Lighthouse

APRIL 24, 2025

Approximately 300. Thats the number of HR technology products I personally see in a given year across the briefings and events I attend and the HR Tech Awards program run by our team. That seems like a lot, but some estimates put the total number of HR technology-related products in the thousands. Taking care of the workforce is a big job! When I put myself in the shoes of a VP of Talent or a CHRO, I realize just how difficult it is for them to have this same depth of insight into the technologi

HR Software 244

HR Software Hiring Software Applicant Tracking Systems CHRO 244

Lighthouse

APRIL 18, 2025

In our daily work with talent leaders and solution providers, we run into some incredible technology. These tools available to organizations right now can help them hire, develop, and retain their people, and the platforms and systems are amazing in their ability to support intelligent decisions, personalized actions, and more. According to nearly 10 years of gathering data in the market, we estimate that 5,000+ technology providers exist across the entire landscape of HR, talent, learning, and

HR Software 130

HR Software Hiring Software Onboarding Software Recruiting Software 130

Lighthouse

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

Note: Our team is working closely with UNLEASH this year on a series of activities, including a quarterly column penned by yours truly. This is the first in the series as I bring research to show that the newest fad, generative AI, may have long-lasting and dangerous side effects. What if the tools used by millions of people every day are actually eroding our ability to think?

HR Software 130

HR Software Talent Experience 10KC Tools 130

Lighthouse

JANUARY 14, 2025

The HR technology market in 2024 was a story of resilience and growth amidst a rapidly changing global landscape. With the U.S. election dominating headlines and sparking conversations around the future of work, and consumer confidence rebounding from the challenges of prior years, the HR tech space has continued to demonstrate its vital role in shaping how organizations adapt to new demands.

HR Software 130

HR Software Bullhorn Hiring Software Staffing Software 130

Lighthouse

JANUARY 7, 2025

One of the most exciting programs that our team runs every year is the HR Tech Awards. Over the last five years we’ve awarded dozens of companies for their work across talent acquisition, benefits, compensation, talent management, learning, and other key areas. The heart behind this program is to create a way for HR and talent leaders to more easily review, select, and buy the technologies they need.

HR Software 244

HR Software Case Study Talent Acquisition Study 244

Lighthouse

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

There’s an old proverb that essentially states “the shoemaker’s children have no shoes.” The more modern version is “the cobbler’s children have no shoes,” even though handmade shoes are mostly a lost art. However, the metaphor still has a profound message. Where we have expertise, we often use that expertise for the benefit of others, even if it means we go without the benefit ourselves.

Cornerstone OnDemand 130

Cornerstone OnDemand Report Compliance Training Productivity 130

Lighthouse

OCTOBER 11, 2024

This past week I was in the great city of Chicago speaking at the RPO Association annual conference. I had the privilege of delivering a keynote on the newest research on RPO buyers, their priorities, and what they want most. There were so many incredible organizations represented in the attendee audience, and I am honored to call many of them friends.

AI Recruiting 130

AI Recruiting Recruiting Software Hiring Software Recruitment 130

Lighthouse

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

Every year our team attends HR Tech in Vegas, and inevitably every year I hear from someone on the show floor or post-event with the exact same complaint: There’s nothing new or exciting. -Various people For whatever reason, I put on my crusader hat and I end up highlighting a few of the companies I’ve spoken with that have a truly interesting or innovative product, but that conversation never makes it farther than that private discussion.

Hiring Software 147

Hiring Software HR Software Recruiting Software Onboarding Software 147

Lighthouse

AUGUST 6, 2024

As the back-to-school season has kicked off for our children, it’s the perfect moment to revisit the highlights of this year’s HR Summer School 2024! Since its inception amid the 2020 pandemic, HR Summer School has stood at the forefront of bridging the HR community, delivering unparalleled virtual learning, and fostering a sense of inspiration among professionals.

HR Software 130

HR Software Isolved Talent Experience 10KC 130

Lighthouse

MAY 16, 2024

Every year I look forward to our team’s survey and analysis of the talent acquisition market, because it’s a space that moves quickly and has a tremendous amount of innovation both in the technologies as well as the practices that employers use to create successful outcomes. This year’s report is no exception, highlighting what is changing, what’s new, and what talent teams are doing to prepare for what’s next.

Talent Acquisition 162

Talent Acquisition Hiring Software AI Recruiting Trends 162

Lighthouse

MAY 9, 2024

When speaking with a talent acquisition leader recently, he mentioned that some of the challenges his team is facing have been the same ones that he’s faced at other organizations for over a decade. While that may be true, there are also many companies that are overcoming obstacles and creating hiring outcomes that are positive and repeatable.

Talent Acquisition 130

Talent Acquisition Hiring Software Onboarding Software Recruiting Software 130

Lighthouse

MARCH 18, 2024

The first study our team ever began to do year over year was focused on talent acquisition. We gathered data from employers on their biggest priorities and challenges in order to help talent leaders to make better decisions. This year, our 2024 Talent Acquisition Trends study covers more than 1,200 employers and 1,000 candidates from around the world, and as usual, it delves into some of the biggest issues and areas of opportunity for today’s talent and HR leaders.

Talent Acquisition 130

Talent Acquisition 10KC Talent Experience Trends 130

Lighthouse

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Generative AI. It’s the topic in what seems like every conference agenda, presentation, and headline today. But so much of it is focused on things like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini (formerly Google Bard). However, there are a few “flavors” of generative AI being used by talent acquisition and HR teams today: Off-the-shelf public systems like ChatGPT that are trained on large language models (LLMs) from the broader Internet.

Talent Acquisition 147

Talent Acquisition AI Recruiting Hiring Software HR Software 147

Lighthouse

JANUARY 24, 2024

Each year we partner with the RPO Association to produce a research study to examine and understand how the recruitment process outsourcing market is changing, what buyers expect, and the realities of the current landscape. Our latest report was recently released featuring findings from more than 500 RPO buyers, and it’s currently available at no charge.

Video Recruiting 130

Video Recruiting Study Talent Acquisition Hiring Software 130

Lighthouse

JANUARY 3, 2024

Our annual reporting on M&A in the HR technology space is one of our most popular pieces of content year after year ( see our 2022 version here ). We look at some of the many announcements that happen over the course of the year, flag some key ones, and identify any big trends that seem to appear across the landscape. 2023 was no different than recent years.

HR Software 147

HR Software Hiring Software Recruiting Software Assessment Software 147

Lighthouse

DECEMBER 18, 2023

In our research on high-performing organizations, the term “complexity coefficient” is one that we use to describe companies that are outliers from the standpoint of investment into HR operations. What exactly is this coefficient, and why is it a crucial factor in organizational management? In essence, the complexity coefficient describes a phenomenon where an organization’s HR needs and technology requirements are influenced by various complexity factors , such as industry or

HR Software 246

HR Software Interview Software Recruiting Software CHRO 246

Lighthouse

DECEMBER 4, 2023

Several years back, economist and human behavioral science expert Dan Ariely ran an experiment on options and choices (one of hundreds of experiments he’s run over the years). He found that when you offer just two choices, people are more rational and split their attention between the premium and inexpensive options. But if you offer three choices with one being visibly superior, one being visibly inferior, and one middle-of-the-road option that skews inferior, you tended to drive more cho

Recruiting Software 130

Recruiting Software Hiring Software Staffing Software HR Software 130

Lighthouse

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

For talent acquisition leaders, it sometimes feels as if there is a set of opposing forces fighting for control over hiring processes: We need a strong, supportive candidate experience We need to provide fair consideration and minimize bias We need to pick the candidate who can best perform the job… All that seems like a tough mission, frankly!

Talent Acquisition 246

Talent Acquisition ATS 10KC Talent Experience 246

Lighthouse

OCTOBER 26, 2023

The period of time over the last year or two has led to some of the most interesting (and challenging) talent acquisition swings in the market in my entire working lifetime. Recruiting teams have been cut sharply by reductions in hiring as companies prepared for tough economic times, and we’re seeing employers use more automation than ever before to take over pieces of the recruiting workload.

Talent Acquisition 130

Talent Acquisition Recruitment Trends Study 130

Lighthouse

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Over the last few months we’ve been working on our 2023 Compensation Data and Technology Trends research that we update every two years. In this year’s findings, we uncovered some new areas of interest, from how and why companies adopt these technologies to how they are changing their use of data to support comp practices. In the graphic below snipped from the final report that will be published soon, we outline seven of the differentiators between high-performing firms (those with b

Compensation 130

Compensation Analysis Guidelines Talent Management 130

Lighthouse

JULY 23, 2023

On Thursday, August 10th, our team will be hosting a special livestream to look at our brand new data on Performance, Engagement, and Culture Enablement (PEACE). Based on 1,000 global workers, this study has some incredible insights on how employees feel about their experiences at work today, what employers need to do to support them, and more. We’re analyzing and planning to share some important signposts for employers that want to maximize workforce productivity, including: The biggest b

Planning Tools 130

Planning Tools HR Software Study Data 130

Lighthouse

MAY 24, 2023

In our daily work with talent leaders and solution providers, we run into some incredible technology. Some of the tools available to organizations right now help them hire, develop, and retain their people, and the platforms and systems are amazing in their ability to support intelligent decisions, personalized actions, and more. According to some sources, the number of HR technology firms is more than 4,000 providers.

HR Software 130

HR Software Hiring Software AI Recruiting Recruiting Software 130

Lighthouse

MAY 17, 2023

Hiring moves quickly. That’s true in a practical/process sense, but it’s also true from a broader trends perspective. What works today is different in some ways from what worked two or five years ago. As we’ve been drawing insights from our new talent acquisition research (our first infographic on Pay Transparency, Ghosting, and Other TA Priorities , for example), we have run into some key trends and threads that every talent and HR leader needs to know.

Hiring Software 130

Hiring Software Report Talent Acquisition Hiring 130

Lighthouse

APRIL 12, 2023

Of all the aspects of human capital management, talent acquisition has seen a tremendous upheaval in the last three years. From a full stop in 2020 to full speed in 2021 and 2022, we’re now seeing some mixed signals about what the future holds. The essential piece is that small and midsize employers are hiring more than very large ones, and we’re seeing a strong appetite for hiring in most industries other than the obvious software/technology space that’s taken some layoff hits

Talent Acquisition 130

Talent Acquisition 10KC Talent Experience Hiring Software 130

Lighthouse

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

Over the last year as companies struggled to find good people to hire and fought at the same time to keep their best staff, I knew there had to be a story there. I began digging into the data and found some surprising and potentially alarming details: there is a real talent shortage globally, and in many cases it’s getting worse. I began writing about my findings and soon realized that this was a problem that begged for solutions, so I gathered stories of companies that are hiring and reta

Hiring 130

Hiring Recruiting Software HR Software Data 130

Lighthouse

JANUARY 18, 2023

We often hear that learning and development is one of the keys to retaining employees, because they value it so much. But what about those employees who have virtually no interest in learning? In our new learning research, we see that employees who score themselves as low on the belonging spectrum are eight times more likely to say they aren’t interested in any type of workplace learning.

Compliance Training 246

Compliance Training Diversity Study Talent Experience 246

Lighthouse

JANUARY 9, 2023

Last year one of our most popular posts on the blog was a recap of some of the 2021 M&A activities across the HR Tech landscape. When you juxtapose that with the fact that 2021 was the biggest year ever for the HR technology market in terms of investment, we just couldn’t go without sharing the biggest pieces of the last 12 months and highlighting a few of the notable 2022 transactions for their specific value.

Hiring Software 221

Hiring Software HR Software Staffing Software Onboarding Software 221

Lighthouse

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Employee belonging, burnout/stress, and DEI are all tied together, and they all intersect learning as well. In our brand new research on learning and talent development, we looked at some of the key areas where employee demand is shifting and evolving. In many cases, workers aren’t just asking to be trained to upskill in their jobs anymore. With the talent shortage in place for many frontline roles, rising mental health challenges including stress and burnout, and a need for inclusive empl

Compliance Training 147

Compliance Training Trends Training Talent Development 147

Lighthouse

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

In today’s workplace with the economy shifting and employers looking to slow hiring, we’re seeing some confusing signals. With some firms laying off workers or freezing hiring, others are still going nearly as fast as they possibly can. The last data from the BLS shows that job openings increased to 10.7 million on the last business day of September, a surprise uptick.

Trends 245

Trends Hiring Software Wage and Hour Training Recruiting Software 245

Lighthouse

OCTOBER 17, 2022

In the last few years, the workplace has transitioned from a focus just on employee surveys to a more continuous listening approach. This transition has also been branded in some cases as “voice of the employee,” since it opens a direct channel from the workforce to company leadership, giving workers a voice like never before. This isn’t just a shiny object.

Hiring Software 130

Hiring Software HR Software Glint Glints 130

Lighthouse

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Over the last few years, one of my favorite events has been the HR Tech Connect Summit. This year it happens on November 16-18 in Tampa, FL. This is a smaller, more intimate event than many in the industry. The best part? It allows talent and HR leaders to build deeper connections, see some of the world’s leading workplace technologies, and learn about the latest trends in the space.

HR Software 130

HR Software AI Recruiting Recruiting Software Talent Acquisition 130

Lighthouse

AUGUST 15, 2022

In the coming month or two we’ll be unveiling the findings of our new Frontline Worker study, but today I want to share a few statistics that are practical and targeted at a common problem every employer faces today. 15-plus years ago when I got married, I thought I knew what it meant to support someone. I also thought I understood the person standing beside me, because we’d been together for a few years before finally walking down the aisle together.

Hiring Software 130

Hiring Software HR Software Planning Tools How To 130

Lighthouse

JUNE 20, 2022

In the last 24 months, hiring has gone from a “let’s wait and see” to a highly competitive experience that is leaving employers scratching their heads at what to do next. Today, we’re releasing a new research report based on how more than 1,000 employers are facing these challenges. In recent weeks we’ve shared infographics depicting elements of this data, but this deep dive goes into critical areas of importance, including ideas on: Which technologies they plan to

Planning Tools 130

Planning Tools Recruiting Software Report Hiring 130

Lighthouse

MAY 18, 2022

In our daily work with talent leaders and solution providers, we run into some incredible technology. Some of the tools available to organizations right now help them hire, develop, and retain their people, and the platforms and systems are amazing in their ability to support intelligent decisions, personalized actions, and more. According to some sources, the number of HR technology firms is more than 4,000 providers.

HR Software 338

HR Software Hiring Software AI Recruiting Recruiting Software 338

Lighthouse

MAY 4, 2022

Hiring assessments have gone through many iterations and evolutions since the days I was using them to screen high potential hires during my recruiting days. I remember having to stop the hiring process, send candidates a separate link to create an account and complete an assessment, then bringing in an expert to help evaluate the findings and select the right hire… It was kind of a mess!

Assessment Software 130

Assessment Software Hiring Software Hiring Talent Acquisition 130

Lighthouse

APRIL 19, 2022

When you are selling a house in a buyer’s market, you do all kinds of things to try to create the right atmosphere, conditions, and appeal so that you can stand out from the other sellers. Employers today need to have that same mindset when it comes to recruiting and hiring. In the modern marketplace, candidates hold considerably more power and decision-making control than they did in the past.

Hiring Software 130

Hiring Software Staffing Software Recruiting Software Talent Acquisition 130

Lighthouse

APRIL 13, 2022

Hiring isn’t just about talent, jobs, and skills. It’s about finding the right person to solve a business need. And when enough of those jobs are difficult to fill or not filled at all, this conversation begins to rise to the highest levels of leadership. In our brand new hiring study, we found that eight in 10 talent leaders agree that hiring is a business-level challenge , not just a talent or HR discussion.

Talent Acquisition 260

Talent Acquisition Hiring Software Hiring Data 260