HR technology research HR leaders actually use
Independent intelligence on the HR tech market — trusted by HR leaders, vendors, and investors from SMB to enterprise. Start with a free 8-question diagnostic and get a full report you can share with your team.
HR Tech Buying Diagnostic
Which Workforce Are You?
FEATURED · QUOTED · RECOGNIZED
Forbes · Inc. · SHRM · HR Executive · Entrepreneur · HR Tech Conference · Workhuman Live · Business News Daily · Kogan Page
One Firm. One Source of Truth.
Research grounded in reality.
Our work resonates with the market because it sits at the intersection of Research and Reality. Every research report we publish is grounded in what’s actually working for the HR teams Jumpstart HR serves every day.
HR Executive’s Top 100 HR Tech Influencer Joey V. Price built Jumpstart HR from a single-client consulting practice in 2011 into the team that today supports hundreds of growing companies across four continents. Front-line consulting feeds the research. The research sharpens the advisory. That’s the loop that makes our analysis different from firms that only watch the market from the outside.
Client & press recognition: Inc. Power Partner Award · Forbes Top 100 Employee Engagement Experts · HR Executive Top 100 HR Tech Influencers.
Latest HR Technology Trends & Research
From the Research Library
Independent, vendor-neutral research and category guides to help you evaluate new HR technology — swipe to explore, free to download.
Our frameworks
Two named models underpin everything we publish. Free to read, free to use, and built to be applied inside your own organization.
The buying processB.R.I.D.G.E.Six gates for buying HR technology — from naming the real problem to being honest about whether you can actually implement it. Each step tells you how to know it is done.Read the framework →
The hybrid workforceThe Five WorkforcesFive archetypes describing how deeply AI agents are woven into the work — from ungoverned free-for-all to fully autonomous. A map, not a ladder.Read the framework →Who We Serve
Three audiences. The same trusted voice.
Whether you’re building HR technology, investing in it, or buying it, we offer research and advisory engagements built for your decision.
01 — Vendors
For HR Tech Companies
Founders · CMOs · Product Marketing
Credible, practitioner-backed research that HR buyers actually trust — sponsored research that doesn’t read like a press release.
- Sponsored research & category reports
- Independent vendor assessments
- Co-branded thought leadership
- Analyst inquiry & advisory retainers
- Keynote & panel representation
02 — Investors
For PE & Venture
Operating Partners · Diligence Teams
Rapid HR tech landscape briefs and due diligence support for funds evaluating acquisitions, growth investments, or platform plays in human capital management.
- Market landscape briefs (7–14 day turnaround)
- Commercial & product due diligence
- Customer reference interviews
- Buyer demand & positioning analysis
- Post-close integration advisory
03 — Buyers
For HR Leaders & CHROs
Enterprise · Mid-Market · Growth-Stage
Buyer guides, market trend reports, and HR tech landscape analyses to help you evaluate vendors and build your technology strategy with confidence.
- HR tech buyer guides & shortlists
- RFP design & vendor evaluation support
- HCM stack assessments
- AI-in-HR readiness diagnostics
- Analyst inquiry access for CHROs
What We Cover
The HR technology stack — end to end.
Our coverage spans the categories shaping how work gets done, how people get hired, and how teams perform.
Core HR
HRIS & HCM Platforms
Enterprise platforms through SMB suites and modern point solutions.
Talent
Recruiting & ATS
Sourcing, applicant tracking, recruitment marketing, and candidate experience tooling.
AI & Automation
AI in HR
Agentic workflows, copilots, AI-assisted screening, and the governance frameworks underneath them.
Analytics
People Analytics
Workforce planning, listening platforms, skills intelligence, and the data layer that ties it together.
Performance
Performance & Engagement
Goals, feedback, surveys, and the continuous-performance category that replaced annual reviews.
Learning
Learning & Development
LMS, LXP, skills development, and the convergence with talent intelligence.
Total Rewards
Payroll, Benefits & Wellbeing
Modern payroll and benefits, global EOR, financial wellness, and mental-health platforms.
Compliance
HR Compliance & Regulatory
Global regulatory compliance, labor policy management, and the tools that keep HR compliant.
Jumpstart HR · Benchmark Series
Insights@Work
Our signature benchmark series — built by the analyst team that joined Jumpstart HR through the 2025 Aspect43 acquisition — spotlights the trends and data shaping next-generation HR Tech, TA Tech, and HCM platforms. Insights@Work is how the market learns what’s actually working, and what to do about it.
- Buyer sentiment & software adoption benchmarks
- Vendor landscape maps by category
- Practitioner-validated trend analysis
- Market gap commentary and forecasts
2026 Edition — coming soon.
Executive Analyst
“We built the Jumpstart HR research practice on one belief: the best HR tech guidance comes from people who’ve done the work — who’ve been the CHRO and advised the CHRO, and know firsthand what it takes to choose the tools that actually get used.”
Joey V. Price — CEO & Executive Analyst, Jumpstart HR
SHRM Top 30 Under 30 · Inc. Power Partner · HR Executive Top 100 · Forbes Top 100 Engagement Expert · Author, The Power of HR (Kogan Page, 2025)
Joey leads Jumpstart HR with nearly two decades of HR practitioner experience and direct advisory relationships with hundreds of HR leaders across four continents. His commentary has been featured in Forbes, Inc., SHRM, HR Executive, Entrepreneur, and Business News Daily, and he has presented at the HR Tech Conference, Workhuman Live, and the SHRM Annual Conference. As Executive Analyst, Joey leads the team behind Insights@Work — focused on HR software adoption, buyer sentiment, and the market gaps that guide smarter investments.
Ready to brief the Jumpstart HR Research desk?
Choose a 30- or 60-minute virtual briefing, or meet us in person at HR Tech 2026 in Las Vegas.
Book a research briefing →
For HR Tech Vendors
Free deck: Two Frameworks, One Story
See how HR buyers actually buy with B.R.I.D.G.E., and what workforce your customers are becoming with The Five Workforces — the frameworks our research team uses to guide vendor strategy.
Get the free deck →
Free guide for HR teams
Two Frameworks, One Story
Buy HR technology with more structure (B.R.I.D.G.E.) and read your organization's AI readiness (The Five Workforces) — a practical guide for HR practitioners.
Get the free guide →For HR technology companies
Work with Jumpstart HR Research
Sponsored and commissioned research, analyst advisory, product and market alignment, content marketing, and our frameworks applied to your go-to-market. Briefings stay free and separate.
Frequently asked questions
What HR leaders, vendors, and investors ask us most.
What is Jumpstart HR Research?
Who is the research for?
Is the research independent?
What makes Jumpstart HR Research unique?
What expertise stands behind the research?
What is the B.R.I.D.G.E.™ framework?
What are the Five Workforces™?
How do I work with the research team?
Bring us your hardest question about HR technology.
Whether you are buying, building, or backing HR tech, our analysts can help you cut through the noise.
Talk to the research team →