UNLEASH: My First HR Conference Gamble

1. Conference Culture Shock

The contrast with my years of real estate and technology conferences was striking. There were mascots, themed booths, costumes, and games. It was decidedly more festive than the polished restraint of real estate events.

But the difference wasn't only aesthetic; it reflected deeper organizational priorities. The HR realm embraces energy and engagement that might feel out of place in the more asset-focused world of real estate…even at design-oriented workplace events. Yet both are essential stakeholders (alongside IT) in creating cohesive employee experiences.

When these worlds operate without understanding each other's languages, metrics, and norms, employee experience suffers. The playfulness at HR conferences signals an emphasis on human connection that real estate teams need, while HR is still learning about the influence of the built environment on business and culture.

2. Sneaky Serendipity and Sensors

On my departing flight to UNLEASH, I ​posted​ about my trip and quickly learned that ServiceNow and Microsoft were both hosting conferences in Las Vegas at the same time. This happy accident created a fascinating toggle between people and place perspectives as I bounced between meetings with attendees from all three events, plus another workplace workplace technology CEO friend who was there for a short holiday.

In the future, my personal AI copilot will make this connection for me in advance, but the photo above was only made possible through manual posting, direct outreach, and group texts.

I saw a more intelligent future when the ServiceNow Workplace Service Delivery (WSD) team—with whom I have ​a history​—showed me how they had wired their event meeting area with sensors and kiosks showing live meeting information that would typically be used in an office.

WSD GM ​Scott Fuller​ told me that the setup wowed executives, and the event management team was thrilled about extra interaction data. At UNLEASH, by contrast, a QR code on my badge was episodically scanned to report on session-level attendance.

The WSD installation supported my long-held ​belief​ that offices will become more like event centers. Can you imagine how powerful it would be to have a Vegas-caliber facilities team reconfiguring a floor in your office based on real utilization and desired business outcomes?

Today, the tools for facilitating these moments (physically and digitally) are partially available, but siloes and politics still get in the way.

Which brings me to my next point.

3. The HR/RE Data Divide

HR has abundant people data (they must know who to pay), while real estate teams struggle to implement systems tracking how spaces are used. And cross-functional data is required to implement novel metrics, like ​Atlassian's cost-per visit​.

In a conversation with Workday representatives, I learned how few HR teams integrate evolving mobility patterns into talent metrics. I also saw a "two-app problem " where workplace experience is isolated from employee experience. A pair of workplace app vendors didn’t get much attention, whereas the employee experience booths seemed busy.

But we all know that employees do not see a difference.

When faced with engagement and attrition issues, many HR leaders may still look first to social, recognition, and feedback digital platforms instead of considering the impact of workplace design and activation.

The opportunity to bridge this divide is huge, yet surprisingly overlooked.

4. Feeling Love for Frontline Workers

UNLEASH showcased solutions for the often-forgotten ​frontline workforce​, such as retail associates and factory workers who can't work remotely.

The employee value proposition challenges here differ dramatically from the knowledge workers: high-velocity hiring, incremental skill growth (sometimes for single dollar-per-hour increases), and recognition systems designed for people without company email addresses.

One field service leader described plans to use augmented reality to create advancement pathways for store clerks into POS technicians, addressing frontline retention while acknowledging physical workplace constraints.

As I have ​written before​, frontline experience needs more attention. Unfortunately, it’s rarely discussed at real estate conferences where knowledge worker offices dominate the conversation.

5. No Sign of the "Future of Work"

Surprisingly, explicit 'future of work' terminology was nearly absent at UNLEASH despite AI wallpapering the expo floor and multiple sessions.

I appreciated seeing some discussions about increased use of contingent and freelance workers, but a medical device company talent leader said accounting policies still influence ​bad behaviors​.

Hybrid and remote work was also not being discussed actively at booths or main stage presentations. Still, one invite-only return-to-office session demonstrated how very real the challenge is for HR leaders. They clearly feel ownership of the policies, but seem to lack understanding of built environment considerations or impact on employees’ preferences.

Not for nothing, the speaker for that session was a tenured HR leader but not a workplace strategist. Another downside of homogeneous conference attendees is a lower likelihood of talks from outside experts.

He even quoted the McKinsey research I helped create. 🤦‍♂️

Behavioral Change Challenges

Moving between conference reaffirmed that our workplace challenges are primarily behavioral and organizational, not technical.

Microsoft CHRO ​Amy Coleman​ described shifting "from change management to change readiness," treating workplace evolution more like crisis response to enable faster, more risk-tolerant operations.

The power of “what’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) is also still strong, and explains a lot about ​resistance to changes​.

For example, a tech company HR leader told me that one of the highest demands from their employees related to HR’s new AI capabilities was more detailed explanations of the various lines on their pay stubs.

To accelerate change, we'll need to evolve "organizational effectiveness" discipline beyond boxes and lines and into better ​ways of working​.

Breaking Through Filter Bubbles

Until centralized “Chief of Work” roles are normalized, we must learn to overcome organizational siloes and improve collaboration on a holistic ​“North Star” vision​ for modern work experiences.

My challenge to you is simple: crash someone else's party. Attend a conference for an adjacent discipline but outside your comfort zone. Prepare by researching industry terminology, but enter with genuine curiosity, take copious notes, and report back to your teams.

It also helps to engineer serendipity. Greg Lindsay ​wrote​ years ago about wanting “an app that could tell [him] what to say to the person headed toward [him]”—technology that still doesn't truly exist. Until then, simply posting about your travels can establish valuable connections.

Because the future of work isn't being built within our professional echo chambers, it's taking shape in the spaces where our disciplines collide.

Which industry conference could expand your workplace perspective? I'm happy to help you navigate unfamiliar professional territory and step outside your comfort zones.

-​Phil​