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HR Tech as High Art and Deep Science

(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

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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

Building a World-Class Workforce #TChat Preview + Video

(Editorial Note: Want to read the RECAP of this week’s #TChat events? See “HR: What Are You Waiting For?)

Change. We all feel it. It’s become a relentless business reality — and the pace just continues to accelerate.

Now, however, the structure of work itself is changing. This means HR processes and programs are also shifting in fundamental ways.

The evidence is all around us. HR organizations are becoming flatter, more flexible and more agile — as we discussed several weeks ago when exploring “Talent in the Cloud.” And increasingly, talent strategies are driven by insights from relevant research and data analysis.

What does this suggest for the next chapter on the human resources management front? What issues and opportunities should be foremost on HR practitioners’ minds?

These are the questions that the HRO Today Forum will tackle in Philadelphia, April 30-May 2. And that’s what we’ll also discuss throughout the coming week in the TalentCulture community.

#TChat Sneak Peek Video

Leading the #TChat conversation this week is HR trendspotter, Elliot Clark, CEO & Chairman of SharedXpertise, creator of the HRO Today Forum and publisher of HRO Today and other specialized publications for business professionals.

I spoke with Elliot in a Google+ Hangout, to learn what is foremost on his mind, and what’s on the agenda for the HRO Today conference. Interestingly, there are ties to last week’s #TChat focus on the generational stereotypes in today’s workplace. Watch the video now:

#TChat Events: Building a World-Class Workforce

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Tune into #TChat Radio – Live on Tuesday or on-demand after

Join us this week, as our TalentCulture community examines what it means to create and sustain a world-class workforce:

#TChat Radio — Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30pmET / 4:30pmPT  Elliot joins hosts Kevin W. Grossman and Meghan M. Biro to tackle key issues facing today’s HR practitioners, and how data is increasingly being used to shape talent planning, acquisition and management.

#TChat Twitter – Wednesday,  April 17 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT  Everyone is welcome to join our open, online Twitter forum, as talent-minded professionals exchange ideas in real-time about these key questions:

Q1:  What are the primary elements of today’s world-class workforce? Why?
Q2:  Can gamification really help us recruit, engage and retain employees? Why/why not?
Q3:  The contingent workforce continues to grow; how can companies truly integrate with FT employment?
Q4:  Why are manager and employee self-service technologies so important to the enterprise?
Q5:  Will mobile workforce communication/collaboration circumvent other forms? Why/why not?

Throughout the week, we’ll keep the discussion going on the #TChat Twitter feed and on our new LinkedIn Discussion Group. So please join us share your questions, ideas and opinions.

We’ll see you on the stream!