When HR and Talent leaders arrive in Nashville for RecFest USA on September 23–24, AI will inevitably be one of the biggest topics of conversation.

That is hardly surprising. AI is already changing sourcing, screening, scheduling, candidate communications and recruiting analytics. RecFest itself is taking a practical approach, with its AI Idea Swap focused on getting beyond the hype and identifying where automation actually delivers value.

But there is a bigger question worth discussing.

With RecFest USA bringing thousands of HR, Talent Acquisition and People professionals to Nashville on September 23–24, there is an important conversation taking place about the evolving role of HR and Talent in the business.

The role of HR has changed considerably.

What was once largely an administrative function has evolved into a strategic business discipline encompassing talent, workforce planning, organizational capability and business performance

Every growing company eventually reaches a point where adding more people no longer solves the problem.

At first, growth feels straightforward. Win more business, hire more people, add another facility, launch another product. The assumption is that if headcount keeps pace with demand, the business will continue to scale.

For a while, that's exactly what happens.

Then something changes.