The Pathfinder Awards
Celebrating the organizations and individuals driving transformational change in HR and redefining the talent experience.
What is a Pathfinder?
Visionaries in HR, Pathfinders are charting new ways forward in work to deliver extraordinary outcomes that benefit everyone: HR, the workforce, and the business.
The Awards
The Eightfold Pathfinder Awards celebrate the organizations and individuals driving transformational change in HR and redefining the talent experience through the use of talent intelligence, AI, and other innovations.
Pathfinder Award – Talent Acquisition (2 regional winners)
Celebrating excellence in talent acquisition
This award honors organizations achieving exceptional results in hiring top talent through innovative strategies, advanced technology, and practices that exceed traditional recruitment models and drive organizational success.
Key criteria for this category include: ↓
- Impact-driven results: Measurable outcomes such as improved efficiency, enhanced workforce experience, and organizational effectiveness.
- Effective use of core capabilities within the Eightfold Talent Acquisition product, including CRM, sourcing, events and campaigns, etc.
- Enhanced candidate experience and engagement throughout the hiring journey.
- Streamlined, efficient processes that reduce time-to-hire and improve quality of hire.
- Collaboration between recruitment, HR, and business leaders to align talent strategy with company objectives.
- Unique or innovative approaches to using Eightfold Talent Acquisition.
Pathfinder Award – Talent Management (2 regional winners)
Celebrating excellence in talent management
This award celebrates organizations excelling in strategic talent management, fostering growth, empowering employees, and building a future-ready workforce through continuous development, leadership cultivation, and workforce alignment with business goals.
Key criteria for this category include: ↓
- Impact-driven results: Measurable outcomes such as improved efficiency, enhanced workforce experience, and organizational effectiveness.
- Effective use of core capabilities within the Eightfold Talent Management product, including performance management, succession planning, workforce planning, career navigator, projects, etc.
- Strategies for employee engagement, retention, and career progression.
- Alignment of talent management initiatives with company culture and values.
- Unique or innovative approaches to using Eightfold Talent Management.
Pathfinder Award – Talent Intelligence (1 global winner)
Celebrating overall HR transformation
This award honors organizations driving HR transformation through skills-based strategies and innovative use of talent intelligence. It recognizes organizations that not only meet their immediate hiring needs but also build long-term workforce management, engagement, and retention strategies to build a future-ready workforce and achieve business success.
Key criteria for this category include: ↓
- Impact-driven results: Measurable outcomes such as improved efficiency, enhanced workforce experience, and organizational effectiveness.
- Talent intelligence excellence: Demonstration of AI’s role in optimizing talent acquisition, retention, and development.
- Data-driven workforce planning: Innovative use of analytics to create smarter, predictive workforce strategies.
- Skills-based innovation: Integration of skills-driven practices into talent management processes.
- Business growth enablement: Evidence of smarter talent decisions driving business success.
- Innovation with Eightfold: Creative applications of the Eightfold Talent Intelligence Platform to achieve transformational outcomes.
Pathfinder of the Year (individual award, 1 global winner)
Celebrating the HR visionaries
This award celebrates the visionaries who drive transformative initiatives and innovative talent strategies, prioritize people and skills, demonstrate forward-thinking leadership that drives impactful workforce outcomes, and inspire the HR community through thought leadership.
Key criteria for this category include: ↓
- Impact-driven results: Measurable outcomes such as improved efficiency, enhanced workforce experience, and organizational effectiveness.
- Talent Intelligence excellence: Demonstration of AIs role in optimizing talent acquisition, retention, and development.
- Data-driven workforce planning: Innovative use of analytics to create smarter, predictive workforce strategies.
- Skills-based innovation: Integration of skills-driven practices into talent management processes.
- Business growth enablement: Evidence of smarter talent decisions driving business success.
- Innovation with Eightfold: Creative applications of the Eightfold Talent Intelligence Platform to achieve transformational outcomes.
Submit your entry
Submit your story to be considered for the 2025 Pathfinder Awards. For questions and entry requirements, see more details below.
Recognition
Finalists and winners will be recognized at Cultivate ‘25. Winners will receive a Pathfinder Award trophy, finalists will receive a Pathfinder Awards plaque.
Brand exposure
PR, media, social, customer stories, and future thought leadership opportunities.
VIP perks
VIP seating at Cultivate '25 and other exclusive rewards.
Charitable donation
Winners will receive a $2,000 USD donation to a charity of their choice.
Timeline
February 3, 2025
Submissions open
March 14, 2025
Submissions close
April 14, 2025
Finalists announced
NA: May 14-15, 2025
EU: June 10, 2025
Winners announced and celebrated at Eightfold Talent Summit: Cultivate '25
Eligibility and criteria
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Pathfinder Award, nominees must:
- Be a current Eightfold customer with a live Eightfold instance.
- Have a compelling story with measurable outcomes.
- Agree to be mentioned in a press release announcing the winners.
- Agree to share their story publicly in a customer story.
Criteria and judging
The Talent Acquisition and Talent Management awards are awarded regionally at both Cultivate NA and EU.
- Three finalists will be announced in these two categories for each Cultivate NA and EU.
- One winner will be selected from the finalists in these two categories for each Cultivate NA and EU.
The Talent Intelligence and Pathfinder of the Year are global awards.
- Three finalists will be announced in each of these categories.
- One winner will be selected from the finalists in each of these categories.
Submissions will be judged by a panel of Eightfold stakeholders using the following criteria. See specific key criteria for each category in The Awards section.
- Innovative approach: Compelling use case, innovation, transformation.
- Impact: Solved a business challenge, made a significant impact on the business and/or talent experience.
- Success: A demonstrated success that is quantified with outcomes.
Questions
Have a question? Please refer to the FAQs or contact awards@eightfold.ai
Cultivate
Cultivate is our premier annual event for talent professionals ready to transform their organizations with today’s top HR practices and latest technologies.
Join us May 14-15 and discover your path forward to making your HR goals a reality.
Be part of a vibrant community of peers to learn, share insights, and elevate your expertise.
