Research Library

Using the Research Library

The research below is drawn from more than five years of industry studies, practitioner interviews, and deep analysis of the most important topics facing talent leaders today.

Feel free to use the categories below to find what you are looking for, or you can search for content that matters most to you.

Insightful Highlights

Zapier's Head of Onboarding: "We automated hundreds of hours of manual tasks"

Research Reports and Graphics

6+ Generative AI Applications in Talent Acquisition Today [Infographic]

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…

4 Research-Backed Actions to Engage and Convert More Candidates

The data points are clear: candidate expectations today have evolved, and if you’re not staying on top of those changes, you may be missing out on the very best talent in the market. Based on our proprietary research from more than 2,500 candidates in the last two years, here are four practical things you can…

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…

Recruiting Automation: Employer and Candidate Preferences [Infographic]

The world of recruitment is undergoing a seismic shift, thanks in no small part to advancements in artificial intelligence and automation. Recent data from our Lighthouse Research & Advisory Talent Acquisition Trends study underscores this transformation, revealing some thought-provoking trends. First, employers are now 41% more likely to report increased efficiencies in talent acquisition due…

Speed Counts in Hiring: How to Shorten Cycle Times and Increase Candidate Satisfaction [Infographic]

Today, creating a positive candidate experience is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-do. Recent data points from Lighthouse Research & Advisory studies offer a compelling insight into why this is more important now than ever: Two out of the top three reasons candidates ghost employers are directly tied to speed and hiring workflows. A…

2023 Recap: A Turbulent Year with Significant M&A Changes in the HR Technology Market

Our annual reporting on M&A in the HR technology space is one of our most popular pieces of content year after year (see our 2022 version here). We look at some of the many announcements that happen over the course of the year, flag some key ones, and identify any big trends that seem to…

The Evolution of Pay Equity and Transparency in the Modern Workplace [Infographic]

Increasingly, our research is showing that pay equity and pay transparency are critically linked. In other words, employers that score highly in one will typically score highly in the other, and vice versa. That’s because as the market has shifted in recent years, we’ve seen a clear connection between transparency and openness on compensation and…

First Look at 2023 Talent Acquisition Research: Pay Transparency, Ghosting, and More

Updated December 2023 with new candidate data from Q3.  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…

Fast, Fair, and Functional: A New Look at Structured Interviews [New Research]

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…

The Next Generation of Talent Rises and Falls on Potential [New Report]

Can I be transparent for a moment? Earlier this year, the team at Plum reached out to us about writing a piece for a different audience than we typically reach. Instead of targeting enterprise talent leaders, HR professionals, and business leaders, we were reaching out to students, recent graduates, and job seekers. We are helping…

Case Studies

Case Study Report: The Value of Company Culture in the Age of AI

By Ben Eubanks

In a world where technology reigns supreme, we must not forget the heart of our organizations—the culture. The beating heart of company culture guides our values, beliefs, and actions towards a higher purpose. Fulfillment, communication, trust, and diversity form the cornerstones of a transformative culture that fuels growth and fulfillment in the workplace. By championing…

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Trusaic 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Trusaic is a workplace equity technology company committed to advancing social good by helping organizations achieve pay equity, foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce, assist economically disadvantaged individuals with finding work, and ensure employee access to affordable healthcare. Trusaic’s mission is to create a better working world through data-driven, people-centered technology…

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SmartRank 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company SmartRank is a Non-Traditional Productivity-ATS that completely automates the job applicant screening process, stack-ranks and filters those applicants, and gives hiring managers exactly what they’re looking for without using/needing a résumé. This saves time, increases hiring quality, and reduces both hiring manager frustration and recruiter workload. SmartRank was originally founded in April…

hr tech awards

SkyHive 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company SkyHive is a Certified B Corporation and software provider of global workforce intelligence technology, optimizing labor market efficiencies in real-time for companies, communities, and national economies. Like the DNA of the human genome was coded, SkyHive has coded human capability. By doing so, governments, large enterprises, and educational institutions can reskill the…

hr tech awards

Schoox 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Schoox is workplace learning software with a people-first twist. For organizations with frontline, remote, and corporate learners who need an engaged and skilled workforce ready to take on the new challenges of their evolving business, Schoox is an award-winning learning management and talent development company. This SaaS solution delivers social-, mobile-, and…

hr tech awards

HiBob 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company HiBob is on a mission to enable companies to thrive through change using people-first strategies. The HCM platform, Bob, simplifies the complexities of today’s global, hybrid, and remote world of work, driving greater impact for HR, managers, and employees. The ideal customer is a modern, multinational, mid-enterprise company with 250-3,000 employees with…

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Jobvite 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Jobvite, an Employ Inc. brand, is a purpose-built proven talent acquisition (TA) solution built to innovate, scale, and solve the hiring complexities within sophisticated organizations across the entire TA lifecycle. Jobvite’s Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite is a comprehensive TA solution, empowering teams to address challenges across the entire talent acquisition lifecycle. The…

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Cornerstone 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Cornerstone powers the future-ready workforce with a next-generation talent experience platform designed to unite technology, data and content and inspire a work environment of growth, agility and success for all. With an AI-powered, skills-forward, experiential platform, built on an open architecture designed for neutrality and scale, Cornerstone helps organizations modernize their learning…

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Harri 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Harri is the revolutionary global leader in Frontline Employee Experience. The Harri platform is built for companies that have service at the heart of their business and believe that the customer experience will never exceed the employee experience. The Harri suite of talent attraction, workforce management, employee engagement and compliance technologies enable…

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15Five 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company 15Five is the holistic performance management company. 15Five equips HR teams with a complete, single-platform solution to improve manager effectiveness, drive high performance and engagement, and increase retention. 15Five was founded in 2011, by serial entrepreneur, David Hassell, and born of his deep desire to help people reach their fullest potential at…

Videos, Interviews, and Podcasts

we're only human podcast tile

Insights from Cox Enterprises, Emerson Electric, Delta Airlines, and More [Podcast]

When I started writing nearly 11 years ago, I never imagined it would become the tool to reach the large audiences that it is today. Some of that writing happens here on the blog, but much of it now comes in the form of reports, research, and case studies. However, the podcast has become an…

New Research on Diversity and Inclusion Technology [Podcast]

(Subscribers click through to check out this episode) Our team has been researching diversity and inclusion with a specific look at how training can help (or hurt) D&I efforts. Stay tuned for our findings in the next few weeks, but today let’s take a look at the latest We’re Only Human podcast. In case you’re…

Diversity Leads to Innovation, Innovation Leads to Revenue

Imagine walking into your new job full of nervousness and anxiety only to observe that no one in the building resembles yourself. Puzzled, you begin to question if you even belong. After all, will you be accepted by your coworkers, or will you ultimately be excluded because you are different from your counterparts? Women In…

How Learning is Changing: An Interview with Skillsoft’s Chief Content Officer

Ask almost any business leader, and they’ll tell you that they want their organization to have a culture of learning. However, in today’s discussion, Mark Onisk points out that firms often fail at that “squishy” dream because it’s not well-defined. Simply setting up a learning portal won’t lead to improved results, says Onisk. In this…

Algorithms, Bias, and Decision-Making: Podcast Insights from IBM Leaders

To prevent biased algorithms you need to make sure you have unbiased training data on hand. You also need algorithms to be developed by a diverse set of people. –Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Director of Offering Management and Distinguished Engineer for IBM Watson Internet of Things   How do we select vendors and what do we focus…

A Video Primer on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on HR

When the Industrial Revolution waned and knowledge workers became more common, what kinds of skills set apart the great employees from the not-so-great ones? No longer was a strong back or grip strength the only determining factor of someone’s long-term career options, because work became more mental than physical for many workplaces. The same shift…

4 Millennial Myths that Should Not Impact Your Talent Strategy

While there is a growing number of publications on generational differences, much is incorrect or misleading. Typically information falls into one of two categories: First, widely generalized statements that apply to anyone. Often these are a marketing exercise, like “Top 8 Tips for Managing Millennials in the Workplace.” Suggestions include tips like “explain the company…

3 Differences Between Great and Mediocre Recruiting Video

In the third and final installment in this series, we explore the difference between great and mediocre recruiting video content. The subject of the video, the placement, and the authenticity all play a role in making it more consumable for candidates (thus improving your ROI). Note that this is based in part on some recent…

HR Tech Vendor Demo Makeovers: A Conversation with George LaRocque

If you didn’t already know it, one of the information channels we provide at Lighthouse is a podcast called We’re Only Human. The focus of the discussions is often about how technology is changing the workplace, but we also speak with practitioners and other influencers to understand what’s working and how work is changing. Today’s…

3 Tips on How to Improve Talent Acquisition Video Performance [Video]

In part two of this three part series, we are exploring how to improve the performance of video in the recruiting process. If our true goal is to improve the return on investment with regard to our hiring videos, then we need to focus on doing the right things. This includes everything from video length and…

Technology Reviews

2023 Recap: A Turbulent Year with Significant M&A Changes in the HR Technology Market

By Ben Eubanks

Our annual reporting on M&A in the HR technology space is one of our most popular pieces of content year after year (see our 2022 version here). We look at some of the many announcements that happen over the course of the year, flag some key ones, and identify any big trends that seem to…

hr tech awards

Trusaic 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Trusaic is a workplace equity technology company committed to advancing social good by helping organizations achieve pay equity, foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce, assist economically disadvantaged individuals with finding work, and ensure employee access to affordable healthcare. Trusaic’s mission is to create a better working world through data-driven, people-centered technology…

hr tech awards

SmartRank 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company SmartRank is a Non-Traditional Productivity-ATS that completely automates the job applicant screening process, stack-ranks and filters those applicants, and gives hiring managers exactly what they’re looking for without using/needing a résumé. This saves time, increases hiring quality, and reduces both hiring manager frustration and recruiter workload. SmartRank was originally founded in April…

isolved HCM Connect Conference: Serious Growth, Aggressive Roadmap, and a Critical AI Strategy

By Ben Eubanks

This week I spent time in beautiful Palm Springs at the isolved Connect user conference. If you’re not familiar with the name, isolved HCM’s hot pink brand is spreading quickly across the nation as they pick up customers, build out the product, and celebrate their increased successes in recent years. See my notes from the…

Ceridian Rebrands to Dayforce, Launches Range of New Features and Strategic Efforts

By Ben Eubanks

Fall for analysts like us in the HR technology space equates to travel season, with industry conferences and technology user conferences happening on a weekly basis between August and November. This week is Ceridian’s Insights conference in Las Vegas. Ceridian has been known for its Dayforce product for many years (the company has a 30…

2023 Compensation Data and Technology Buyer’s Guide and Landscape Report [New Research]

By Ben Eubanks

Every other year our team takes a deep dive into the world of compensation. We look at all of the top technology providers. We gather data from a wide variety of employers to understand how they are using data and technology to support comp practices. And we ultimately write the industry’s most in-depth research report…

hr tech awards

SkyHive 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company SkyHive is a Certified B Corporation and software provider of global workforce intelligence technology, optimizing labor market efficiencies in real-time for companies, communities, and national economies. Like the DNA of the human genome was coded, SkyHive has coded human capability. By doing so, governments, large enterprises, and educational institutions can reskill the…

hr tech awards

Schoox 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Schoox is workplace learning software with a people-first twist. For organizations with frontline, remote, and corporate learners who need an engaged and skilled workforce ready to take on the new challenges of their evolving business, Schoox is an award-winning learning management and talent development company. This SaaS solution delivers social-, mobile-, and…

hr tech awards

Jobvite 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Jobvite, an Employ Inc. brand, is a purpose-built proven talent acquisition (TA) solution built to innovate, scale, and solve the hiring complexities within sophisticated organizations across the entire TA lifecycle. Jobvite’s Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite is a comprehensive TA solution, empowering teams to address challenges across the entire talent acquisition lifecycle. The…

hr tech awards

HiBob 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company HiBob is on a mission to enable companies to thrive through change using people-first strategies. The HCM platform, Bob, simplifies the complexities of today’s global, hybrid, and remote world of work, driving greater impact for HR, managers, and employees. The ideal customer is a modern, multinational, mid-enterprise company with 250-3,000 employees with…

See the Latest from Lighthouse Research & Advisory

2024 Talent Acquisition Trends Research Livestream: What to Expect

By Ben Eubanks

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…

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6+ Generative AI Applications in Talent Acquisition Today [Infographic]

By Ben Eubanks

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…

Read More

4 Research-Backed Actions to Engage and Convert More Candidates

By Ben Eubanks

The data points are clear: candidate expectations today have evolved, and if you’re not staying on top of those changes, you may be missing out on the very best talent in the market. Based on our proprietary research from more than 2,500 candidates in the last two years, here are four practical things you can…

Read More

RPO Buyer Study: Key Findings and Preferences [New Research]

By Ben Eubanks

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…

Read More

Case Study Report: The Value of Company Culture in the Age of AI

By Ben Eubanks

In a world where technology reigns supreme, we must not forget the heart of our organizations—the culture. The beating heart of company culture guides our values, beliefs, and actions towards a higher purpose. Fulfillment, communication, trust, and diversity form the cornerstones of a transformative culture that fuels growth and fulfillment in the workplace. By championing…

Read More

Recruiting Automation: Employer and Candidate Preferences [Infographic]

By Ben Eubanks

The world of recruitment is undergoing a seismic shift, thanks in no small part to advancements in artificial intelligence and automation. Recent data from our Lighthouse Research & Advisory Talent Acquisition Trends study underscores this transformation, revealing some thought-provoking trends. First, employers are now 41% more likely to report increased efficiencies in talent acquisition due…

Read More

Speed Counts in Hiring: How to Shorten Cycle Times and Increase Candidate Satisfaction [Infographic]

By Ben Eubanks

Today, creating a positive candidate experience is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-do. Recent data points from Lighthouse Research & Advisory studies offer a compelling insight into why this is more important now than ever: Two out of the top three reasons candidates ghost employers are directly tied to speed and hiring workflows. A…

Read More

Hiring Assessments: Do Employers and Candidates See Eye to Eye? [Infographic]

By Ben Eubanks

Updated January 2024 with new data from Q3 2023 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. I remember having to stop the hiring process, send candidates a separate link to create an account and complete an assessment,…

Read More

2023 Recap: A Turbulent Year with Significant M&A Changes in the HR Technology Market

By Ben Eubanks

Our annual reporting on M&A in the HR technology space is one of our most popular pieces of content year after year (see our 2022 version here). We look at some of the many announcements that happen over the course of the year, flag some key ones, and identify any big trends that seem to…

Read More

The Evolution of Pay Equity and Transparency in the Modern Workplace [Infographic]

By Ben Eubanks

Increasingly, our research is showing that pay equity and pay transparency are critically linked. In other words, employers that score highly in one will typically score highly in the other, and vice versa. That’s because as the market has shifted in recent years, we’ve seen a clear connection between transparency and openness on compensation and…

Read More

What is the Complexity Coefficient and Does it Apply to Your Organization?

By Ben Eubanks

In our research on high-performing organizations, the term “complexity coefficient” is one that we use to describe companies that are outliers from the standpoint of investment into HR operations. What exactly is this coefficient, and why is it a crucial factor in organizational management? In essence, the complexity coefficient describes a phenomenon where an organization’s…

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Should You Expect Candidate Data with Your Next Recruiting Technology Purchase?

By Ben Eubanks

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. But if you offer…

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First Look at 2023 Talent Acquisition Research: Pay Transparency, Ghosting, and More

By Ben Eubanks

Updated December 2023 with new candidate data from Q3.  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…

Read More
hr tech awards

Trusaic 2023 HR Tech Awards Case Study

By Ben Eubanks

About the Company Trusaic is a workplace equity technology company committed to advancing social good by helping organizations achieve pay equity, foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce, assist economically disadvantaged individuals with finding work, and ensure employee access to affordable healthcare. Trusaic’s mission is to create a better working world through data-driven, people-centered technology…

Read More

Fast, Fair, and Functional: A New Look at Structured Interviews [New Research]

By Ben Eubanks

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…

Read More