Author: Madeline Laurano

It has been an interesting year in HRTech. At Aptitude, we do a lot of research and speaking but we spend a lot of time on advisory with corporate clients as well. We have seen some things work for vendors…and others that do not.

The HR technology market is more crowded than ever, and 2025 promises to be a year of both opportunity and challenge for vendors. HR leaders are demanding more from their technology partners—not just in terms of innovation, but also in transparency, outcomes, and partnership.

Here is some advice for vendors looking to stand out in 2025.

1. Stop Copying Your Competitors—Focus on Your Clients

One of the biggest problems in HRTech is the tendency to copycat competitors rather than listening to what clients actually want. Too many vendors repeat the same buzzwords and promises, making it hard for HR leaders to see what truly differentiates one solution from another.

Advice:

• Listen to Your Clients: Use customer feedback, surveys, and interviews to shape your offerings. Don’t just assume that what works for others will work for you.
• Be Bold About Your Strengths: Highlight what makes your product unique and relevant to your target audience, even if it’s not the “trendiest” feature on the market.
• Avoid Empty Buzzwords: Words like “intelligence”, transformative,” “seamless,” and “experience” mean nothing without examples.

2. Clarity Over Complexity

HR leaders are juggling a lot of tools and responsibilities—they don’t have time to decipher vague messaging or sift through overly complex product descriptions.

Advice:

• Simplify Your Messaging: Be direct about what your product does, how it works, and the specific problems it solves.
• Show Outcomes, Not Features: Instead of listing technical specs, share stories and data that illustrate the results clients can achieve with your solution.

3. Transparency Builds Trust

HR leaders are making high-stakes decisions when they invest in technology. They need to know what’s coming next and whether your solution can grow with their needs.

Advice:

• Share Your Roadmap: Clients want to see the future of your product and know that their investment is secure. Regularly update them on new features and upgrades.
• Be Honest About Limitations: If your product has gaps, acknowledge them and explain how you’re addressing them. Clients will appreciate your honesty and accountability.

4. Prioritize ROI and Outcomes

Every HR team is under pressure to do more with less. They’re not just looking for flashy tools—they need solutions that deliver measurable results and help them make a business case for investment.

Advice:

• Provide Clear ROI Metrics: Show how your product reduces time-to-hire, improves retention, saves costs, or drives productivity. Use client success stories to back up your claims.
• Focus on Problem-Solving: Instead of leading with what your product can do, lead with what it will solve. HR leaders need partners who address real challenges.

5. Strong Implementation is a Dealbreaker

The best product in the world means nothing if it’s poorly implemented. You may think this falls solely on the client but it does not. A product that doesn’t work because of poor implementation will ultimately reflect poorly on you. Support them in this process.

Advice:

• Own the Implementation Process: Guide clients every step of the way, providing hands-on support and clear timelines.
• Measure Success Post-Implementation: Follow up to ensure the product is being used effectively and that clients are achieving the outcomes they expected.

7. Leverage Strategic Partnerships

No single vendor can do everything, and that’s okay. The best HR tech providers recognize their limitations and form partnerships to deliver more comprehensive solutions.

Advice:

• Fill Your Gaps Strategically: Partner with complementary providers to offer clients a seamless experience without overextending your resources.
• Collaborate on Innovation: Joint partnerships with other vendors can lead to new features and integrations that benefit everyone.

8. Rethink Services—Deliver What You Promise

If you offer managed services or HR support, make sure you’re delivering real value. Misleading clients about the scope of your services will erode trust and damage your reputation.

Advice:

• Define Your Services Clearly: Be explicit about what’s included, and don’t overpromise. You don’t want to charge for services and not provide them at the end of the day.
• Focus on Adding Value: Go beyond the basics by offering strategic advice and actionable insights.

2025 is the year for HR tech vendors to rise above the noise. By focusing on clarity, transparency, and client outcomes, you can build trust and loyalty in an increasingly competitive market. Stop copying your competitors and start listening to your clients. Be honest about what you offer, invest in implementation, and prioritize long-term relationships over quick wins.

HR leaders are looking for partners, not just products.

Chipotle’s recent adoption of Paradox’s AI-powered hiring platform is more than an HRTech investment—it’s a strategic shift in how the quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector approaches hiring, employee engagement, and business growth. As companies like Chipotle evolve with smarter recruitment technology, they’re setting a new standard for efficiency and impact in high-volume hiring. Here are some of the standout lessons from Chipotle’s journey with Paradox and what it means for the future of talent acquisition.

1.  High-Volume Hiring Has Better Options: Traditional ATS systems have not been able to support high-volume hiring needs in a way that provides a positive experience to hourly workers. Today, there are better options, and we found that 1 in 3 high-volume companies are looking to replace their ATS. They want more personalization, consistency and an overall faster process that only comes from automation.

2.  Change Management Done Right: Managers Want to Adopt It Now

In an industry where rapid adoption can be challenging, Chipotle’s rollout of Paradox has been a change management success story. Managers have embraced the platform enthusiastically, even requesting to start using it immediately. This high level of buy-in is essential, as frontline managers are integral to hiring success. The swift adoption mirrors what McDonald’s experienced in its own shift to Paradox, underscoring that when the value is clear, buy-in follows.

3. A Catalyst for Business Transformation Beyond HR

While Chipotle’s adoption of Paradox is making waves in HR, it’s also part of a larger, company-wide transformation. This effort is not just about hiring efficiencies; it’s part of a broader business initiative that includes improving the customer experience, driving revenue, and expanding the brand’s reach. Finance, HR, and communications teams have all collaborated to bring about this shift, illustrating the power of cross-functional partnerships. Chipotle’s commitment to advanced technology reflects a holistic strategy where recruitment innovation goes hand-in-hand with brand growth and financial performance.

4. Automating for Efficiency, But Humans Still Drive Final Decisions

One of the key strengths of Paradox’s platform is its ability to automate time-intensive hiring processes, such as application screening and interview scheduling. However, it’s important to note that human decision-makers retain control over final interview and hiring choices. This balance between AI-driven efficiency and human judgment allows Chipotle to streamline its hiring process while preserving the personal touch essential to selecting team members aligned with its culture and values.

5. Achieving a 75% Reduction in Time to Hire: Significant ROI for QSR

Reducing time to hire by 75% isn’t just a noteworthy metric; it’s a game-changer in the QSR world, where speed is vital. This reduction directly translates to cost savings, better staffing coverage, and improved customer service—all critical components for restaurants. With hiring streamlined, Chipotle is able to meet its staffing demands faster, ensuring that locations remain well-staffed and prepared to serve customers during peak times. For QSRs operating on tight margins, the efficiency gains from AI technology represent a strong return on investment.

6. Leading the Industry in Smarter Hiring Technology

Chipotle’s adoption of Paradox underscores a significant industry trend Aptitude Research has identified: one in three high-volume companies is considering replacing their traditional ATS, and 62% of hourly workers report never receiving a call back after applying for jobs. Chipotle’s approach tackles both issues head-on, allowing the company to engage with candidates promptly and create a positive, responsive hiring experience. This strategy not only helps attract talent but also serves as a powerful statement to the industry about the evolving role of technology in QSR hiring.

Chipotle’s integration of Paradox is more than a recruitment strategy—it’s a blueprint for how companies can use technology to drive holistic business success. Chipotle’s example demonstrates that investing in intelligent, automated solutions pays off in higher engagement, faster hires, and meaningful cost savings. With this approach, Chipotle is setting a new standard for QSRs, showing that when technology and strategy align, the results can redefine an entire industry.

As we close out conference season, several key themes emerged around the HR technology landscape—mostly the growing influence of AI. Companies and vendors are struggling with what “AI” really means, especially as it shifts from an emerging technology to an essential part of HR transformation. Some companies are eagerly embracing AI, while others are cautiously observing from the sidelines. Despite the momentum, there’s still a need for clarity around the role of AI in reducing bias, its applications, and data governance. Former Commissioner of the EEOC, Keith Sonderling, put it best when he advised HR leaders to ask two critical questions about AI: Where is the data coming from? (on the vendor) and How is the data being used? (on the employer).

As we enter an era of rapid transformation, it’s time to move forward with AI—responsibly and thoughtfully.

Here are my top takeaways from this year’s conference season:

1.  Generative AI: Co-Pilots, Agents, and Assistants- oh my!

Generative AI is dominating the conversation. S&P Global named it their top HR tech priority for 2024, and vendors across the board—Eightfold, Crosschq, SmartRecruiters, LinkedIn, Visier, ServiceNow, One Model, and more—have unveiled new generative AI tools. But with new solutions come new questions: What distinguishes an agent from a copilot? Should companies build their own agent or choose a provider? How do we set expectations for AI in HR, especially around privacy and data use? And what role will Microsoft play in integrating these copilots, if any? The real question is whether companies will be willing to invest in these tools—and how much they’re willing to spend. Or is the expectation that it will be included in the product? Either way, the potential is tremendous with providing a better experience, better decision-making, and seamless integration across systems. What makes these solutions exciting and work is that they have to operate in the workflow of the user experiences.

2. HR Transformation: Back to the Basics

Transformation isn’t just about cutting costs or headcount. For many companies, it’s a return to the baiscs—focusing on integration, ROI, and change management. At HR Tech, I moderated a panel with Kelly Cartwright (Splunk), Melissa Thompson (Ford), and Jennifer Tracy (Spectrum), where we discussed transformation as a continuous journey, not a project with a start and stop. Similar conversations took place in Tim Sackett’s panel with Marriott and Compass- both using Paradox. Companies investing in transformation are also redefining ROI beyond traditional metrics like time-to-fill, recognizing that AI is critical to long-term success.

3. Skills Are Essential—And Here to Stay

The skills conversation may feel exhaustive, but it’s critical. With 90% of companies creating new roles in 2024, a skills-based approach isn’t just about layoffs; it’s also about providing equitable opportunities for employees. Providers are stepping up to simplify the skills journey, making it easier for companies to incorporate skills frameworks now rather than waiting years. At Unleash, I had the chance to speak with Antony Shields, Transformation Partner at EY, who emphasized that meeting companies where they are is key to moving forward. EY partners with Eightfold to support their skills journey.

4. The ATS Market Is Evolving Rapidly

A significant portion of companies are replacing their ATS, and they have more options than ever. It’s not just traditional best of breed providers or HCM providers. Paradox introduced an ATS that’s already being used by companies like McDonald’s and Lowe’s for high-volume hiring. This week Chipotle announced it will be using Paradox to support 3500 restaurants. Eightfold also announced an ATS to enhance talent intelligence, while payroll providers continue to expand their solutions. SmartRecruiters announced Winston, a digital agent which changes the whole ATS experience. This shift in the ATS landscape highlights a growing demand for solutions that are more adaptive and capable of integrating with broader HR strategies.

5. Interview Intelligence and Scheduling: The Game Changer

Scheduling is more than just logistics; it’s about transformation in how interviews are conducted and evaluated. Splunk called interview intelligence through Pillar a “game changer” for improving hiring practices, and our recent research with Pillar shows that companies using interview intelligence see a 65% improvement in turnover compared to just 25% for those who don’t. Many vendors, including HireBrain, the winner of the pitchfest, are pushing this trend forward. Interview scheduling platforms are now offering real-time insights and actionable data, essential for the behavior change required to enhance the interview process.

Favorite Announcements This Year

With so much innovation, several announcements stood out:

1. HireEZ – Launched a new CRM feature to enhance sourcing capabilities.
2. Paradox – Entered the ATS market and offering career sites as well as recent Chipotle announcement.
3. Eightfold – Released Talent Design and Talent Tracking for an enhanced talent intelligence experience.
4. One Model – Introduced the Co-Pilot tool for advanced AI-driven insights.
5. Service Now– Now Assist the digital agent that creates generative AI experiences.
6. Phenom – Expanded into Onboarding to streamline the new hire experience from offer to day one.
7. eQ8 – Debuted Wombat, a strategic workforce planning app focused on making it accessible and easier for every company.
8. Greenhouse – Announced its Verified and Pave products this year- continuing to innovate in the ATS market.
9. SmartRecruiters – Unveiled Winston, an AI recruiting agent to automate candidate engagement.
10. Workday – Acquired HiredScore, adding AI-powered sourcing to its portfolio.

As we look ahead, it’s clear that AI, skills, and transformation are reshaping the HR tech landscape. Whether companies choose to dive in or proceed with caution, the potential for AI and other innovations to drive meaningful change is undeniable. It’s time for HR leaders to embrace these technologies thoughtfully, ensuring that each tool aligns with broader organizational goals.

One of the most popular topics at this year’s HR Tech Conference was Interview Intelligence. It came up during the Pitchfest, the TA Tech Expert panel, and was highlighted by Splunk as one of the most impactful areas of TA today. But, despite the buzz around this growing category, interviews are often neglected in favor of other investments like job advertising and recruitment marketing. Companies spend millions on advertising and ignore the interview process.

Interview Intelligence platforms offer the following capabilities:

•             Interview guides: Interview guides that are dynamic and powered by AI that provide consistency and guidance through the process. Companies have the option if they want to record interviews or not.

•             Interview transcription and analysis: Automated insights that identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement.

•             Interviewer performance feedback: Analysis of interviewer behavior, including bias detection and question consistency.

•             Structured interview processes: Standardization that ensures fairness and comparability between candidates.

•             Data-driven decision making: Summaries and key insights to help recruiters make objective, evidence-based decisions.

In our Interview Intelligence Report sponsored by Pillar, we identified several key findings that show the growing interest in this category. Here are the top 10 insights from our research:

1. 82% of Recruiters Have Lost Quality Talent Due to a Poor Interview Process

Despite their best efforts in recruitment marketing, companies are losing top candidates during the interview stage. Interview Intelligence helps prevent this by standardizing interviews and providing consistency across teams​.

2. Only 19% of Hiring Managers Follow Interviewer Recommendations

Without a data-driven approach, many hiring decisions are based on gut instinct rather than structured feedback. Interview Intelligence platforms ensure decisions are made using real-time insights, improving hiring accuracy​.

3. 54% of Candidates Report Experiencing Bias in the Interview Process

Bias continues to plague the interview process. With Interview Intelligence, companies can reduce unconscious bias by offering AI-driven feedback and standardized interview questions​.

4. 42% of Companies Conduct 5 or More Interviews per Candidate

Long, drawn-out interview processes not only frustrate candidates but also prolong time-to-hire. Interview Intelligence helps streamline interviews, reduce redundant rounds, and speed up the hiring process​.

5. Companies Using Interview Intelligence See a 67% Improvement in Turnover Reduction

Turnover is costly, and poor hiring decisions can lead to high turnover rates. Interview Intelligence helps reduce turnover by ensuring better alignment between candidates and company needs​.

6. 70% of Companies Using Interview Intelligence Report Improved First-Year Performance

First-year performance is crucial for new hires. Organizations leveraging Interview Intelligence report better new hire outcomes, thanks to more informed and data-driven hiring decisions​.

7. 74% of Recruiters Experience Time Savings with Interview Intelligence

Interview Intelligence automates time-consuming tasks like scheduling and note-taking, allowing recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of hiring​.

8. 68% of Companies Report Higher Quality of Hire with Interview Intelligence

The quality of hire improves when interviewers can rely on structured data and insights. Interview Intelligence ensures that hiring managers make better-informed decisions, resulting in stronger performance outcomes​.

9. 64% of Companies Using Interview Intelligence Report Improved DEI Outcomes

As DEI remains a priority, Interview Intelligence helps standardize interview processes and reduce bias, leading to more diverse and inclusive hiring practices​.

10. Only 16% of Companies are Recording Interviews.

Companies that can record and transcribe interviews are able to capture insights, create accountability, and make better hiring decisions. Companies using interview intelligence can start by just transcribing and add recordings.

Interview Intelligence is changing talent acquisition. These platforms integrate with exisitn ATS and work tech providers and provide deeper insights on decision-making. Companies that implement this technology see tangible improvements in turnover, first-year performance, and quality of hire. By investing in Interview Intelligence, organizations can stop relying on gut feelings and start making data-driven decisions that improve efficiency, reduce bias, and lead to better outcomes.

Today, Phenom announced the acquisition of Tydy, a global preboarding and onboarding provider. Tydy connects tools, processes and people to generate workflows that are personalized for each user. This announcement is Phenom’s fifth acquisition to date – rounding out its TA platform and expanding further into employee experience technology.

Kyle and I had the opportunity to interview Mahe Bayireddi about the acquisition and understand how Tydy will support Phenom’s product strategy.

Onboarding is the most critical part of any talent strategy. It is the first impression between an employee and employer and the transition between talent acquisition and talent management. When companies get onboarding wrong, it impacts revenue, retention, and productivity. According to Aptitude Research, onboarding has a significant impact on retention, employer branding, and quality of hire.

• Retention: Eighty-six percent (86%) of employers believe that new hires make the decision to stay at a company in their first 90 days.
• Employer Branding: Three-quarters (75%) of new hires share their first day of work experience on social channels.
• Quality of Hire: Eighty-three percent (83%) of employers believe managers know if a new hire is a quality hire within the first 90 days.

But, as companies prepare for the future of work and invest in talent transformation, onboarding is often overlooked. Companies are twice as likely to spend on talent acquisition and employee experience than onboarding, and 42% of companies do not have a dedicated onboarding solution. Only 26% of companies are fully automating the onboarding process.

This acquisition highlights the importance of onboarding and the role it plays in connecting candidate and employee experiences.

Why This Acquisition Makes Sense

Phenom’s acquisition of Tydy underscores its dedication to enhancing employee experiences through personalized and automated solutions. Tydy’s innovative onboarding platform is designed to streamline the onboarding process, making it more efficient and engaging for new hires. By integrating Tydy’s technology into its existing TXM platform, Phenom aims to provide a seamless, end-to-end experience for employees from the moment they receive their offer letter.

It is not just a check the box acquisition, it is part of a strategic vision and commitment to providing exceptional experiences.

Tydy’s platform is known for its ability to deliver personalized onboarding journeys tailored to the unique needs of each employee. This aligns with Phenom’s commitment to personalization, ensuring that new hires receive relevant information, training, and support based on their role, location, and individual preferences.

What Customers Can Expect

With the integration of Tydy into Phenom’s platform, customers can expect a more robust and comprehensive onboarding solution. One of the key benefits of this acquisition is that Phenom’s platform is built on a single code base, ensuring a seamless and cohesive experience for users. Unlike a Frankenstein model, where disparate systems are pieced together, Phenom’s unified platform offers consistency in experience.

Founded in 2019 and adopted by companies in more than 30 countries, Tydy connects tools, processes, and people to generate workflows that are seamless, efficient, and personalized for each user. Several of the world’s largest brands use Tydy’s Employee Data Platform (EDP) to reduce manual effort from HR, IT, and Operations teams, easily achieve compliance through automation, and decrease the amount of time it takes to onboard employees.

Customers can look forward to a streamlined onboarding process that reduces administrative burdens and accelerates time-to-productivity for new hires. The combined capabilities of Phenom and Tydy will provide HR teams with powerful tools to automate tasks, track progress, and engage new employees effectively.

Phenom’s acquisition of Tydy marks a significant milestone in its journey to improve the employee experience. By combining Tydy’s innovative onboarding solutions with Phenom’s comprehensive platform, organizations can look forward to a more engaging, personalized, and effective onboarding process that supports their overall talent management strategy.