HRTechEurope: less US, more Europe please

Two weeks ago, I attended HRTechEurope. Marc Coleman and his team have done a wonderful job getting this event off the ground and I enjoyed myself tremendously. Interesting seminars, lots of new technology and eminent speakers.

But just like last year, some of the sessions left me feeling a bit, well, disappointed, especially when I listen to US analysts discussing the European HRTech space without a European in sight. Don’t get me wrong, I admire US analysts and think they are excellent, but as anyone who has worked in the European HR space can tell you, Europe is different. And I don’t mean mentioning Kirchensteuer in Germany or lunch vouchers in Belgium in your talk – that’s too easy. Understanding European HR goes beyond that.

Where else can you drive just 50 kilometers and be in a totally different HR space: different legislation, different processes and policies, ways of working, benefits, cultural habits etc. And because it’s a regulated market, you must know the details in order to be compliant. It’s not just understanding compliance, it’s knowing how to put that into practice. Even a European directive, like the one on data privacy, is implemented differently in jurisdictions within the EU.

So here’s the challenge I’ve given myself: I’m going to create an overview of Europeans in the HR Tech space. I have set up 2 Twitter lists: if you work in HRTech in Europe, you can add yourself to the list by sending a tweet to @let_anita using the #hrtech hashtag. And inspired by a question from @InFullBloomUs I’ll also be setting up a list for European HRTech analysts. If you want to be on that list, tweet me a link to your LinkedIn profile. And hopefully, next year at HRTechEurope, we will see more Europeans taking the stage!