Recent Research:
UKG has expanded its partnership with Google Cloud to accelerate the deployment of agentic AI across its HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions. By integrating Google’s Gemini models, BigQuery, and AlloyDB into its UKG Bryte AI agents, the company aims to deliver real-time, data-driven insights that enhance productivity and simplify daily work for employees and managers alike. This move positions UKG at the forefront of a broader industry shift toward embedded, interoperable AI ecosystems—transforming AI from a support tool into an active collaborator in workforce operations while reinforcing its commitment to security, transparency, and ethical governance.
Case Study: How Sparus Strengthens Compliance and Safety with Mitratech AssureHire
Sparus Holdings, a rapidly growing provider of utility, energy, and public safety services, partnered with Mitratech AssureHire to strengthen compliance, safety, and hiring efficiency across its diverse workforce. Facing the challenge of screening large volumes of candidates who often work directly in communities and high-risk environments, Sparus leverages Mitratech’s background checks, drug screenings, and continuous MVR monitoring to ensure only qualified, trustworthy individuals are hired. The partnership’s success is rooted not only in reliable screening accuracy and seamless integrations but also in exceptional customer service, enabling Sparus to protect its clients, employees, and the public while supporting continued organizational growth.
Anatomy of a Decision: Right-Sized ABM – How Cohere Health Chose the Perfect Platform for Their Team
In this Anatomy of a Decision: Right-Sized ABM, Kyle James highlights how Brianna Miller, Director of Demand Generation at Cohere Health, chose AdRoll ABM to align with her team’s capacity, budget, and GTM maturity. Rather than opting for the most feature-rich or expensive platform, she prioritized usability, quick implementation, and measurable impact. Leveraging past experience with AdRoll ABM, Brianna ensured strong adoption, seamless integration with Salesforce and HubSpot, and the ability to demonstrate marketing’s influence on deal velocity and win rates—showing that practical, right-sized ABM can deliver meaningful results without overwhelming the team.
Analyst Insight: Payscale 2025 Salary Budget Survey
Payscale’s 2025 Salary Budget Survey, based on insights from 1,551 organizations across the U.S., Canada, and beyond, highlights a cautious compensation environment as employers plan for 2026. Average salary increases are projected at 3.5% in the U.S. and 3.3% in Canada—slightly below 2025 levels but still above pre-pandemic norms—reflecting economic uncertainty and easing labor shortages. Industry trends vary, with tech, education, and hospitality seeing smaller raises, while construction, pharmaceuticals, biotech, real estate, and transportation plan higher increases. Globally, inflation and high-demand sectors drive pay growth, but overall salary budgets are flattening. For HR and compensation leaders, the key challenge is balancing fiscal responsibility with competitiveness, retention, and employee engagement in a labor market where wage expectations remain elevated.
Analyst Insight: HR Techonomics & The Napster Effect
This Analyst Insight warns that HR technology vendors may be repeating the mistakes of the music industry during the Napster era by bundling AI for free, creating a “race to zero” that erodes perceived value. While agentic AI is rapidly becoming table stakes, the true costs of infrastructure, energy, and development are rising, and vendors—especially smaller ones—may struggle to sustain them once users are trained to expect AI at no additional price. Just as streaming permanently devalued recorded music, free AI risks compressing margins, diluting differentiation, and leaving only the largest players able to afford the squeeze.
Infographic: How Background Screening Became a Strategic Tool
This infographic, “From Risk to Retention,” illustrates how background screening has evolved from a basic compliance requirement into a strategic talent tool that directly impacts candidate experience, culture, and retention. It highlights the high stakes of getting screening wrong—legal, financial, and reputational—while showcasing how modern organizations leverage technology, AI integration, and human judgment to create faster, fairer, and more transparent processes. By aligning screening practices with trust, compliance, and organizational values, forward-thinking HR leaders turn what was once a risk mitigation task into a competitive advantage for attracting and retaining top talent.
Infographic: How Sparus Holdings Built a Safer, Smarter Workforce
This infographic highlights how Sparus Holdings strengthened workforce safety and compliance through Mitratech’s AssureHire platform. Operating across energy, utilities, and public-safety sectors, Sparus faced complex hiring challenges driven by rapid acquisitions and high-risk field roles. By implementing comprehensive background checks, continuous MVR monitoring, and seamless ATS integrations, the company prevented 192 risky hires and 45 driving disqualifications—boosting recruiter confidence, data reliability, and community trust while aligning safety processes with organizational values.
Infographic: How ADP Is Building AI That HR Practitioners Actually Trust
The 3Sixty Insights infographic “How ADP Is Building AI That HR Practitioners Actually Trust” highlights ADP’s approach to creating AI solutions designed to solve real HR challenges. Focusing on areas like payroll accuracy, instant answers to HR questions, workforce trend insights, global compliance, and personalized employee development, ADP emphasizes transparency and human oversight to ensure trust. By leveraging its scale and data reach, ADP demonstrates how AI can enhance efficiency and decision-making while keeping HR practitioners in control.
Recent Articles:
Winner Takes All: AI, Shareholders & the Future of Work
This article by Dylan Teggart explores the tension between AI-driven innovation, shareholder priorities, and the future of work. While HR technology vendors often promote “employee-first” strategies and emphasize keeping humans in the loop, Teggart questions whether shareholder incentives—focused on cost-cutting and headcount reduction—align with these ideals. He warns that unchecked automation could mirror the devastating effects of past industrial offshoring, displacing both cognitive and manual labor at scale and straining a workforce already facing a severe skills mismatch. For HR tech vendors, this shift could also undercut their per-employee pricing models, creating a paradox where driving short-term efficiency erodes long-term sustainability. Ultimately, Teggart argues that true transformation requires bolder messaging to shareholders and top-level buy-in, while urging business leaders to embrace a vision of work that prioritizes people over profits.
The New Rules of Discoverability: Michael Cole on GEO, Partnerships, and Authentic Content
In the article, Kyle James explores how the rise of AI‑driven “front door” technologies is transforming how brands are discovered online. He introduces the concept of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)—an evolution beyond traditional SEO—highlighting the growing importance of partner ecosystems, authentic brand voices, and contextual credibility in achieving visibility. With machine‑led systems increasingly shaping discovery, he argues that brands must shift from purely keyword/link‑driven tactics to building trusted networks, meaningful human content, and collaborative platforms that align with AI’s new ranking criteria.
Workday VNDLY Is Defining the Future of Total Workforce Management
Workday is redefining the vendor management system (VMS) category with VNDLY, transforming it into an AI-enabled “control plane” that orchestrates human, contingent, and digital workforces. Highlighted at its recent town hall, VNDLY now serves as the central brain for enterprise HR systems, integrating agentic AI through the launch of the Agent System of Record (ASOR). By combining Contingent Sourcing (HiredScore), Document Intelligence (Evisort), and an AI-powered assistant, Workday enables intelligent orchestration across HR, procurement, and finance. This evolution aligns with the broader HR tech trend of total workforce management, positioning VNDLY as a next-generation platform that bridges people, processes, and AI-driven work.
AT&T’s Market-Based Culture Shift and What It Reveals About the Future of Work – Part 1 of 2
AT&T CEO John Stankey’s recent memo signals a bold cultural shift from a traditional, tenure-based organization to a market-driven, performance-oriented model. Emphasizing capability, contribution, and commitment over loyalty and seniority, the memo lays out expectations for in-office work, measurable results, and alignment with company priorities. While this market-based approach can drive accountability, innovation, and competitiveness, it also carries risks of burnout, disengagement, and diminished trust. Stankey’s message serves as a rare, transparent example of a legacy corporation explicitly redefining its culture, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of balancing performance with employee experience.
AT&T’s Market-Based Culture Shift and What It Reveals About the Future of Work – Part 2 of 2
This article analyzes AT&T’s shift toward a market-based culture under CEO John Stankey, emphasizing competition, accountability, and performance metrics, and examines its implications for the modern job market, HR leaders, and performance management. It contrasts AT&T’s approach with contemporary workforce expectations for flexibility, purpose, and transparency, highlighting potential tensions around return-to-office mandates, employee engagement, and talent retention. The piece raises questions about HR’s role in shaping this strategy and explores how technology platforms can support a balance between performance-driven culture and employee empowerment, ultimately cautioning that prioritizing short-term metrics over engagement may limit innovation and long-term success.
We are thrilled to announce that 3Sixty Insights has been recognized alongside our own Nicholas Biron, Dylan Teggart, Nicole Roberts, Mark Feffer, and Geoff Webb as part of the esteemed Fama’s Favorite Influencers in Q3 2024! This honor underscores our commitment to providing actionable insights and research that shape the future of HR and talent acquisition.
3Sixty Insights is proud to share that our very own Dylan Teggart has been named to Engagedly’s 2025 Top 100 HR Influencers list in the category of People Analytics & Workforce Strategy! We’re thrilled to see Dylan’s impactful research and insights recognized among such an impressive group of HR leaders.
eightfold.ai Article: Why Only 1 in 5 HR Leaders Has a Say in Their Company’s AI Strategy
The Eightfold AI blog highlights a critical gap in AI strategy: while 91% of executives recognize that having the right talent is essential for AI success, only 21% report that HR leaders are closely involved in shaping their organization’s AI initiatives. This aligns with findings from 3Sixty Insights research, which emphasizes that effective HR transformation and technology adoption require strong leadership involvement and executive sponsorship. Just as 3Sixty Insights underscores that change efforts often fail without HR alignment and strategic oversight, the Eightfold study shows that without active participation from HR, organizations risk misaligning talent initiatives with AI-driven business goals.
theHRDIRECTOR: Lessons from HR Tech 2025 – How vendors can stand out in a crowded market
The article explores key lessons from HR Tech 2025, emphasizing how vendors can stand out in an increasingly crowded and noisy market. While technological innovation is advancing rapidly, many providers struggle to differentiate themselves due to generic messaging and overuse of buzzwords. True differentiation, the author argues, lies not in features alone but in storytelling that clearly articulates real business problems, buyer personas, and measurable outcomes. By shifting from promotion to education—helping HR leaders navigate challenges, build internal consensus, and demonstrate value—vendors can earn trust and position themselves as strategic partners rather than just another tool.
theHRDIRECTOR: Is HR Tech in its “It’s Toasted” Era?
In this sharp and timely piece, Dylan Teggart unpacks the hype surrounding “agentic” AI at the 2025 HR Technology Conference and argues that vendors are falling into a sameness trap—pitching interchangeable features without bold differentiation
theHRDIRECTOR: Key takeaways from this year’s HR technology conference
In this reflective piece, Nicole Roberts shares her experience attending HR Technology Conference for the first time as an analyst rather than a practitioner.
Council Guest Post: HR Transformation – Developing Talent and Skills for the Future
In this Council Guest Post, Aman Kau-Shaik explores how organizations can prepare their workforce for the future through strategic HR transformation. By understanding emerging trends such as automation, digital transformation, remote work, and the growing gig economy, leaders can identify skill gaps and foster continuous learning across their organizations. The post emphasizes the importance of creating a culture of innovation and adaptability—supported by strong, visionary leadership—to empower employees, promote collaboration, and ensure long-term resilience in an ever-changing world of work.
Council Guest Post: When Early-Stage Companies Should Actually Use AI (It’s Rarer Than You Think)
This post explores when early-stage companies should actually adopt AI, emphasizing that it’s far rarer than the hype suggests. The author argues that AI should only be used if it’s central to your value proposition or if a real operational constraint threatens your ability to compete—otherwise, it’s often an expensive distraction. Practical examples include supply chain and healthcare operations, where AI can be transformative only after simpler solutions are exhausted and sufficient data exists. The piece provides a structured framework for evaluating operational AI, highlighting the importance of focusing on core business execution rather than chasing “sexy” tech for its own sake.
Council Guest Post: HR Transformation – Data-Driven HR Decisions
This 3Sixty Insights Council Guest Post explores how organizations can transform HR through a data-driven approach. It emphasizes the importance of using analytics to inform decisions across talent acquisition, performance management, employee engagement, learning, and workforce planning. The article highlights key components—data collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and decision-making—while addressing challenges such as data privacy, quality, and organizational change. By adopting data-driven HR strategies, organizations can make more informed decisions, enhance employee experiences, and drive sustainable business growth.
Council Guest Post: The Workplace AI Trap – When “Productivity Tools” Actually Make Work Harder
This 3Sixty Insights Council Guest Post, The Workplace AI Trap: When “Productivity Tools” Actually Make Work Harder, challenges the assumption that adding AI to workplace processes automatically drives productivity. Instead, it warns against “productivity theater,” where sophisticated tools distract from solving real workflow problems employees face. The article outlines a practical framework for evaluating AI initiatives—starting with identifying genuine work constraints, exhausting simple solutions first, and weighing complexity costs—before deciding whether AI is truly needed. The takeaway: workplace AI should only be deployed when it meaningfully removes barriers to employee effectiveness and competitiveness, not just to appear innovative.
Recent Podcast and Videos:
GTM Innovators: The GEO Playbook – How Partner Marketing Fuels AI Discoverability with Michael Cole
In this episode of GTM Innovators, host Kyle James sits down with Michael Cole, SVP of Marketing at Everflow, to explore how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is redefining the rules of search and discoverability.
Guest Podcast: Up Next @ Work, Episode 5 with Dylan Teggart of 3Sixty Insights
In this episode, Up Next @ Work host Kate Achille sits down with Dylan Teggart, Principal Analyst at 3Sixty Insights, to discuss the state of the employee experience in 2024. Taking a socio-political lens to what’s most often seen as an HR issue, Kate and Dylan consider what factors most influence engagement rates in today’s workplaces and what employers can do to understand and improve the connection to their workforce. This conversation also serves as a preview of Dylan’s forthcoming research on building the employee experience from a workforce management perspective.
In this video, 3Sixty Insights Principal Analyst Dylan Taggart shares key findings from our research note, “Risk to Retention: Background Screening as Strategy.” Discover how modern background screening is evolving from a compliance task into a strategic tool that shapes candidate experience, organizational trust, safety culture, and talent retentio
Video: Nicholas Biron on Software Demos – Why Sales Engagement Beats Features
In this video, Nick Biron from 3Sixty Insights explains that features and functionality are no longer the main differentiators in software purchases. What really drives decisions is how sales teams engage, listen, and respond to customer needs. He highlights the pitfalls of long, feature-heavy demos that do not interact with the audience and recommends consultative, interactive demos that focus on the customer’s challenges, gather feedback throughout, and clearly show what sets the platform apart.