(Editor’s Note: For full insights from this week’s events see High Tech or High Touch? #TChat Recap.)

If you’ve seen this week’s #TChat Preview, you know that I’m packing my Team TalentCulture bags and heading for Philadelphia to join the action at the HRO Today Forum — where I’ll again help judge the iTalent innovation showdown.

Although it’s a live show-and-tell competition among vendors, I don’t think of it as a smackdown. Instead, I think of it as a celebration. A very important celebration.

The Upside of Change

Why is this so important? And why now? Because the world of work is changing at a phenomenal rate — and there’s no going back. You can find evidence everywhere — and it’s exciting. Just think about it. Only a year ago, at the first iTalent competition, HR infrastructure was in a much different place.

Enterprise adoption of social business is no longer just a smart idea, but a requirement that is rapidly redefining organizational culture. This shift is spawning a whole new class of start-ups — ventures that are challenging the status quo across the HR technology space. The convergence of cloud computing, big data, mobile connectivity, collaboration tools and social channels is disrupting talent management processes at every level.

Some might feel threatened — but that kind of inertia is eroding fast.

There’s a new mantra in the networked organization — adopt and adapt. That means there is no wide-open, well-marked, straight-line path to the future. On the other hand, leaders can no longer afford to delay or deny. Agility is the keyword in a world of relentless change. Without it, organizations jeopardize the effectiveness of their workforce, the vibrancy of their corporate culture, and the competitive advantage that comes from a strong talent infrastructure.

This is today’s truth. The road ahead may be uncertain, but I’m on your side. So you might as well hear it from me.

HR as High Art and as Deep Science

Read the Forbes.com post now…

So with the future at stake, how do we get “there” from “here”?

As I noted in my Forbes column this week, technology, alone, is not enough.

HR (specifically talent management) is an art because, at it’s heart, it’s about people – in all their messy glory. It’s about hiring the right people, and then inspiring and enabling them to deliver stellar performance.

HR is a also science because there are ways to measure talent, skills and compatibility that can take some of the guesswork out of the process and dramatically increase the odds of success.

Imagine being able to recruit, hire, recognize, measure and reward stellar performance on a virtually continuous basis. Imagine a real-time feedback loop that allows leaders to gauge the pulse and productivity of their organizations from mobile devices and tablets. Imagine unsung workforce heroes receiving the recognition they so richly deserve.

All of that is already happening now, thanks to new HR technology — in the hands of smart talent-minded professionals. I’d say that’s reason to celebrate the art and the science that makes the “human” side of business so complex, so rich, and so rewarding.

And that’s why — no matter which vendor “wins” the iTalent competition — I am celebrating the fact HR innovation is leading us to a whole new future of work.

To look more closely at this topic, read my Forbes.com post:

HR Technology: A Revolution for the World of Work

(Editor’s Note: For full insights from this week’s events see High Tech or High Touch? #TChat Recap.)

Image Credit: Pixabay