When A.I. met H.I. (Human Intelligence)

What happens when A.I meets a Lawyer, Physicist, and an Engineer? #ATC2018 Thriving with A.I. happens.
Once again, the annual pilgrimage to Sydney to attend the Australian Talent Conference main event has taken place. The topic of Artificial Intelligence is hotter than an In-N-Out pop up burger bar here in Australia. Just ask the delegates attending this sold out event.
Much like the Millennium Falcon, this ATC was about creating a journey, filled with learnings and stories to be told. For those travelling interstate, Kevin Wheeler’s Fearless Forecast was brought forward to Tuesday evening to be shared with those travelling home on Thursday. I really liked this mini-event, it was intimate and social, with vendors and sponsors mingling in a relaxed environment.
[bctt tweet=”@stanrolfe shares his #ATCSquad/delegate/presenter experience at the #ATC2018.” username=”ATCevent”]
Unlike most other events, I started off Day 1, sans hangover. My mind was clear, ‘is this what it’s like to feel the force?’ I thought to myself. This abruptly changed when the #ATCSquad which I am part of was called on stage to be introduced to the audience with an awkward dance or two. The #ATCSquad are volunteers who help attendees with queries, directions, and generally lend a helping hand to one and all. We even got to witness one squad member sing and kinda dance, and no, that wasn’t me.
The two days were packed full of great speakers, and breakout sessions. At times it was difficult to choose your own adventure due to conflicting agenda times on various topics. The hot topics were A.I., inclusion and diversity, candidate experience and analytics based on which breakouts drew the crowds.
The exhibition floor was abuzz. As a regular attendee, I love seeing the likes of LiveHire and Weploy go from small kiosk stands to occupying some of the bigger floor space. To think ATC has been a big part of this journey for them, and many others is great to see. If you’re a #HRtech start-up here in Australia, or looking to move into the APAC region, then you need to be speaking to the #ATC team. This year, saw Hiretual take out the Innovation Lab prize as they look to expand to ANZ.
For me, this year was a little different, with new experiences. I co-presented a workshop session with Shane Gray (the Physicist) on day 1. This was the first time, I stood up front of a room full of people and shared my knowledge. It was fun, and that dreaded hour went very quickly. I’ve been asked to speak several times, and finally mustered the courage to get on stage albeit with Shane in support. If you’ve got something to share, but worried about doing it on your own, maybe rope a support person in to assist? It’s not as daunting as doing it on your own.
Recently I was appointed as the APAC Program Coordinator for Talent Board and the Candidate Experience Awards, so during the breaks I was honing my pitch at our kiosk on the exhibition floor. The #CandE Awards helps employers improve the candidate experience through an anonymous survey. Employers then gain access to live survey results, able to compare themselves against industry and award winners anonymously. It was great to hear candidate experience being referenced throughout the event, as well as speaking to the many people at the kiosk around what they were doing to enhance the candidate experience. Big shout out to Kevin Grossman and Ron Machamer for coming out from the states to be with us.
As someone who has attended ATC regularly, here’s a few of my thoughts on why you should be getting along, and how you will get the most out of the event.

  • The Talent Acquisition landscape is changing, it’s changing quickly and ATC pulls in some of the worlds leading speakers to help you prepare for the change. This year it included the likes of Rob McIntosh (the Engineer), Jonathan Kestenbaum (the Lawyer) amongst others;
  • The learning sessions. There’s plenty to choose from, if the one you went to, isn’t what you had thought, leave and get to another. No one takes offence;
  • Sharing is caring and your questions are relevant. It’s pretty much a guarantee if you’re thinking it, someone else is so share. Don’t be afraid to challenge opinions;
  • Speak to sponsors and exhibitors. They speak to organisations every day and have a finger on the pulse of what your challenges are, and what your competitors might be doing. They are a great source of intel for the cheap price of a follow up email or two, shoot you might even score a coffee or a dinner invite;
  • Network your backside off. You can huddle with your colleagues at work, speak to others to get fresh insights, share frustrations, and maybe an exciting opportunity presents?
  • Technology is an enabler. Whether you are an early adopter or a follower, you need to have an understanding of what’s going in this space. ATC Innovation Lab provides an indicator of where things are going;
  • Having now attended a couple of international events, I can assure you ATC ranks on par with its organisation, venue, content, and technology.

[bctt tweet=”Seasoned #ATC attendee @stanrolfe shares how you can get the most out of the event.” username=”ATCevent”]
ATC isn’t just for Talent Acquisition folks either. Whilst the majority of attendees are in the field, the topics cater to all those practicing in human resources. Unfortunately not all companies are fortunate enough to have dedicated resources. So why not come along to the next ATC, and pick the brains of some of the leading practitioners in Australia, and the world.
Well, my Millennium Falcon awaits and I hope to see you at #ATC2019 where we can share a slice of a 2m pizza like we did this year!

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