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

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,…

Performance Management is Out: Performance Enablement is In

In the realm of organizational success, the approach to enhancing employee performance is undergoing a significant transformation. Gone are the days when traditional performance management methods—marked by goal-setting, monitoring, and reviewing—were the norms. These outdated practices, often criticized for their ineffectiveness and tendency to induce stress, are making way for a more dynamic and supportive…

Ghosting isn’t Unsolvable [Infographic]

The phenomenon of candidate ghosting, where candidates suddenly cease communication with potential employers, has become an increasing concern in the hiring landscape. This trend manifests in various forms, including candidates who apply and never respond to outreach, individuals who participate in interviews but vanish without feedback and even new hires who fail to show up…

The Powerful Intersection of Performance, Development, and Recognition [Infographic]

The confluence of employee performance, development, and recognition within an organization holds transformative power as a cornerstone for fostering an invigorating and productive workplace atmosphere. When these elements are effectively integrated and supported, they enhance individual engagement and satisfaction and propel the organization’s collective success forward. Conversely, lacking adequate support in these areas can lead…

Creating a Positive Data-Driven Employee Experience [Infographic]

Crafting a top-notch employee experience is all about creating a workplace where everyone feels engaged, processes run smoothly, and the overall culture adds value. The secret? Using the right data at the right times. This approach transforms the day-to-day for employees, aligning their personal journey with the company’s goals. And here’s something interesting in our…

Quality of Hire is Critical: How to Make it Count

Recently there’s been a considerable amount of discussion on LinkedIn about this concept called “talent density.” Essentially it means that employers have to ensure that they have a high-quality workforce (a high concentration, or density, of top performers). In my opinion it’s just another name for quality of hire, the top metric that talent acquisition…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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

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…

hr tech awards

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…

hr tech awards

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

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…

Lighthouse Listens: 6 Innovative Talent Acquisition Technologies

As part of our ongoing research efforts, our team meets with technology providers across the HR, talent, and learning space on a regular basis. Last month we held a special set of briefings as part of a talent acquisition deep dive we called Lighthouse Listens. In it, we met with six different providers touching on…

Predicting Pay and Skills From Job Market Intelligence Data on #HRTechTalks

In today’s world, things change and evolve so quickly. Take pay for instance. It’s changing faster than the surveys and other data sources can keep up. So what do we do? One area of emerging data comes from labor market intelligence tools. In this episode of #hrtechtalks, we chat with Cary Sparrow, CEO of Greenwich.HR,…

New Findings on Worker Preferences, HR Jobs, and More #HRTechTalks

Frictionless Recruiting with MapRecruit on #HRTechTalks

Getting Comfortable with Data: featuring Salary.com on #HRTechTalks

we're only human podcast tile

Personalization and Wellness: How AI Supports Wellbeing at Scale

“You need to have a competitive pay and benefits offering. When you go to do that, the employer ends up paying for a lot of things that go unused just because there’s too much to communicate. What’s just amazing about the time and space we’re in now is you can really use personalization to surface…

Compliance Challenges? You’re Not Alone: Featuring ThinkHR/MammothHR on HR Tech Talks

Since the start of this year, multiple new laws have passed that change responsibilities for employers, and that’s just a small sample of the overall changes in the workplace over the last few years. Even when you’re focusing on those evolving requirements, it can be overwhelming to decipher what applies to your company and how to adopt the new regulations.

In this discussion on HR Tech Talks, I am going to chat with Nathan Christensen, CEO of Mammoth/ThinkHR about why navigating compliance is a critical skill set for HR leaders and how his team supports this need for the business (without breaking the bank).

#HRTechTalks

Solving Pay Equity and Comp Challenges: Featuring Curo Compensation on HR Tech Talks

More and more companies across the globe are attempting to tackle the pay equity issue, but it’s not always easy if you don’t have the right tools to support the process. In some brand new research at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, we found that compensation technology is not only becoming more powerful, but it’s becoming a staple of the HR leader’s toolbox for navigating pay decisions across the board.

In this episode, I’m talking with Ruth Thomas of Curo Compensation about how this company has exploded into the scene of compensation management tools. We’ll also cover the firm’s priority focus on pay equity and how it is helping employers to create a fair and equitable playing field when it comes to pay.

#HRTechTalks

hr tech awards

Embracing Flexibility in Your Talent System: PeopleFluent on HR Tech Talks

When HR technology first became a “thing,” tools were rigid and structured. Today, some tools are still that way, but others have taken the opposite approach: they allow employers to customize and tailor the settings and capabilities around their unique and specific needs.

In our 2020 research, we found that 97% of firms that say they are adaptable also say that their HR technology plays a key part in that flexibility.

In this episode of HR Tech Talks, I’m going to talk with Stephen Bruce of PeopleFluent about how his firm has adopted this approach and how it results in better customer relationships, stronger capabilities that fit each client’s needs, and deep expertise in talent. We’ll touch on talent mobility, talent analytics, and the need for a flexible system to meet the needs of an agile organization.

#hrtechtalks

Technology Reviews

HR Tech Awards 2024: Winners Announced

By Ben Eubanks

In our daily work with talent leaders and solution providers, we run into some incredible technology. Some of the tools available to organizations right now 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. According to some sources,…

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…

See the Latest from Lighthouse Research & Advisory

Nudging Frontline Workers to Better Engagement: Featuring Nudge on HR Tech Talks

By David Jordan

Frontline workers have gotten more press in 2020 than ever before, and their needs have been front and center. But do we really understand these workers and their unique needs? In this discussion with Nudge on HR Tech Talks, Ben digs into the nuances of communication and engagement with these critical workers.

Read More

Resilience? There’s an App for that: Featuring meQuilibrium on HR Tech Talks

By David Jordan

If there’s one word we want to describe the workforce that has been put through the toughest challenges of a pandemic, it’s resilience. While the term can seem soft and intangible, the reality is that there are tools that can measure this important trait. In this discussion with meQuilibrium on HR Tech Talks, Ben digs…

Read More

Enabling Human Productivity with AI and Machine Learning with UKG on HR Tech Talks

By David Jordan

We keep hearing about artificial intelligence and machine learning taking over the work that we do, but is that really the case? In this session with Suhail Halai, Ben digs into how these tools can really support the critical tasks that HR needs to get done, freeing human resources leaders up to do the things…

Read More

Leveraging Skills as a Hiring Tool: Presenting Eightfold on HR Tech Talks

By David Jordan

Look at a resume, guess at someone’s abilities, and put them in a pile. That’s how recruiters have always looked at resumes and hiring. But AI allows us to better understand the skills people have, how they relate, and how they compare with other candidates. In this episode of HR Tech Talks, Ben will chat…

Read More

HR’s Hard Reset: Featuring Schoox on HR Tech Talks

By David Jordan

In the aftermath of 2020, HR needs to be ready for a hard reset. In this episode of HR Tech Talks, Matthew Brown from Schoox will bring some ideas and insights for today’s talent and business leaders to approach the new year in intentional, purposeful ways. We will talk about how Schoox is supporting its…

Read More

Virtual Recruiting (What Works and What Doesn’t): Featuring Yello on HR Tech Talks

By Ben Eubanks

2020 has been a roller coaster for most firms and for the economy as a whole. Unemployment swelled to 20 million people and has already fallen to 12 million, which means recruiting teams have been incredibly busy. We’ll learn what virtual recruiting looks like, how it’s working, and what practices to avoid as we enter…

Read More

Automating and Personalizing Hiring: Featuring Phenom on HR Tech Talks

By Ben Eubanks

The world of hiring is very different from what it was a year ago. Yet one thing remains constant: it’s about connecting people with opportunities that fit them in a personalized, easy to use manner. Phenom has been doing this for years, and in this discussion Ben talks with Phenom’s leadership to see how they…

Read More
hr tech roundtable

Case Study: Early Talent Hiring with Yello

By Ben Eubanks

The following case study features Yello, a recruiting technology firm that focuses on early talent and college recruiting through a combination of recruitment automation, scheduling tools, and more. This was recorded during the 2020 HR Tech Roundtable series in partnership with HR Tech Connect Summit.

Read More
learning interrupted challenges

Learning | Interrupted: How Learning is Shifting to a Benefit and Culture Priority

By Ben Eubanks

Employees need development and growth. It’s a constant driver of engagement, and in many studies, skill growth shows up in the top slot for predicting someone’s retention with their company. In our own reskilling research, we’ve found that seven out of 10 employees have left a job because of a lack of development options, yet…

Read More
hr analyst day day one recap

HR Analyst Day 2020: Final Day and Closing Thoughts

By Ben Eubanks

If you missed it, check out what happened during HR Analyst Day: Day One and Day Two. This week I am partnering with Jessica Miller-Merrell of Workology on HR Analyst Day, which is a bit of a misnomer because it’s actually running most of this week as we talk to dozens of amazing technology providers…

Read More
hr analyst day day one recap

HR Analyst Day: Day Two Recap (File Management, Talent Development, and More)

By Ben Eubanks

If you missed it, check out what happened during HR Analyst Day: Day One. Also see the final day wrap up and insights here: HR Analyst Day 2020 closing thoughts. This week I am partnering with Jessica Miller-Merrell of Workology on HR Analyst Day, which is a bit of a misnomer because it’s actually running…

Read More
hr analyst day day one recap

HR Analyst Day: Day One Recap (AI, Virtual Hiring, and More)

By Ben Eubanks

This week I am partnering with Jessica Miller-Merrell of Workology on HR Analyst Day, which is a bit of a misnomer because it’s actually running most of this week as we talk to dozens of amazing technology providers across the spectrum from engagement to recruiting to talent insights and more. Transparently, we do a great…

Read More

Talent Marketplaces are Here: Key Players, Usage, and Unanswered Questions

By Ben Eubanks

Several years ago, World Bank Group was in trouble. The organization had been through a series of challenges and was in the midst of a hiring freeze in an attempt to work through the issues and recover. But work still needed to get done. Managers throughout the organization were trying to find talent to fill…

Read More
hr tech roundtable

Join Us October 22nd for the Next HR Tech Roundtable

By Ben Eubanks

This year has been, in the words of a good friend, a “dumpster fire.” So many things have gone wrong, yet the changing environment has led to some new developments, opportunities to connect, and different approaches to traditional events. Those changes are a silver lining in this bigger shift we’re seeing this year. One of…

Read More
research innovation business value

What the Phenom Acquisition of My Ally Signifies for Automation in Recruiting

By Ben Eubanks

My Ally is a recruiting chatbot tool that schedules 20,000 interviews a month. Phenom offers a talent experience platform and serves hundreds of enterprise firms like Newell Brands, Brother, Southwest Airlines, and more. Today, Phenom announced the acquisition of My Ally, and while it’s an exciting time for people at both companies, it’s also an…

Read More