UNLEASH World 2024 analyst takeaways: A playground to ideate for a better tomorrow

We are just a week out from UNLEASH World 2024 – our Paris show is known as the most influential event in HR, and it certainly lived up to that hype.

The uncertain future of work was a core topic at UNLEASH World this year – with Peter Hinssen and Amy Webb sharing their advice in their Day One keynotes.

Webb’s concluding remarks to the HR leaders in the audience was: “The future hasn’t happened yet, it is something we write with the choices that we make today.”

AI was also top of the agenda at UNLEASH World, with Josh Bersin sharing his thoughts on the newest iteration of AI, agents, which is being spearheaded by tech giants like Workday, Salesforce, Microsoft and SAP.

Over the two-day show, the audience was not just treated to keynote sessions, but also insights from HR leaders, analysts and vendors.

Our analyst community is essential to UNLEASH’s success, and we were honored to have more than 40 analysts join us in Paris for UNLEASH World 2024.

As experts in the HR and tech fields, as Editorial team was reflecting on this year’s Paris event, we were keen to find out their main highlights of the show. What makes UNLEASH World special?

Moving beyond HR jargon, and providing actionable takeaways for HR leaders

It is so easy to talk about HR topics in a broad, high-level, generic way. This can be helpful, but when attendees return back to their day jobs after the conference it doesn’t help them to put their learnings into action.

However, as Al Adamsen, Principal Analyst at PAFOW Research & Advisory, notes, UNLEASH World “goes both deep and high, from the tactical enablers of HR technologies to the strategic benefit of actionable research, leading practices, and thought leadership”.

All of this means that all the learnings from the sessions is not just relevant (and speaking to “what’s top of mind with leaders inside and outside of HR”) but also actionable.

Personally, I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a conference that inspired so much exploration and action,” continues Adamsen.

And this sentiment was shared by the HR leaders attending the show.

“Without exception, all the HR leaders I spoke with, both newcomers and repeat visitors, raved about their experience”, and had a truly “valuable learning experience” at the Paris edition of the UNLEASH show.

This sentiment was echoed by Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory. Speaking exclusively to UNLEASH, Eubanks shares how the power of community came to the fore at UNLEASH World.

“The mission of UNLEASH is to create an influential, impactful community of HR leaders.

“It’s not just about education or training. It’s about reminding HR leaders around the world that their work is challenging and difficult, but it’s also worthwhile and invaluable.”

Eubanks added that at the show HR leaders were treated to the “kind of actionable and useful content” that helps them move the needle and ensure they are using their precious time in the right ways.

Rebecca Wettemann, CEO and Principal at Valoir, adds that UNLEASH World is “a very practical show”. “While you get thought leadership and vision, you also get very pragmatic advice and insights,” she adds.

Everest Group’s VP Sharath Hari agrees. HR leaders will “be able to digest the relevant information and choose what works for them in the context of their organization…, and drive real change in their businesses.”

Another highlight for Hari was that the sessions at UNLEASH World look beyond traditional HR topics, and instead focus on trends that span the whole organization.

Hari continues: “If HR practitioners really need to drive various transformations and deliver business value, their perspectives should widen and not just be limited to HR.

“So many speakers and sessions had this point of view which was interesting for me.”

UNLEASH World as a playground for HR innovation

Innovation is clear to see at UNLEASH World 2024.

For Aptitude Research’s Head of Strategy Kyle Lagunas, this year’s event was “an UNLEASH World unlike any other”.

“The practitioners presenting on stage and in attendance redefined, for me personally, what it means to be a leader” in HR today. They “demonstrated a level of expertise and savviness that I’ve never seen before”, which was “beyond inspiring” for Lagunas.

His colleague, Madeline Laurano, Founder at Aptitude Research, shared this view. “UNLEASH World brought together HR leaders who are truly driving transformation within their organizations.

“These leaders are not just reacting to trends but are shaping the future of work by aligning their talent strategies with business goals.”

The other interesting side of the innovation on display for the analysts was from vendors.

This was noted by Laurano, as well as Lighthouse’s Ben Eubanks, Hari from Everest Group, and Brian Delle Donne, President at Talent Tech Labs.

Hari tells UNLEASH: “Some of the innovation the providers are bringing are meaningful and will have a major change impact in the way HR/TA processes will be done in the future.”

Delle Donne shares that it clear that the pace of innovation “continues to run rampant”, and he was particularly impressed by the “size and diversity of the offerings in the startup ecosystem”.

Eubanks (one of the judges of this year’s Startup Award) agrees. He was “thrilled to see the range of companies that are innovating within HR, talent, and learning.

“What was perhaps most exciting was that the finalists weren’t just the ‘cool’ companies supporting culture or using AI for employee experience, but there were organizations focused on coaching, compliance, and other core HR needs that every organization has.

There’s always room for innovation within the HR space, and this competition is proof of that.”

Summing up the perspectives from the analysts at UNLEASH World, David Perring, Chief Insights Officer at Fosway Group, put it best: “UNLEASH truly lived up to it’s label and name.

“It unleashes a world of thoughts, optimism, and a tsunami of potential.”

He continues: “Coming to UNLEASH provides that space to think deeply, to take on new perspectives and be challenged about how we unleash the potential of our people.

UNLEASH provides that playground to think, feel and imagine something better for tomorrow. We need more thinking about that.”