Recruiter Chicks

The Recruiter Chicks had the pleasure of attending the HR Technology Conference last week in Chicago.  It is truly a great conference chock-full of the best and brightest in the HR & Recruiting space as well as fun tools, trinkets, and loads of HR tech service provider folk – duh!

I was asked more than once why I was attending this technology centered conference.  I found it rude for people to continuously ask me this question.  For Pete’s sake, I work for an organization that uses technology to fuel the engine…just like you.  I enjoyed the conference more because it was not the run of the mill recruiting focused conference and I was not running with my typical recruiter crew.  I threw myself into the world of technology savvy, code writing, software, platform and suite carrying ninjas – people like the other half of Recruiter Chicks – Chris Havrilla.

My key highlights from the show:

1.  It’s all about the people PEOPLE! 

My recruiting friend and fellow member of the #ATLDelegation, Eric Jaquith has always told me that conferences are about networking.  Well, HR Tech was no disappointment.  There were so many HR professionals who were ready to meet, greet, connect, learn and share in one location and over a three day period.  There was a crowd of about  4,000 in attendance.

2. Shiny Objects

I wish I had an aerial view picture of the Expo Hall at the Conference.  It would seriously look like Willy Wonka designed and built a conference expo hall.  There were all sorts of goodies, pictures, t-shirts, iPhone cases, candy, games and human targets luring you to their booths.  The companies that were represented spanned from Interviewing software, Social Engagement platforms, Performance Management suites, Mobile Recruiting platforms and Reference Check technology tools.  This Expo Hall was a great place for those that are looking to upgrade/change, just upgraded/changed or will upgrade/change a system or component thereof.  It was interesting and disturbing to see HR pros acting like grown kids who happen to have budgets around these shiny objects.

3.  Limos 

Who knew the best way to get to know others at this conference and Very Important People (by the way) is to take a ride in a killer stretch Cadillac Escalade limo?  Seriously.  This limo was packed with Who’s Who in HR and many recipients of the Candidate Experience Award that were awarded during the conference.  Big thanks to Monster.com for the opportunity to speed network and get close and cozy with a few industry leaders and frankly those that lead by example when it comes to Candidate Experience.  It was great for speed networking, celebrating and party hopping!

4.  Parties

There’s 3-4 dinners/parties a night during this wonderful conference and this is when the real playas play!  Many lifelong connections and business deals begin at these dinners/parties whether you’re bonding while eating beets on a stick, listening to Gangnam Style and attempting the dance or watching your friends blow the roof off the joint singing karaoke to “Ice Ice Baby.”

 

Overall, this was another solid conference experience.  I would be remiss not to mention the sessions, one in particular blew my mind away.  It was the ‘Marsh Transforms itself with Social Technology’ session delivered by Laurie Ledford and Ben Brooks of Marsh & McLellan.  They delivered this session from the 100,000 foot view and shared how social impacted their overall business, not just HR or Recruiting.  If you haven’t already, take the time to learn about their business and how they completely transformed their culture in a way that is rewarding both intrinsically and extrinsically.

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