8 People Analytics Conferences You Should Know About

Adrian Dixon

October 6, 2016

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The popularity of people analytics – the use of data and data analysis techniques to understand, improve and optimize the people side of business – is creating dozens of people analytics conferences around the world.

Research by Bersin has found that while 78% of large companies rated people analytics as “urgent” or “important,” only 7% rate their organizations as having “strong” people analytics capabilities.

This discrepancy represents a huge opportunity to differentiate yourself by strengthening your analytical abilities.

To help you along your people analytics journey, I’ve compiled a list of the 8 best people analytics conferences presented in chronological order.

IBM HR Summit

1. IBM HR Summit

Meet and learn from over 400 HR professionals representing organizations from the Fortune 1000, including colleagues who are experiencing the same challenges you are and HR leaders pushing new boundaries.

When: September 6-8, 2016

Where: Boston

Who: Fran Hansen (Loblaws), Sheri Feinzig (IBM Smarter Workforce), and Cornelia Kunert (Zurich Insurance) were some of the notable speakers this year

Why: IBM’s HR Summit brings together customers, partners, and HR influencers. The common thread that attendees have is their passion for applying data and people analytics to different HR functions. See our CEO’s blog post on his three favourite speakers at the summit here.

HR Technology Conference & Exposition

2. HR Technology Conference & Exposition

The world’s biggest and best conference on HR technology. HR Technology covers all the latest trends – SaaS, The Cloud, social, mobile, analytics, video, gamification, Big Data and MOOCs.

When: October 4-7, 2016

Where: Chicago

Who: Josh Bersin, Mark Berry, Jeremy Welland (Pandora), and Professor Peter Cappelli among others

Why: All the big names in people analytics as well as every notable vendor of people analytics software will be there. If you only go to one people analytics conference this year, this is probably the one to attend. See our blog post on the HR Technology Conference and the top 5 people analytics presentations here.

ERE Recruiting Conference

3. ERE Recruiting Conference

You’ll be having conversations with the best recruiting managers and talent acquisition leaders who work in-house at some of the world’s best-known brands. There is no other recruiting conference in the world with these speakers and audience qualities.

When: October 24-26, 2016

Where: New Orleans

Who: Dr. John Sullivan, Carol Hamasaki (NBC Universal), Scott Walker (Dropbox), Christine Deputy (Nordstrom), and many others

Why: People analytics for recruitment is one of the top trends of 2016. So for recruitment and talent acquisition professionals interested in people analytics, this is a great conference to attend. An example of a people analytics session is Talent Analytics — The Opower Story.

People Analytics Canada

4. People Analytics Canada

Source best practices to take HR from a transactional to a strategic role at Canada’s only people analytics conference.

When: October 25-26, 2016

Where: Toronto, Canada

Who: Emma Horgan (Maple Leaf Foods), Brian Macdonald (Florida Panthers), Anuj Chandarana (Google), and Kanwal Safdar (Tesla) among others

Why: Going into their second year, People Analytics Canada has managed to attract some impressive names. This people analytics conference features presentations from both corporate and government people analytics leaders with an NHL team lead added in the mix. As a bonus, it’s being hosted at the Shangri La, one of the swankiest hotels in Toronto, one of the best cities in the world.

Workforce Planning & People Analytics Conference

5. Workforce Planning & People Analytics Conference

Eight out of 10 HR practitioners reported that their leaders continue to rely on gut feelings to make talent decisions. Join us for the Workforce Planning & People Analytics Conference to take the guesswork out of planning for your most valuable resource.

When: March 7-9, 2017

Where: Miami

Who: Professor Iris Bohnet (Harvard), Gustavo Canton (Walmart), Douglas Shagam (Nielsen), and others

Why: Hosted by the Human Capital Institute: The Global Association for Strategic Talent Management, this people analytics conference includes workshops such as Analytics for Talent Management and Predictive Modeling: Attrition/Turnover.

People Analytics Conference

6. People Analytics Conference

Going into our 4th year, we often hear that our annual conference is the world’s best on people analytics. Our objective is to deepen the dialogue between industry and academia, leading to new ideas and relationships.

When: March 30-31, 2017

Where: Philadelphia

Who: Tony Tsieh (Zappos), Brian Welle (Google), Professor Adam Grant, and Professor Daniel Kahneman were some of the notable speakers in 2016

Why: Hosted by Wharton, the People Analytics Conference is a mix of presentations on the latest academic research in people analytics as well as cutting-edge corporate people analytics practices. This year, the People Analytics Conference added an expo for startups with applications in people analytics.  

SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition

7. SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition

Over 200 concurrent sessions provide a complete education for HR professionals at every stage of their career, based on the SHRM Competency Model.

When: June 18-21, 2017

Where: New Orleans

Who: Laila Ali (keynote), Dr. Britt Andreatta (Lynda.com), Marina Galatro (Willis Towers Watson), and many more TBD

Why: Another huge name in the HR world, SHRM’s annual conference isn’t a people analytics conference per se, but it has something for everyone in HR including those interested in people analytics. For example, one of the seminars being offered is HR Analytics: Using Metrics to Drive Excellence.

Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

8. Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Packed with informative talks, networking opportunities, and invaluable professional development sessions, don’t miss this annual occasion to immerse yourself in groundbreaking Industrial-Organizational Psychology science and practice.

When: April 27-29, 2017

Where: Orlando

Who: Laszlo Bock (ex-Google), Bennett Price (Pepsi), and Marc Vicino (JetBlue Airways) were some notable presenters this year

Why: Similar to Wharton’s People Analytics Conference, the annual SIOP conference brings together academics and HR practitioners presenting the latest in HR research. This year’s people analytics focus included a session on Workforce Analytics: Real Data, Real Decisions.

The 8 best people analytics conferences

The best people analytics conferences presented in chronological order are:

  1. IBM HR Summit
  2. HR Technology Conference & Exposition
  3. ERE Recruiting Conference
  4. People Analytics Canada
  5. Workforce Planning & People Analytics Conference
  6. People Analytics Conference
  7. SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition
  8. Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Whichever people analytics conferences you decide to attend, you’ll be sure to learn, network, and have a great time at any of these events.