I’m just going to come out and say it: the SAP SuccessConnect 2024 (October 28-30) was a blast. Why? For one thing it reminded me — and many I talked to — of HR tech-related events before the pandemic. It was a dense, bustling gathering of great minds, compelling ideas and groundbreaking innovations, and a heady mix of inspiration, adrenaline, and company. I went as an analyst, offering my perspectives as a thought leader and an unabashed fan of technology and data. Like so many there, I’ve long been paying attention to the digital transformation and have watched AI and automation take front and center. It’s always inspiring to see how solutions are taking shape and evolving into their next iteration.
Three cheers to mention: First, a little love for Lisbon and the capacious Lisbon Convention Centre: the ideal site for a global event celebrating future-forward views of work. I cleared my head after some mind-blowing presentations with some phenomenal meals: there’s something extra-inspiring about reviewing notes on talent intelligence over sublime Portuguese wine. Second, much love for the team that organized such a well-choreographed event. With sessions curated along different tracks, all attendees and participants could focus on what they cared about the most. The hybrid format provided the livestreams and on-demand replays that make for deep dives. FYI there are great takeaways to be had, and a full catalog of sessions and replays is still available online. I recommend you take a look.
Third, the closing keynote — a conversation between SAP SuccessFactors’ CRO Maryann Abbajay and lawyer and human rights advocate Amal Clooney added a level of meaning that extended far beyond technology, HR, and even the world of work. It was an apt reminder that we in HR sometimes narrow our focus on talent management to what’s strategic, administrative, and urgent, perhaps out of necessity. HR people generally have a lot to do. But Clooney powerfully reminded us of the connection between empathy, leadership, and purpose. She talked about the why behind her work and got all of us thinking about that as well. That’s why we were there — we all have that sense of passion and purpose about what we do. Also, talent management is people management, and people management is all about humanity. Clooney brilliantly underscored that.
The Skill of Skills Development
Like many of the thought leaders there for the three days, I chose to focus on one track to get as in-depth as I could. There’s no question in my mind that one of the best ways we can support our workforce, be prepared for the future, and achieve key business objectives is to take a skills-first strategy. That means a commitment to developing skills, identifying skills and skills gaps, to upskilling and reskilling, and to framing skills as not just a job requirement but a meaningful component of professional development. Skills development is a powerful lever when it comes to engagement and retention, and an important factor for HR in terms of internal mobility, succession planning, team building, and a resilient talent management strategy. I also know how challenging it can be for organizations to address it head-on, and the sessions offered a lot of wisdom and plenty to think about.
Talent Intelligence 2.0
I came away from those three days with a sense of optimism: that we can harness this generation of digital innovations to problem-solve at scale. Take Joule by SAP — an AI-powered copilot that can truly help when it comes to learning and skills development. As an AI-driven solution, Joule is designed to help in obvious, straightforward ways, from streamlining processes to optimizing workforce management, but it’s remarkably powerful: talent intelligence 2.0. There was some welcome transparency about how AI tools like Joule don’t come out fully formed, but depend on users and use cases to learn. I know that’s a common concept, but it’s worth reminding ourselves when we’re in the throes of HR tech-related decision-making. AI is a functional helpmate, but it’s also an intelligent partner that’s only getting smarter.
During a highly entertaining exchange in the opening keynote — which like the event itself was attended by people from Rio de Janeiro to Belgium to Rochester, NY to India, the topic of cultural fit in AI assists was raised. Someone (and I apologize for not knowing her name) astutely noted that performance reviews in Europe don’t tend to use superlatives like “excellent!” or “extraordinary.” As she said, Europeans tend to be a bit more … reserved. She wanted to know if the development team was working on cultural responses that would be more appropriate for different regions and countries. It was a terrific question.
So was the answer — by Dan Beck, President and Chief Product Officer of SAP SuccessFactors. I’ll paint a picture here: this was a lively, engaged and global audience that felt more like old friends and like-minded peers than strangers. I do admit encouraging Dan out loud to be his whole self — with all his complexities — and he was happy to comply. It’s true, he said (and I’m paraphrasing here): getting cultural alignment is a complex problem. SAP is thinking a lot about globalization, and there are teams of specialist engineers, for instance, just working on stripping out bias — gender bias, racial bias. Further, he added, as global AI and large language models continue to evolve, we’ll be seeing adaptations, such as British versus American English and more nuanced semantics — until AI is, well, up to speed.
The Real Success Story
Technology here was presented as a problem-solver and a means to achieve multifaceted goals. There were some extremely helpful discussions with SAP SuccessFactors clients about how they are applying solutions to their own challenges. Note to everyone: examples, with actual people talking about their actual experiences in their actual companies, are a powerful way to explain how useful a tool can be — and that was part of the point. The event was really about people: how to “make every employee a success story.” The technology has to live within that context: it’s meant to serve us. I think all of us there appreciated such an authentic approach to talent management and workplace transformation.
I want to add that I think it’s going to be even more important going forward to make sure HR and HR technology remain part of the big picture when it comes to organizational and business goals. Along with that, HR leaders need to continue to advocate for building, developing and retaining a workforce that’s resilient and ready for what comes next, deploying the technology that enables a talent management evolution at scale. The event was a powerful reminder of how hard we need to keep working to face the future — and that we do have the tools to succeed. It was a great way to head into 2025.
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