Tech needs touch: Takeaways from UNLEASH Amsterdam

Bronwyn Wainwright

UNLEASH 2018 brought the world’s biggest two-day HR Tech show to Las Vegas and London with its grand finale being held in Amsterdam. Under the theme “unleash your people”, the event focused on how to put people first at a time when software, collaborative tools and analytics are rapidly changing the way organizations work.

Tech needs touch: takeaways from UNLEASH Amsterdam

As with last year, Effectory was a gold sponsor of UNLEASH Amsterdam, and our engagement experts were at the show to share the latest developments and innovations in  employee surveys.

When all was said and done, our co-founder and CEO, Arne Barends shared his key takeaways with HR Technologist, a leading source of international HR tech news, research and expert views. Here is a brief summary of Arne’s reflections.

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Tech needs touch

Industry influencers Esther Perell, Matthieu Ricard and Stefan Hyttfors all emphasized on the human side of HR tech, and stressed the need for happiness, connection and trust among people in the workplace. 

Big brands are prepared for the next wave

From devising global recruiting strategies to dealing with transformation uncertainties, multinationals are ready to take on the next wave of AI and digitization, as seen with the likes of Deutsche Telekom and Avery Dennison at the show

Company culture is the new competitive advantage

Nokia’s Niklas Nordling and Tony De Graaf of Wehkamp both placed the spotlight on how a winning company culture is essential for organizations to achieve customer-centricity and agility. 

HR Tech is at a peak

AI improvements in everything from sentiment and pattern analysis to data visualization can be confidently integrated in the more generic tools such as applicant handling, global engagement surveys, and talent screening.

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Price/performance ratio of AI is taking over

We’ve already accepted that administration and workflow management is better off in the hands of machines, but now AI is taking the lead in terms of price and performance in fields like applicant screening, competence training, and job marketing.

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Venture capitalists are leaving a massive gap

In pursuit of high-speed scale-ups, venture capitalists push software companies to focus on ever-faster tech developments. The problem is they oftern fail to dedicate enough resources and expertise when it comes to implementation and running of HR projects. 

Adaptation and adoption are lagging

While multinationals are prepared to take on the next wave of digitization, adaptation remains their biggest challenge. Their matrix structures are preventing them from being able to fully benefit from the latest tech hitting the market.

HR industry needs to set its standards

HR deals with personal data at such a massive scale, and with GDPR in play, more focus needs to be dedicated to this vital subject, not only at shows like UNLEASH but across the industry.

While UNLEASH brings on HR tech to the fore, more CEOs need to turn their attention in this direction too. UNLEASH will surely reach a new level when vendors have the skills and confidence to sell the business impact of HR directly to organizational leaders.
Read the full article on HR Technologist

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