Ben Eubanks
- Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory
- Contributor, Human Resources Today
- Host, We're Only Human
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Articles by Ben Eubanks
10+ HR Technologies We’re Watching Closely: HR Tech 2026 Roundup
As our team gears up for the HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas this October, we’ve been busy talking with some of the innovative providers of platforms and systems in the industry. Across our research, Awards programs, regular briefing schedule, and more, we talk with nearly 300 companies a year across the HR tech space. But there’s always a gravity in the fall when we attend this event and speak with 50+ in just a few days onsite.
The Human Side of Work: Don’t Lose Millions of Dollars Making This Mistake
The results are in. After multiple real-world experiments, we’ve seen that the future of work is a human one. Companies are going all-in on AI and are losing millions of dollars because they do it the wrong way. Here are some real examples from Ford, Klarna, and IBM. Company Workers Replaced The Problem / Result The Outcome Klarna ~700 customer service agents Pushed too aggressively for cost savings over quality.
HR Summer School Is Back - And the Timing Couldn’t Be Better
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that HR professionals know well. It’s not the kind that comes from running a marathon. It’s the kind that comes from running a marathon every single week, with the finish line always moving. The compliance shifts. The hiring pressure. The employee relations conversations that never quite fit the flowcharts. The technology landscape that rewrites itself every six months. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And that’s exactly the point.
2025 HR Tech M&A Activity: Mega-Deals, Agentic AI, and the Learning Shakeup
2025 was a year of big swings in HR technology M&A. Private equity wrote checks measured in billions. Platform vendors went on acquisition sprees. And the learning technology market saw consolidation that will reshape how organizations think about skills development for years to come. For instance, through Q3 2025 alone, Drake Star recorded 650+ HR Tech transactions globally with $22.3 billion in disclosed invested capital. Safe to say the market is not slowing down. A few things stood out this year.
Compensation is Changing: Here’s How AI, New Data Sources, and Skills are Evolving [New Report]
Since 2019, our team has analyzed the changes in compensation technology and data usage along with key trends that influence the near-term and long-term view of the compensation function. In all that time, no other trend or theme has seemed to have the same degree of potential as artificial intelligence technology. The emergence of this seemingly ubiquitous solution has changed facets of life and work in ways we could have never expected, and it’s one of the big themes in this year’s research.
New Research Highlights Core Elements of Employee Experience
In the 1980s, Hans Moravec and other AI researchers discovered a curious finding that we now know as Moravec’s Paradox. Essentially, AI can very easily learn to do things that are “hard” for humans, such as advanced statistics and analysis. On the other hand, things that are very simple for humans, such as identifying colors or recognizing faces, can be incredibly difficult for computers to do. In short: computers, algorithms, and AI are great at some things, but humans are better at others.
AI in HR Summit Recap: Humans are People to be Served, Not Problems to be Solved Original
Just a few hours ago, our team wrapped up an amazing livestream session featuring experts from multiple organizations and perspectives, and the entire event was focused on AI. One of the most celebrated quotes of the day? Humans are people to be served, not problems to be solved. The audience was SO engaged and interactive, leaving nearly 1,000 comments across all platforms during the session to support, challenge, or discuss key themes and topics.
AI is Contributing to a Connection Crisis at Work
In nearly a decade of researching and writing about artificial intelligence in the workplace, I have seen the technology evolve from a curiosity to a daily companion for many professionals. AI has streamlined tasks, uncovered insights, and opened doors to efficiencies that once seemed impossible. But with every technological leap, there are unintended consequences.
Psychology research shows that when we face an overwhelming number of challenges, it’s easy to lose hope and feel helpless. In reality, today’s employees are faced with more challenges than ever before, and while some of the variables are outside employer control, that doesn’t make the situation any less difficult for the workforce.
Speed, Trust, and the Candidate AI Takeover: 2025 TA Trends [New Report] Original
The talent landscape in 2025 is defined by contradiction: there’s no shortage of people looking for meaningful work—and yet employers across industries are struggling to fill roles. While many organizations paused hiring decisions during the uncertainty of recent election cycles, that hesitation hasn’t resolved itself with the calendar. Each generation of candidates looking for work today looks for different factors to motivate job applications, creating additional complexity for hiring teams.
UNLEASH Op Ed: Four HR tech innovators CHROs need to know about
Approximately 300. That’s 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.
An Evolving Landscape: Thoughts in Advance of Publishing the Third Edition of Artificial Intelligence for HR
Later this year (September, to be more specific), the third edition of my book Artificial Intelligence for HR will be released. As the first book in the world on this topic back in 2018, the initial edition was used by educators and employers worldwide to understand just how AI is changing the workplace. But as I think on this newest edition, it feels like the most important one yet.
Solution Provider Review: HiBob
Bob, the modern Human Capital Management (HCM) platform from HiBob, is designed to streamline HR processes, enhance employee engagement, and support dynamic, fast-growing companies. With features like automated workflows, people analytics, and performance management, Bob helps HR teams improve efficiency and create a more engaging workplace experience. Its intuitive, user-friendly design enables companies to foster a strong company culture while managing HR tasks at scale.
PEO as a People Strategy: Research Shows Value, Impact, and Opportunity [Report]
Have you ever watched a professional juggler? It’s pretty incredible. With their practiced hands and expert skill, they can add a seemingly endless number of objects to their routine, keeping them in the air for quite some time. But the truth is that no matter how good someone is at juggling, eventually one of the items will fall. It’s inevitable. That same principle applies to middle-market employers and the challenges they face. Frankly, they have a tough road ahead of them.
HR Tech Awards 2025 Winners Announced
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.
UNLEASH Column: Is AI Causing Cognitive Decline? Original
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?
2024 HR Tech M&A Activity: A Year of Resilience and Growth
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 Tech Awards: In Partnership with UNLEASH and Now Open for 2025 Submissions
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.
How Learning and Skill Development Affect Business Agility, Employee Belonging, and Productivity [Report]
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. That’s true today in the context of learning.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing in the Age of AI: Streamlining Value and Impact
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.
HR Technology Conference 2024: Busting the "There's Nothing New or Interesting" Myth
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. So this year I’ve decided to change that.
What a Family Disney Trip Taught Me About Learning Experiences [Livestream Event]
When was the last time you had an “aha” moment that really excited you? For me it was during a recent family trip to Disneyland. I was keynoting at a conference in Indian Wells, California, and our kids tagged along for a quick visit to Disney before the school year began. We were at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and I realized my kids were totally wrapped up in the experience and felt like they were truly part of the story/ride, not just spectators watching it unfold.
2024 Talent Acquisition Trends: What's New and What's Next [Report]
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 Trends Study: Top Insights Employers Must Know [Webinar] Original
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. If your organization wants those kinds of outcomes, then you need to join me and Mike Kaupe from HiBob for a webinar next week on this topic.
2024 Talent Acquisition Trends Research Livestream: What to Expect Original
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.
6+ Generative AI Applications in Talent Acquisition Today [Infographic] Original
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.
RPO Buyer Study: Key Findings and Preferences [New Research]
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. The video and other content below offer additional insight on what the report covers and what readers can expect.
Should You Expect Candidate Data with Your Next Recruiting Technology Purchase?
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.
Fast, Fair, and Functional: A New Look at Structured Interviews [New Research] Original
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! But when you realize that there’s a single practice that actually taps into all three of those items, the whole thing suddenly becomes dramatically...
What's in Store for Talent Acquisition in 2024? Join Our Livestream to Find Out Original
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. But more than just looking at what is behind us, most of us want to know what is ahead.
7 Compensation Practices of High-Performing Organizations [New Research] Original
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.
What's New in Employee Retention, Performance, and Culture? [Livestream]
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.
HR Tech Awards 2023: Winners Announced
This isn't just about recruiting tools or just about learning systems. It cuts across the entire journey of an employee today.
Critical Success Factors For Attracting and Hiring in the Modern Environment [New Report]
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.
First Look at 2023 Talent Acquisition Research: Pay Transparency, Ghosting, and More Original
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 in recent months.
It's HERE! My New Talent Scarcity Book is ***Free*** For a Limited Time Original
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.
2022 Was Another Record Year for HR Tech: See 20+ M&A Activities that Shaped the Market
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.
Employee Burnout and Belonging: Top Learning Trends for 2023
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.
3 Frontline Worker Trends: Salary, Shortage, and Support
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. Those jobs that are booming in many cases are for hourly, frontline roles.
The State of Voice of the Employee and Enterprise Employee Feedback Survey Platforms
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.
HR Tech Connect Summit 2022: A few tickets left
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.
Can You Really Save 200,000 Minutes of Onboarding Time? [Webinar]
What’s your take on onboarding? Back in the day, I really enjoyed the opportunity to help new hires set up benefits, meet our team, and get their gear. This really paved the way for a successful employment experience. At the same time, I was always limited in the “fun” parts by the constant checklists, forms, and other requirements.
Employers Turning to Technology to Solve Hiring Woes [New Report]
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.
Hiring Assessments: Do Employers and Candidates See Eye to Eye? [Infographic]
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.
The Remote Work Gap: How to Add Flexibility in a Non-Flexible Industry or Job
This is one of the hottest conversations in the workplace, today, and no, I’m not talking about the most challenging hiring environment we’ve ever seen before. I’m talking about remote work. If you work for a software company, chances are you’re one of many people who is working a remote or hybrid schedule these days. But if you’re in some other industries, you’re likely feeling some different emotions because you may not have the option of working virtually.
Data Preview: The Great Resignation? Nope, It's The Great Reprioritization (New Research)
The Great Resignation Reprioritization The video overview below, hosted by Lighthouse Research & Advisory’s Chief Research Officer Ben Eubanks, dives into our brand new research, offering a peek at just how much is wrong about what we’re hearing in the news and why we need to be looking at this problem in a different way. Tip: click “Play,” then hit “f” to see the video fullscreen.
3 Reasons Candidates Ghost Employers, Plus 4 Things They Desire [Infographic]
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.
How to Increase Employee Support by 6,000% [New Research]
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.
How to Rehire Former Drivers to Improve Retention
Lifetime employment may be a thing of the past, but lifetime relationships are more important than ever. Rehiring former professional drivers is a benefit for companies that build those kinds of relationships, because good drivers who depart are more likely to return if the circumstances are favorable. In our exit survey data, we typically see that more than 50% of drivers leaving for preventable reasons would be likely to consider returning to the organization.
HR Tech Awards 2022: Winners Announced
This isn't just about recruiting tools or just about learning systems. It cuts across the entire journey of an employee today.
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