It's an incredibly exciting time to be in the HR and benefits space. New regulatory requirements have added layers of complexity to an already complex field, new technologies continue to spring up and we are facing fundamental shifts in what consumers expect from a benefits and HR experience.

At Eclipse 2016, I was lucky enough to sit down with a panel of health care experts, technology gurus, and HR and benefits leaders to talk about these and other trends that are shaping our industry and impacting the way benefits and human capital management tools are bought, sold, and managed.

I was joined on the panel by Jamie Hawkins, president and CEO of Benefit Technology Resources; Brad Mandacina, assistant vice president at Lockton; Steve Smith, partner and chief of intelligence unit at The Starr Conspiracy; and Mark Stelzner, founder and managing principal at IA HR. Here are some of the takeaways from the discussion: