A Guide To HR Tech 2016 & The 5 Presentations We Can’t Wait To See

Adrian Dixon

September 28, 2016

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A Guide To HR Tech 2016

Visit Ideal.com at The Startup Pavilion, Booth 1246DD

We wait for it all year—alongside hundreds of employers, thousands of attendees and a long list of incredible keynotes. With so much going on all at once, it can be pretty overwhelming.

Here are our 3 tips for getting the most out of the HR Tech Conference:

Ideal’s 3 Ways To Hack HR Tech 2016:

#1) Wake Up Early, Go To Bed Late

It’s a jam-packed week. If you’re not attending a session, you’re probably walking the tradeshow floor or grabbing a drink with one of your customers. We try to fit in as much time with our customers as possible. This might mean waking up for a pre-pre-breakfast meeting, or meeting over a drink at 10pm, but it’s worth it. This opportunity only comes once a year. Maximize your time before, during, and after the formal conference schedule. You can sleep when you’re dead (or on Saturday).

#2) Network Intelligently

We believe in networking intelligently. Only once a year will we all be in the same room, so you need to capitalize on it. Shake the hand of the person sitting next to you. Listen to what technology they love, how they hire, what they had at the continental breakfast—anything. We’re here together to learn from incredible keynotes and each other. Great business partnerships start with a handshake.

#3) Check Out The Startup Pavilion

Ok, so we’re a little bias, but this is where the real business is. All of these companies are showing incredible hustle just to make it here. Get ahead of the curve by checking out emerging technologies and having conversations with future industry leaders. Oh, and we’ll be there (Booth 1246DD). Say hello and take an #HRTechSelfie with us!

The Ideal Team

Our Prediction For The Top 3 Hot Topics:

#1) Workplace Diversity

We believe the hottest topic at HR Tech 2016 will be workplace diversity. Recent coverage in the New York Times, Huffington Post, and Harvard Business Review gives an idea of the magnitude and importance of this topic. We expect to see many thought leaders weigh in on the benefits of workplace diversity and what we need to do to truly achieve it.

#2) Blind Hiring

Alongside workplace diversity is a truly groundbreaking technology: blind hiring. The interest in this functionality is understandably huge as employers race to improve their hiring. The ability to anonymize data and work against unconscious bias is revolutionary. You will be hearing a lot about this. What exactly is blind hiring? Brush up with this short guide: How Blind Hiring Increases Workplace Diversity

#3) Intelligent Shortlisting

HR is not a profession for the faint of heart. Hiring, firing, and everything in between can become very taxing, we know. At the end of the day, we are all looking for the same thing: technology to make our lives easier. For Talent Acquisition, Intelligent Shortlisting stands to eliminate huge time-wasters: sorting and skimming resumes. Shortlisting tools use data to identify the best candidates for your open position. Armed with this technology, it’s Talent Acquisition’s time to shine.

The 5 HR Tech Conference Presentations We Can’t Wait To See

#1) Mega Session: Reinventing HR: A Radical New Approach to HR Technology and Solutions – Tuesday 04 October – 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM – Location: S406-Vista Room

The man, the myth, the legend: Josh Bersin. You would be crazy to skip this one. We expect to hear more about two of our favorite topics in this mega session: People Analytics and digital HR.

Josh Bersin Photo

“Come learn how forward-thinking organizations are embracing concepts such as analytics, design thinking and behavioral economics to transform their HR solutions and programs in order to deliver greater value to the business.”

#2) I&I2: The Datafication of HR: Ask the Expert Panel – Wednesday 05 October – 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM – Track: Ideas & Innovators

With a truly stacked lineup, we are really looking forward to this one. The “datafication” of HR is a topic very close to our hearts as our business uses massive amounts of data to help Talent Acquisition identify exactly who to interview. But the “datafication of HR” does not stop there. We expect to learn how data is transforming all aspects of HR from payroll to performance management.

Presenters At HR Tech Conference 2016

“You’ll leave with a better understanding on how to chart your own course towards becoming a more data-driven HR function and organization.”

#3) WFA3: Using Predictive Analytics to Improve Hiring and Retention at Foot Locker – Wednesday 05 October – 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Track: Workforce Analytics

This session simply sounds awesome. Predictive analytics gets our blood pumping and this promises to be a very interesting presentation. The case study format is one of my favorite ways to learn. A must-see.

Photo of Alexis Trigo and Jill Strange

“Learn how you too can leverage predictive analytics to build your own “winning team.”

#4) TECH3: The Evolution and Future of HR Analytics Technology – Thursday 06 October – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Track: Technical Insight

HR Analytics. Say no more. We’re huge fans of Workday and this lineup of presenters promises to offer extremely valuable, actionable advice. See you there.

HR Tech Conference Presenters

“What direction will HR analytics take over the next few years? You’ll leave better prepared for what will happen next in HR Analytics technology.”

#5) Closing Keynote: Taking HR’s Influence to the Next Level With Data Analytics – Friday 07 October – 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM

After some long days and late nights, Peter’s Keynote promises to end the conference on a high note. We’ll be there.

Peter Cappelli

“In his usual provocative way, he’ll share his personal take on “big data,” the questions data and analytics ought to be helping HR and employers answer, and a framework that will ultimately lead to making better decisions in the realm of HR technology.”

Let’s Meet Up! How To Get In Touch:

We’re proud to be a part of the HR Tech Movement and we look forward to each and every person we meet.

Stop by the booth in the Startup Pavilion (1246DD) for a #HRTechSelfie and we might even throw in a free selfie stick!

Map of HR Tech Conference Startup Pavilion