HR Technologies UK, the premier gathering for HR and recruitment professionals, drew to a close at the ExCeL, London, (23-24 April 2025), following two days packed with seminars and product launches.

The event welcomed a significant turnout of industry professionals, with 95 exhibitors and a record-number of attendees coming together to explore the evolving landscape of work and the cutting-edge technologies shaping its future. Highlighting key issues such as the future of work, AI in the workplace, and driving an inclusive workforce, HR Technologies UK 2025 provided a vibrant platform for discussion and discovery in today's HR environments.

 

Evolving conversations

The two-day event also featured an extensive  programme of content across the two Keynote Theatres and the four Seminar Theatres, offering a compelling blend of presentations, lively panel discussions, and insightful case studies. Speakers from leading organisations and inspirational figures took to the stage to share their knowledge and vision for the future of the HR and recruitment function. 

In the Keynote Theatre, day one was opened with a welcome address by speaker, researcher and author Christine Armstrong, setting the stage for discussions on the latest trends in the world of work. Commenting on the growing uptake of AI, Armstrong said: “Connections are important, and emotions are still needed in important jobs, despite the rise of AI”, a remark that would set the tone for the sessions throughout the event.

Armstrong’s opening address was followed by a key session titled “The Motherhood Penalty: Building workplaces that work for parent employees” presented by Joeli Brearley, Founder of leading charity Pregnant Then Screwed. Brearley opened her talk by highlighting the ongoing disparity between men and pregnant women in the workplace, urging a fully attended keynote theatre to effectively utilise the skills and expertise of the entire workforce.

Exploring a similar theme, Brearley chaired the panel session “Building family-friendly workplaces: Strategies that work”. Joined by panellists from Aviva, Sony Music, HR2YOU - Fractional HR Services, and The Jobshare Revolution, the session explored their experiences around the most effective policies for facilitating parents – particularly mothers – in the workforce. Panellists discussed some of the biggest challenges to achieving this, including misconceptions around job sharing, lack of central policies, and hurdles from a technology perspective. Meanwhile, the solutions they highlighted were clear; offering more job sharing opportunities and part time roles, coupled with driving cultural change through visible and senior role models in the workforce.

The Keynote Theatre also saw the popular panel discussion – powered by YunoJuno – "Agility and flexibility on building scalable teams for a future-fit workforce." Here, Ketna Ramchandani, Lead Business Partner and Head of Talent Acquisition at Utility Warehouse; Joao Martires, Chief Operating Officer at YunoJuno; Analu Hadler Bonini, Global Head of Operations - International Beverages at PepsiCo; and Jess Bamfeta, Head of Talent Acquisition UK at Netflix, explored how leaders in distinct industries are evolving their workplace strategies while leveraging technology to build future-fit, responsive, and resilient global workforces.

On day two, David Wilson, the Founder and CEO of Fosway Group, led a session on the topic of AI and its impact on HR strategy and systems. Utilising data from the "HR realities research" – a project that Fosway Group has been running for the past ten years – David identified that the number one area being impacted by AI within organisations is recruitment. Over 62% of respondents are seeing this impact from AI within recruitment and almost 80% of companies plan to expand their adoption of AI in HR.

Meanwhile, the Seminar Theatre programme featured presentations from the event’s exhibitors. Speakers from these organisations provided audiences with insights into some of the biggest industry challenges and how their solutions can help to manage these pain points, and help People teams to thrive.

A highlight from the agenda was ‘Practical applications for AI in HR and people operations’ led by Avichal Kulshrestha, Principal Industry Insights Manager at UKG. The session focused on AI's potential for people leaders, frontline workers, and how it can help to foster engagement and productivity across the entire workforce.

In another seminar theatre, Michael Essau, EMEA HR Value Advisory at SAP SuccessFactors discussed the 2025 HR trends shaping work and the workforce. He described two of the key industry trends: HR as a conductor leading the orchestration of an enterprise-wide strategy and associated change management and HR as a navigator by helping the organisation to make decisions. Essau described these two takes on HR as influential for how organisations implement strategies and how they priorities the workforce. Meanwhile, Hannah Soye, Chief People and Culture Officer at Haiilo dived into why flexibility can be felt as a ‘always-on’ trap, how workplace culture and digital tools can help reset boundaries, and practical ways to reclaim control – so flexibility works for all employees.

 

The Start-Up Showdown: a winner emerges

A key feature of HR Technologies UK 2025 was the Start-Up Zone, a dedicated space for emerging companies to connect with attendees and showcase their innovative solutions. This zone provided a platform for start-ups to generate leads and build brand awareness, culminating in the highly anticipated Start-Up Showdown. Judged by a panel of industry experts, the competition offered participating companies invaluable visibility, with the winner receiving a free stand at HR Technologies UK 2026 and complimentary advisory services from industry thought leader and consultant, Bill Boorman. The prize package offers a dynamic environment for emerging companies to establish themselves within the wider HR community. This year's Start-Up Showdown featured a fresh group of participants, including Cruit, Hapcha, Nartio, Unbiasly, Welliba, Hoogly, Loopin, Mozaik, WorkFlex and Worksmile, with Hoogly ultimately claiming the top prize.

Commenting on the win, Mohit Midha, CEO & Co-Founder at Hoogly, said: “Taking part and winning the Start-Up Showdown on day one was a huge bonus as it validated everything we've been dreaming about and hoping for as we grow. When you win an award like this, it's a huge reinforcement for the whole team, the hard work we've put in, and the problem we're trying to solve for businesses around the world.”

 

Innovation & AI competition

The final day of HR Technologies UK 2025 saw the inaugural Innovation & AI competition showcase the latest machine-led tools reshaping the world of work for HR professionals. Prominent exhibitors presented their new and innovative solutions to a panel of esteemed judges.

Leading the panel was Bill Boorman, a renowned advisor to talent technology companies, keynote speaker, host, researcher, and commentator. Alongside Bill, the panel included James Mayes (Principal, Exolite Ltd), Hend Halim (People & Talent Manager), Sam Berthoud (VP of Talent Solutions, Hackajob), Clair Bush (Fractional CMO, NED & Mentor, AM-Bush), and Jennifer Johansson (Founder & CEO, Placed), alongside other HR professionals.

With ten leading companies competing in earlier rounds throughout the day, HiBob, Zellis, and Teamtailor emerged as finalists. But it was HiBob's "Analyse my Report with AI" tool – allowing HR teams to explore, understand, and visualise data using natural language to support hiring and team management – that ultimately claimed first place.

EB Novak, SE at HiBob spoke on winning the first-of-its-kind competition: “Winning the very first Innovation & AI competition is fantastic, and we can't wait to share the excitement with the entire team. What's been particularly insightful is seeing simple use cases that have a massive impact. There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for HiBob. This event is an amazing coming together of minds, and in discussing the 'how-to’s' of problem-solving, it's clear everyone is working through and addressing similar challenges.”

 

Tailored solutions

The event highlighted significant advancements in HR technology with a 41% growth in exhibitors as close to 100 companies showcased leading solutions. Among the highlights, Workday demonstrated the transformative power of its AI in revolutionising budgeting and forecasting, offering leaders greater financial oversight. Ciphr presented its improved analytics and essential reporting, using dashboards to add clarity and purpose to complex data, and an in-depth look at the metrics that matter most to leadership – including employee turnover, engagement and performance, time and attendance, pay and reward, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Lattice, the all-in-one people platform for HR, Talent, and AI, debuted its AI agent for HR, designed to help HR teams work better and make employees more productive. UKG showcased the latest AI enhancements in UKG Ready®, focusing on creating a more human-centred and engaging employee experience. Employment Hero launched its comprehensive Employment OS, a unified platform integrating all stages of the employee journey with intelligent AI features like SmartMatch for recruitment and HeroAI for immediate HR assistance. Leading skills-based talent management solution provider Lexonis launched an AI-enabled learning-to-skill mapping service that enables organisations looking to implement a skills-based learning strategy.

HiBob introduced its next-generation payroll processing solution, tailored for the UK, and emphasising streamlined operations and adherence to local regulations. Dayforce presented Career Explorer, an AI-driven tool designed to foster skills development and provide employees with personalised career recommendations and coaching. Sage People demonstrated its Sage HR platform, highlighting its ability to simplify recruitment and essential HR functions for small and growing businesses. Lastly, Personio presented its solutions for navigating evolving regulations and promoting a fair workplace, including its newly launched whistleblowing channel to support EU compliance.

 

Nicki Morris, Group Event Director of HR Technologies UK commented: “It's clear that the conversation has shifted from simply adopting more HR tech to strategically implementing comprehensive tools to fundamentally redesign hiring and employee processes. Technology now touches every aspect of work, and as a result, the HR function must be seamless, engaging, and scalable. HR Technologies UK 2025 successfully brought together the talent behind the technology to develop its integration into the workforce, discuss what's next for the industry, and maintain human-centric HR processes. We hope to see you in 2026 when we return for the fourth edition of HR Technologies UK!”

HR Technologies UK will return to ExCeL London from 29 - 30 April 2026. Register your interest in attending here, or click here to enquire about exhibiting.