I just returned from Houston where I attended #rcnvsTexas – an event focused on the general topic of Disruptive Talent Technology and, more specifically, on providing in-house recruiting and HR professionals with a forum for discussing talent technology in 2016 – from the ATS to referral engines to mobile apps to video.
#rcnvsTexas has been planned and coordinated by the folks at Reconverse (making their first foray into the US after hosting 140+ events in the UK over the last several years) and the crew at Recruiting Daily. This was not a sit-and-listen event; HR & TA professionals who attended were not lined up, row after row, with notebooks in hand. Nope. Instead we had a balance of (1) brief speaker presentations (2) a case study/example from a global TA professional (50,000 candidates to hire 350 top achievers.. wow!) and round Table Discussions (with wine might I add) and (3) Solution Partner Speed Meetings.
I particularly enjoyed the speed meetings; picture a speed dating event (I felt like Miranda in Sex and the City…remember that episode? She pretended she was a flight attendant?) only on one side of the table sits a solution provider and on the other side sits the HR/TA professional. Key needs? Top pain points? Knock out questions? Pertinent details? You have 10 minutes to find out if this is someone with whom you may want to go and grab a cup of coffee or attempt a first date. More meaningful than a fly-by at a conference booth; far less painful than a scheduled phone call or demo.
Did I head home ready to disrupt my HR department? No. Well, sorta; but then again I have those thoughts anyway. I WILL tell you that #rcnvsTexas gave me additional ideas in order to poke, prod and explore ways in which change – improvement – and perhaps a bit of disruption – can happen.
The conversation, after all, needs to occur before the action.
Thanks to the solution providers who participated including, among others, Rolepoint, Clinch, HiringSolved, Powermeeter, and Social Talent.
Follow along as the group (they’re on a bus!) holds events in Austin (today) and Dallas/Forth Worth on Friday. Dueling hashtags (because apparently we couldn’t decide) are #rcnvsTexas and #rcnvsTX.
