Let's cut to the chase, okay? Pumpkin ales are the shit. So while everyone is freaking out about fall colors, carving gourds, and Halloween, I'm just going to sit here and drink my Pyramid Pumpkin Ale and enjoy my night. I'll admit it, too: I'm a simple man with simple tastes but I do love the harvest season.

What does this have to do with the Carnival of HR? Not much. Except for the fact I'm drinking a pumpkin ale right now and it's put me in a festive mood to share with you some of the top posts of the autumnal variety. Let's begin, shall we?

Will HR Tech in the SMB Market Help HR Get Down to The Business Of Getting Work Done?

Every year, I receive between 100 and 200 briefings from HR technology vendors. The most concentrated dose takes place at the annual HR Technology® Conference & Exposition. The event brings me face to face with hundreds of HR tech vendors and a large number of their customers. Over the course of three-and-a-half days, I take dozens of formal briefings. There are even more serious conversations “around” the event as I network through the largest single annual gathering of HR technologists at one time.

[ Updated: Oct. 15, 2014 at 11:45 a.m. ]

In the aftermath of the 2014 HR Technology^® Conference & Exposition, the industry has a lot to be excited about. Enterprise technology developers seem to be catching up after years of being beat up as laggards behind innovators in consumer technology. User interfaces are getting better. You’re seeing more technologies incorporate algorithms that connect people and information faster — whether you’re talking about predictive analytics or recommendation engines that function much like Amazon or Netflix. Also, the arrival of learning and development at the center of the talent stack is clear. Expect to see more L&D technologies at the show in future years.

There are plenty of breakdowns on the exciting new technology developments at this year’s show. However, three things went unsaid that I think are worth highlighting: