Horizon 2025 recap: Smarter hiring, bolder innovation

At Horizon 2025, the future of hiring wasn’t just imagined—it was demonstrated.

Hirevue’s signature user conference returned with a bold vision: transform the hiring process from reactive to predictive, from transactional to agentic, and from resume-based to skills-first. With customers and thought leaders from companies like Goldman Sachs, PepsiCo, AT&T, and Spectrum, Horizon proved that when you combine science, strategy, and cutting-edge AI, the hiring experience can be radically better—for everyone.

Skill validation is the way forward

Every breakout session, product workshop, and mainstage talk at Horizon circled back to one undeniable fact: skill validation is the most predictive way to hire–especially in a world of generated resumes. 

Hirevue’s CEO, Jeremy Friedman, set the tone in his keynote by underscoring the urgency of measuring skills in an AI-saturated hiring market:

“In 2025 and beyond, there is no choice other than validating skills. We have to connect all of the information we have about a candidate and create a real picture of their ability to do the job, which requires focus.”

At the center of the event was the launch of two game-changing innovations: Talent Engagement with Match and Apply and Interview Insights:

Match and Apply: Hirevue’s team built its new Match and Apply agent by unifying the latest large language model technology with 20+ years of deep hiring insights. Designed for rapid deployment, the Match and Apply agent engages candidates in a natural dialogue that potential hires have come to expect as consumers. Instead of relying on keyword matching or scripted prompts, the agent adaptively considers a candidate for all relevant roles while personalizing the experience to ensure no missed opportunities. 

Interview Insights: The hiring process hinges on interviews, yet without the right tools, it can be the least structured and most error-prone component in the talent journey. Interview Insights changes that by leveraging skill-based highlights and AI-generated summaries so recruiters receive rapid clarity on candidate strengths. Interviewers receive coaching and structure to improve consistency, while talent leaders get visibility into interviewer behavior and effectiveness.

Generational truths talent leaders can’t ignore 

Jason Dorsey’s keynote brought much-needed clarity to the conversation at a time when generational stereotypes can derail strategic decision-making around skill shortages and the future of work. His keynote challenged surface-level assumptions and offered grounded data on how Gen Z and Millennials approach work.

Key takeaways for talent leaders:

• Generations aren’t guesses: Dorsey emphasized that generational differences are measurable and predictive—especially around technology use, communication preferences, and trust-building.
• Gen Z is radically different from Millennials: While Millennials came of age during economic expansion, Gen Z entered the workforce amid pandemic-driven uncertainty. As a result, Gen Z values stability, financial transparency, and in-person guidance far more than expected.
  
• Technology requires onboarding: Gen Z struggles with workplace tech adoption if onboarding and support fall short despite digital fluency. Simplicity and personalization matter.
  
• Trust is earned differently across generations: Gen X tends to default to skepticism, Millennials to collaboration, and Gen Z expects quick, straightforward feedback to build trust. Your leadership and communication styles should flex accordingly.
  
• Career paths must be visible and immediate: Especially for younger talent, waiting years to see growth opportunities isn’t acceptable. Leaders must make upward mobility visible and attainable—fast.
  

Dorsey’s data-backed approach reminds us that you’re already behind if you manage people like you were five years ago.

A future without resumes is near   

Horizon 2025 made it abundantly clear: the future of hiring belongs to those who embrace change, challenge assumptions, and center skills at every step of the journey. Hirevue is leading that charge. With new AI-powered solutions and a relentless focus on speed, scale, and quality, we’re helping organizations harness data for measurable improvements. The next chapter for hiring isn’t on the horizon—it’s already here.

Ready to center skills and help finally kill the resume? Schedule a demo today.