Phil, Matt and The Jasons of NAS were in attendance last week at the 2017 SHRM® Talent Management Conference & Exposition in Chicago (April 24-26), both as exhibitors and hosts of a special reception for our clients and industry contacts. We asked the team to provide a re-cap of the experience and to share their observations regarding the state of talent acquisition and recruitment marketing in 2017.
Overall Vibe
Phil Ridolfi: “This year’s response was impressive. It was a really good crowd (1,300+, I believe) and the people I spoke with seemed pretty optimistic about hiring and needing some help.”
Matt Adam: “The mood was optimistic with a side of anxiety. People are feeling good about their businesses and hiring activity, yet anxious because finding the right talent is becoming increasingly more difficult.”
Jason Rellick: “An overall theme that was repeated was that companies have great stories to tell, yet still have difficulty conveying their story. There is great potential for the employment brand to thrive, but companies still need help in developing and executing their own personal narrative.”
Jason Weinhaus: “The overall feel was optimistic. Attendees were there to learn about new trends and best practices, because the recruitment landscape continues to evolve and they want to stay up-to-date with their candidates and their competition. According to conversations at our booth and reception, every company was hiring. Some more rapidly than others, but I do not recall having a discussion with any organization in a hiring freeze. It’s always a positive sign and nice to see companies doing well.”
