Analyst takeaways: UNLEASH World 2025 was ‘a reference point for HR reinvention’

Last week, thousands of HR leaders, vendors and thought leaders descended on the Paris Convention Center for UNLEASH World 2025.

At the 2025 show, the HR world truly did meet.

In the words of David Green, Executive Director of Insight222 and UNLEASH World Main Stage emcee, “the mix of practitioners, investors, analysts, vendors creates a playground of creativity, learning, collaboration and energy”.

Green is among more than 50 analysts that joined us at this year’s UNLEASH World.

As experts in the HR field, and attendees at many HR tech conferences, as the UNLEASH Editorial team was reflecting on the show, we asked our analyst community about their main highlights of UNLEASH World 2025 – what made the show event so special?

Tech met humanity at UNLEASH World 2025

For Jean-Baptiste Audrerie, HR tech Industry Analyst and Co-Founder of Nexa RH, Canada, the highlight of the show was that “HR is being reinvented, and the H in HR is finally being reinforced”.

Audrerie is very clear that UNLEASH World 2025 was “not simply a conference”, it was a “reference point for HR reinvention” – “this event operates a global laboratory for HR reinvention and the future work”.

Charlotte Birgander, Partner at HerbertNathan & Co, adds that what makes the show so special was that “tech is meeting humanity”.

“Across keynotes and breakout sessions, the event showcased a clear focus on re-architecting business models around human-centered AI collaboration—not on AI-centered human replacement. It underscored the importance of the human in HR and business,” notes Nehal Nangia, Industry Analyst and Senior Research Director at The Josh Bersin Company.

Madeline Laurano, Founder at Aptitude Research, describes there being a “palpable focus on human-centered AI. Rather than viewing AI as a threat or a tool for optimization alone, the best conversations framed it as a partner in building culture, equity, and connection.”

There’s shift from ‘AI-powered’ to ‘AI with purpose’, and this “reinforces the belief that culture is the true infrastructure for any AI strategy”, shares Laurano.

Kathi Enderes, SVP of Research at The Josh Bersin Company agrees. She was a judge of the UNLEASH World Startup Award, and the competition proved that “AI is no longer a feature but table stakes, and the winning recipe for success is using it to foster a more human-centered approach (as the winner Vizzy and runner-up Albert showed)”.

Nangia continues that Microsoft CPO Amy Coleman’s Day Two Opening keynote also picked up on this theme.

Coleman said: “We are at a time where we have more data than ever, and yet, more uncertainty than ever.” Nangia adds: “For sustainable growth, organizations need to lead with humans at the center, powered by technology, and make better, faster, human-first decisions.”

The message that “rose above all” for Erin Eatough, Chief Science Office and Co-Founder, Fractional Insights, was “we must hold, protect and nurture our humanity”.

“Across multiple conversations, another theme emerged: In an age defined by AI, empathy is infrastructure. Empathy provides the feedback loop that ensures the data we use to design systems is humanly accurate,” adds Eatough.

“UNLEASH World 2025 made one thing unmistakable: Our challenge isn’t adoption, it’s deepening intention” with AI.

This theme was picked by Trish Steed, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at H3 HR Advisors. The highlight of UNLEASH World 2025 for Steed as that “every conversation I had, whether with a vendor or a peer, was about outcomes.

“These outcomes can be fueled or enabled with artificial intelligence, but it feels like leaders are beginning to understand that AI is a tool, and that is a big difference from what I’m hearing elsewhere.”

While HR and AI took center stage at UNLEASH World 2025, our analysts spotted other innovations and trends that came to the fore at the show.

For Jens Bender, Founder & Managing Director of WorkTech Advisory, UNLEASH World “showed that organizations are moving beyond skills intelligence towards workforce intelligence”.

“Companies are starting to bridge the gap between talent, organizational and strategic HR silos bringing together HR data from all disciplines to understand business impact and take better decisions.”

This was echoed in Stacia Garr’s, Co-Founder at RedThread Research, road report for UNLEASH World 2025.

She sees work redesign as the core theme of the show. “Four capabilities are emerging as foundational to future-ready organizations: task and workflow visibility, skills data infrastructure, workforce planning, and organizational design”.

Zachary Chertok, IDC’s Market and Industry Analyst in Modern and Core HR and Employee Experience strategies, tells UNLEASH that he noticed that “the worlds of talent acquisition and talent management are increasingly merging and blurring their boundaries”.

Pus, Chertok shares that “the HR-IT partnership is on the rise and maturing fast relative to executive-level demand for greater data extensibility and IT’s drive to channel that into more centralized business model management”.

UNLEASH World turns connections into collaboration

What makes UNLEASH stand out is that it “helps leaders move from talking about change to building the future of work, grounded in people, powered by technology and measured by meaningful impact,” according to George Rogers, Chief Culture Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory.

“It’s one of the few global platforms where technology, strategy, and humanity in the workplace truly intersect,” Rogers adds.

For Howard Flint, CEO of AMP, “UNLEASH World is where theory meets practice. HR leaders come searching for actionable, real-world examples—stories from peers who’ve tackled the same challenges” – and they got it.

UNLEASH World sets the gold standard for engagement. Nowhere else do HR’s toughest dilemmas get dissected by such a diverse and experienced group of experts. The breadth and depth of insight here simply can’t be matched.”

As Tami Nutt, VP of Research & Insights at Aspect43, puts it, events like UNLEASH World matter because “they bridge the gap between possibility and practicality”.

“HR doesn’t need more AI hype; it needs practical guidance and governance”, and UNLEASH World creates “a space where technology and leadership intersect, sparking meaningful dialogue and helping attendees translate big ideas into practical impact”.

Steed agrees: “I attend many events throughout the year and this event stands out when it comes to giving meaningful takeaways to HR leaders. It’s an environment to learn, not just to be sold to while you’re there.”

Nexa RH’s Audrerie shares that UNLEASH World “creates a rare environment where strategy meets execution”. “UNLEASH showcases proven best practices, credible transformation stories, and cutting-edge solutions that are actively shaping the next decade of work”.

For Lighthouse’s Rogers the word to sum up UNLEASH World 2025 was “collaborative”.

“The greatest value lies in connections and collaborations. Whether you make that connection during a session or meeting on the expo floor, I’ve seen many connections turn into collaboration, and it’s in those moments when you unleash a bigger impact!”

Rogers’ colleague, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Ben Eubanks remarks that “if someone shows up at a conference expecting their problems to be solved by passive participation in the event, they are going to leave disappointed”.

“But if that person shows up with the mindset that they will be an active participant, that’s where the magic happens”

“The content and experiences UNLEASH World offers can plant the seeds, nurture the creative ideas, and provide the networking experiences that enable HR leaders to drive that change.”

Laurano sees UNLEASH World as “not just a conference; it is a community of practice where ideas quickly evolve into actions”.

“For HR leaders, the value of UNLEASH World lies in the conversations that push us beyond trends into transformation. It challenges us to think differently about how we build teams, integrate technology, and shape the future of work around people, not processes.”

The Josh Bersin Company’s Enderes concludes: “The HR profession can feel lonely and stressful because it is ever-expanding; UNLEASH World supports CHROs and other HR execs to find common ground with others and build community”

That’s why UNLEASH World is Enderes’ “favorite conference of the year”.