How Leading HR Tech Marketers Are Moving Beyond Outdated Personas

“VP of People, 35–50, Tech-Savvy, Change-Oriented” — Sound Familiar?

Open almost any HR tech content brief today, and you’ll find a neatly packaged persona: a VP of People, tech-savvy, regularly reads Harvard Business Review, deeply cares about “innovation” and “employee experience,” and somehow makes significant buying decisions after casually reading a gated whitepaper.

Here's the catch: this persona doesn’t exist

Real HR and people leaders are far more nuanced, dynamic, and driven by shifting business priorities than a simplistic, static profile suggests. McKinsey’s 2025 insights affirm that decision-makers are grappling with a rapidly evolving hybrid-work landscape, often juggling multiple strategic imperatives simultaneously, from retention and engagement to AI integration and workforce analytics.

Why Forward-Thinking Marketers Are Evolving Beyond Personas 

Personas were once helpful for simplifying audience targeting. But the most successful HR tech marketing teams today are evolving past static templates toward more responsive, behavior-informed strategies. Here's why:

1. Buyer Journeys Aren’t Linear

Real buying journeys rarely follow a straight path. Gartner (2024) highlights that 77% of B2B buying journeys involve complex, looping processes, with buyers frequently revisiting previous steps before finalizing decisions.

2. HR Roles Are More Diverse Than Ever

HR leaders are diverse in their priorities and responsibilities. Gartner’s 2025 report revealed that HR executives are prioritizing topics from AI-driven recruitment to advanced performance analytics, manager enablement, DE&I initiatives, and compliance with hybrid-work policies—all simultaneously.

3. Multiple Stakeholders Shape Decisions 

Rarely is the buyer in HR tech a solitary decision-maker. Forrester (2024) found that B2B buying groups now typically involve multiple stakeholders, including IT, finance, operations, and external consultants, each bringing unique perspectives.

4. Change Happens Fast

The pace of change in today’s AI-enabled, post-pandemic world is swift. Annual persona updates are inadequate, as strategic workforce planning priorities shift frequently due to rapid market and technological changes.

What Progressive HR Tech Marketers Are Doing Instead

Forward-looking HR tech marketing teams are adopting behavior-based, rather than persona-based, strategies. Here’s their playbook:

1. Anchor in Real-Time Data, Not Fictional Avatars

Instead of fictional attributes, rely on current engagement data, intent signals, and topical interests. McKinsey (2025) highlights AI-driven employee experience optimization and significant engagement spikes around manager enablement and mental health initiatives as current areas of strategic interest.

2. Map the Entire Buying Ecosystem

Instead of addressing a singular persona, marketers should craft nuanced content addressing the varied priorities of an entire buying committee:

• CHRO (strategy, budget, workforce vision)
• Head of L&D (adoption, integration)
• IT Leader (data security, system compatibility)
• CFO (financial ROI, cost-benefit analysis)

Content addressing diverse committee concerns significantly accelerates internal buy-in.

3. Focus on Solving Real Problems

Content should target tangible organizational challenges. B2B buyers overwhelmingly prefer brands offering personalized, problem-solving content and are quick to switch providers if communications do not address specific, real-world challenges.

4. Leverage Media Signals for Format and Timing

Observing real engagement patterns dramatically improves content effectiveness. Senior executives are increasingly consuming B2B content on weekends, suggesting tailored weekend content can enhance resonance and attention.

📊 Case Study: Transactional Personas to Performance-Driven Strategy

One Gartner client—a mid-sized IT services firm, shifted from static persona-building to a comprehensive, behavior‑informed HR tech strategy. With Gartner’s guidance, they redesigned their HR systems to better reflect real usage patterns, engagement data, and key stakeholder needs across HR, IT, finance, and operations.

Outcomes achieved:

$500,000 in annual recruitment cost savings

Staff turnover dropped from 38% to 15%

This case demonstrates that real, measurable impact comes not from idealized personas, but from aligning technology and content strategy with actual behavior, stakeholder roles, and business pain points.

The Future of HR Tech Marketing 🧠

While personas once provided useful simplicity, they no longer suffice in the sophisticated HR tech landscape of today. Leading platforms like HRD Connect have demonstrated how signal-driven, problem-solving content—rooted in real audience behavior—can elevate marketing performance across the funnel. As a trusted voice in the HR space, HRD Connect continues to shape how brands connect meaningfully with HR leaders navigating constant change.

To genuinely resonate with today’s dynamic HR buyers, your content must:

Reflect actual buyer behaviors and interests

Address clearly identified organizational challenges

Be supported by data-driven storytelling

Align with optimal timing and engagement formats

The bottom line?

The best-performing content isn't designed for fictional personas—it’s crafted for real individuals solving real problems in a rapidly evolving workplace.