By Tami Nutt, Vice President of Research & Insights, Aspect43
What is TAtech?
TAtech North America 2025 felt like a moment of reflection and a call to action. Held in Oceanside, California, just steps from the iconic Top Gun House, the event brought together leaders from across the talent acquisition tech space to talk about where the industry is heading. Yes, there were nods to the past - from the early days of Monster.com to the evolution of programmatic job ads - but the real focus was on the future. Conversations centered around what needs to change, how recruiting tech must evolve, and why now is the time to rethink old systems. Whether it was through bold keynote ideas, honest breezeway conversations, or deal center details, one thing was clear: the status quo isn’t cutting it and TA tech leaders are ready (or need to get ready) to build something better.
TAtech is the global trade association for talent acquisition technology providers, supporting companies that build, power, or sell recruiting platforms including job boards and aggregators to CRMs, sourcing tools, and programmatic solutions. Founded in 2007, TAtech focuses exclusively on the business of recruiting tech offering member organizations access to industry-specific events, peer networking, research, ethics guidelines, advocacy with regulators, and buyer education resources. Its mission is to help vendors navigate market shifts, form strategic partnerships, and build solutions that reflect both innovation and compliance in the evolving world of work.
TAtech North America & The World Job Board Forum is TAtech’s flagship B2B event held in North America each year.
Now in its 18th year, Peter Weddle, Stephen O’Donnell, and team designed the event specifically for CEOs, product leaders, and senior executives from job boards and recruiting tech companies. It focuses on:
- The business of TA tech (less about practices & more about products and productivity)
- Emerging trends and business models shaping the market
- Strategic partnerships across the TA tech ecosystem
Amid reflections on the past, there were clear calls to rethink how this industry operates and to push for bold, meaningful shifts in how talent acquisition tech is built, integrated, and delivered.
Key Takeaways
Chris Forman (founder, Appcast) gave what was described as his final public address before retirement. His message was blunt: the recruiting process hasn’t evolved in centuries - and it’s time we stop optimizing around flawed systems. He called for an entirely new model, borrowing ideas from other areas of business like finance.
Jeff Taylor (founder, Monster.com) introduced his new company, Boomband, and vision - reversing the model so that talent, not jobs or employers, becomes the focal point. It’s about designing platforms around human potential.
I (Tami Nutt) shared findings from Aspect43’s Insights@Work research and presented on how tech can elevate TA - not by automating everything or doing more of the same faster, but by supporting smarter processes and decision-making. (Yes, there were Top Gun references.)
What's Next
The momentum seems to be building around:
- Disposition data as a way to drive more strategic hiring outcomes.
- CRMs becoming more than contact storage to be tools that engage, predict, and automate in real time.
- Talent-first technology - rethinking who recruiting tech is really for, and designing systems that reflect that.
TAtech Honors: Summer Class Announcement
A special part of this year’s event was the announcement of the Summer Class of TAtech Honors - a recognition of individuals who are making long-term contributions to the talent acquisition technology space. You can see the full announcement and list of honorees here: https://tatech.org/summer-class-of-tatech-honors-announced/
These honors are about people who show up, do the work, and help move the industry forward—whether through building better tools, supporting fairer hiring practices, or simply helping others navigate a changing landscape.
I was honored to be included in this class alongside some incredibly thoughtful and dedicated people. In a space that’s evolving quickly, it’s nice to take a moment and recognize those working behind the scenes to make recruiting better for everyone.
What Stood Out
Chris Forman’s keynote was both a personal milestone and a strategic wake-up call for the talent acquisition industry. In what was described as his final official public appearance in light of his recent retirement, the Appcast founder urged vendors and TA leaders to stop refining outdated models and start fundamentally reimagining how recruiting works.
According to Forman, recruiting should operate more like credit pre-approval: proactive, predictive, and data-informed. Instead of waiting for candidates to apply and then wading through bloated applicant pools, TA teams should qualify candidates earlier, using signals that indicate fit before time is wasted by either party. He argued that the current mode is like Amazon beginning to manufacture your product only after you check out. It’s too late, too slow, and too often, not what you really needed.
The vision was compelling, but not without complications.
From a compliance perspective, this shift raises important questions. Many existing regulations—particularly those related to equal opportunity, adverse impact monitoring, and candidate recordkeeping—are designed around traditional processes: open requisitions, public job postings, and consistent evaluation frameworks. Moving toward a more front-loaded, algorithm-driven approach will require intentional strategy to mitigate bias risks, increase visibility into decision paths, and provide audit trails.
The opportunity is real,but so is the risk. As TA tech vendors explore this shift, they’ll need to ensure their models are explainable, inclusive, and compliant. Otherwise, we risk trading speed for fairness and losing hard-won gains in equitable hiring.
Forman’s parting message landed with weight: we’ve been optimizing a slow, reactive system for too long. It’s time to build something better, and it must be built responsibly.
What This Means for HR
For HR and talent acquisition leaders, the shifts discussed at TAtech North America signal that the tools and assumptions underlying your hiring processes are rapidly changing.
- The ATS may no longer be the center of the TA tech stack.
Vendors and thought leaders are increasingly positioning CRMs, marketplaces, and AI-based matching tools as the future system of engagement. This means HR teams should start rethinking how candidates are sourced, nurtured, and evaluated—before a req is even opened. - Recruiting will require more proactive, data-led strategies.
If vendors deliver on the “pre-qualification” model, TA teams will need to build pipelines differently - moving away from reactive job postings and toward curated, ongoing talent engagement. This will require new skillsets, closer alignment with workforce planning, and a stronger understanding of data signals. - Compliance won’t be able to be an afterthought.
As tools become more intelligent and processes shift upstream, compliance challenges will grow more complex. HR leaders will need to ask hard questions about how matching algorithms work, whether scoring models are explainable, and how decisions are tracked and documented. What improves efficiency must also protect fairness. - Talent-first design could reshape employer branding and candidate experience.
The idea of putting candidates at the center of the model challenges the way many organizations approach career sites, applications, and communication workflows. HR teams should expect to play a more active role in designing these experiences and in selecting tools that reflect brand values and equity goals. - You’ll need vendors who can partner, not just sell.
These shifts demand more than point solutions. HR teams will need partners who can educate, customize, and support compliance—not just sell features. The ability to ask tough questions and get real answers from your vendor will be a competitive advantage.
The future of recruiting isn’t just about better tools. It’s about better alignment between talent, technology, and the systems that connect them.
