraced this new format and appreciated the rest our feet and back were rewarded from the switch, there were some key takeaways for us at TalentGuard.  

 

The Platform

As mentioned, HR Tech was moved to a platform called Swapcard. There were several beneficial features from moving online with this platform, which included an organized agenda and schedule, where attendees only needed to be in one location: right in front of their computer. Attendees could easily add a session of interest to their calendar and watch the session live where they could comment with others during the session, engage in polls and listen along. Another highlight with the platform was that vendors could use a filter to identify attendees who are interested in a certain product and understand their timeline to purchase. This sounds like the best thing ever for a vendor but in order for this all to work out, the attendee would need to connect, set or accept a meeting, or just send a comment in real-time at a virtual booth. This did not always work out as planned but other times it resulted in great meetings and productive conversations.  

 

The Sessions

With an organized agenda and easy navigation, attending sessions was easier than ever. To add, depending on who you watched, the content was informative, easy to digest and follow along. Unfortunately, we were not able to attend them all but here are a few that we loved. 

Josh Bersin keynote – Dealing with Disruption: How the New Normal Is Shaking Up the HR Technology Market 

Like many other HR Techs, world-recognized analyst and researcher, Josh Bersin lead the way with his keynote. He discussed how business and the world have changed, what the future looks like in terms of workforce and technology trends, and some specific technology areas of interest, such as the talent marketplace. If you are interested in learning about some specific industry players, then this would have been a good presentation for you.

Deloitte – The Role of Technology In The Talent Marketplace

As you could tell by the name, this presentation dove right in about the talent marketplace. Viewers learned about how this concept has evolved over time, how AI is powering most solutions, and what the road ahead looks like for this type of solution inside an organization to enable career pathing, succession planning, performance management and more.

The Conversations

If you were one of the lucky people who had your scheduled meeting go as planned, some great conversations were had. Attendees came ready with their questions, problems that need solving, and hopefully spoke with the right person who could help out. For those who we could not connect with during the conference, we are happy to chat whenever you are ready to learn more from us! You can also easily request a demo of our software solutions here: Request a demo

 

Overall, this year’s HR Tech had some valuable takeaways for us. I’m sure many had wished they could connect in person, walk the floor, and dance the night away but like all things in 2020, there can be a silver lining as well. As we all continue to rise above the challenge at hand, and think critically about how to best prepare our organizations and employees to be successful, we at TalentGuard would be happy to help guide you there as best as we can.  

 

To learn more about TalentGuard’s software suite, request a demo today or to learn about some best practices, take a look at our Learning Center.