Research shows a clear link between digital maturity and HR's strategic influence — organizations with high maturity are twice as likely to have HR seen as strategic. Yet Nordic organizations score just 2.9 out of 5, and only 7% report advanced HR digitalization. The gap isn't willingness — it's exposure.

Anna Carlsson breaks down different types of events HR professionals should know about, from local conferences and international HR tech shows to community meetups and vendor events. She shares a three-horizon framework for choosing the right mix, explains the difference between paid and free events, and uses data from the Nordic HR Trends and Tech Report and Sapient Insights Group's 28th Annual HR Systems Survey to build a concrete business case for getting budget.

Anna Carlsson explores why frontline workers—those in retail, healthcare, transport, and more—are the next big opportunity for HR tech. In Sweden often called "Kollektivanställda" or "Bluecollar workers", but without a shared definition. She defines frontline roles, explains the Nordic gap in strategy and terminology, and highlights how mobile-first tools, AI-driven recruitment, and automated onboarding can deliver rapid returns.

Anna urges HR and IT to collaborate, make access a day-one decision, and prioritise frontline in digital strategies so organizations can move from manual processes to scalable, value-driving solutions.

"Why Must We Use AI? What's the Rush?" A question that deserves a real answer.

In this episode, Anna addresses a comment from her LinkedIn follower Lovisa who asked about the urgency behind AI. Is this about chasing AI trends, or is there something more fundamental happening?

We explore why many Nordic organisations still operate without basic HR systems, the connection between digital maturity and strategic influence, real ROI data showing tangible time savings and business improvement, and the paradox of AI training without proper governance.

This isn't about AI hype. It's about building the capability to govern technology before vendors and market forces decide for you.