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This year’s Bullhorn Engage Boston must have been the best I have attended to date. As an organisation that work with technology, we might sometimes forget the people behind it that create the technology and the people that use it. That’s why this year’s topic “The Power of People” was a powerful topic for the times we live in. My key takeaways are:
Using technology to empower people
The session by the American Staffing association was an example of how technology is being used to upskill the workforce. It showcased how 3 businesses have used technology to help people become better at what they do, improve their value in the market by building their knowledge. I was excited to see a Virtual Reality Forklift, being used by Hamilton Ryker in Tennessee, to help upskill their candidates and get them jobs on $5 more an hour!
Don’t be average: leverage!
Paul Allen, Co-Founder of Ancestry.com said that we focus on our weaker results. As human beings we constantly are looking to become better at what we’re not good at. We’re self-critical and some endure the pressure of wanting to be good at everything. The thing that really stuck with me was that instead of focusing at improving what we’re bad at, we should concentrate on what we’re good at, become great at it and get more out of each other. Kyloe are applying that right now.
No auto-pilot
Captain Sully who famously landed an aircraft on the Hudson river, after it had hit a flock of Canada Geese, was one of the headline speakers at Bullhorn Engage. He gave a great session about how 208 seconds can fundamentally define your life. The training and procedures that go into every flight is amazing, and as a passenger we just take it all for granted.
He explained it is what you do with your time and how you act in times of crisis, which makes the biggest difference. Top amongst this is communication, as in times of stress, people forget to communicate and that is a great point for everyone.
Be proud of our industry
My final takeaway was that as an industry we do change people’s lives, by getting them a job, a better job, or just a chance to show what they can do. The rest is down to the power of people. We are surrounded by Alexas, Siris and Google homes. All this artificial intelligence has a human voice and responds like one, but it what people do for people that will make the biggest difference.
Our robots are built by humans, for humans, to replicate human behaviour. And in recruitment it’s similar. We work with technology that needs to be user-friendly and human focused, that is built to help people hire people. But while many would say: I work in technology or recruitment, I say: “I run a business that concentrates on saving time for people who improve other people’s lives by finding them work.”
Author: Raymond Pennie
