Join Me for the Talent Connect Livestream this Week

As all little kids do, I dreamt of what I would be when I grew up. I imagined I’d be a singer, a dancer, and an actress, who also held the title of Miss America. Obviously, none of them involved working in the HR and talent industry as a marketing agency owner, but I digress. As you can tell, most of my dreams centered around being in front of a camera, generally looking glamorous.

So when I was offered to host the worldwide livestream for Talent Connect in Las Vegas, I was thrilled! Be in front of a camera and rub shoulders with professional icons? Yes, please! Plus, I’m a LinkedIn supernerd and a past Talent Connect attendee, so this is a huge fangirl moment.

Talent Connect is more than just a conference – it’s where you can learn from some of the most innovative talent leaders in the world, and understand how to use the tools better than ever before. This year, the lineup is so impressive, which makes me even more excited to share the experience and highlights on the livestream.

The stream is free to watch, so you’ll only need a cup of coffee, your wifi connection, and obviously a screengrab tool for when a clumsy person falls in their heels (if you don’t believe me, take another look at the video above).

Starting October 6th, here is what I am most psyched to show you on the livestream…

Inspiring keynotes from Sir Richard Branson, Jeff Weiner, GE Digital, and more

Again, this is one power-packed lineup of keynotes and fireside chats. Of course, we’re all eager to hear Sir Richard Branson share his thoughts on the importance of company culture and the impact talent has on any organization. Preach, Sir Richard! Culture fit has occasionally gotten flack, but anyone involved in hiring knows it’s a big piece of the retention and engagement puzzle.

LinkedIn’s CEO Jeff Weiner will also take the stage in a fireside chat discussing the widening skills gap, digital industrial revolution, and rise of machine learning. Look at a mere 5 years ago, and it’s no secret that the way we ALL work is changing. Personally, I’m thrilled to learn from Jeff and see how this affects the HR and talent industry.

From a voice of our industry perspective, GE Digital’s VP of Talent Acquisition, Amber Grewal, will share how her recruiting team grew the company from 50 to 30,000 employees with a new brand identity, attractive EVP, and super efficient recruiting model. Trust me, she can teach me (and you) a thing or two about how to hire well AND fast.

Exclusive speaker interviews with fun, and probing questions

One great thing about being the livestream host is snagging exclusive interviews with keynote speakers, just for livestream viewers! While I’m super nervous to interview Sir Richard Branson immediately after his fireside chat, I’m thinking of all the important questions to ask him. For example, “Are hot air balloons overrated?” Ok seriously, I’m probably going to ask him about how he has managed transcending so many different industries and what impact the talent of his team (and his ability to suss out that talent) has had on his success.

Another person I get to steal post-stage is Eddie Vivas, Head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions Product. After his keynote on the latest product innovations, I’ll get more details on where the product is going and how it will impact passive recruiting. I’ll also sit down with LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner – what an honor! Since he’ll be talking about the skills gap in his keynote, it’s important for recruiters to know how they can play a more active role in closing this divide. I’ll ask him for his advice, and more on the economic trends and the widening skills gap.

Outside of these VIPs, I’ll bring a few of the Talent Connect attendees onto the stream to share their big takeaways from the conference. Have a question you’d like me to ask anyone on the livestream? Tweet me with #TalentConnect.

Keep reading the rest of the post on the LinkedIn Talent Blog…

Maren Hogan

Maren Hogan is CEO of Red Branch and general Bad@$$

Maren Hogan is a seasoned marketer and community builder in the HR and Recruiting industry. Maren started Red Branch Media and, before she hired all the smiling faces you see below, she ran it on her own. In marketing for over 15 years, she has deep experience in strategic campaigns and a long-term, results-based operational approach.