HR Technology and Innovation
I believe we are sitting squarely at a cross roads for the industry that is HR. We, the collective thought leaders, idea generators, and technology developers have been needed more than ever before. The processes in which we as an industry have relied up are broken and many of our HR peers are ill-equipped to handle the increased responsibilities, even begin to understand the new technologies, or speak to the benefit and strategic nature of our industry, our role, and what it is we do.
And yet innovation in our industry is everywhere. Technologies, ideas, and tools are being developed, crafted, and designed right in front of our very eyes, and still most of our peers eyes are closed or at the very least looking the other way. This fact fuels me, drives me, and keeps this blog and my rigorous work schedule going. Because together, those of us collectively who are in the thick of things either designing the HR technology, training our current and future HR pros, or generating discussion on the topic of HR Innovation whether its through radio shows like Crystal Miller and Matt Charney’s Talent Net Live Focus Roundtable, John Sumser’s HR Examiner, or conferences like the upcoming HRO Today’s Forum and iTalent competition, these are necessary steps to continue to drive the change our industry needs to be a success.
HR’s Strategic Role in Business Success & Failure
I believe it is our role as emerging HR leaders and innovators to introduce the ideas and help facilitate the discussion. Right or wrong it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it needs to be discussed. We live in an industry where new interfaces in mobile technology are being designed making hiring employees faster and more efficient. We live in a time where social media at work is still wading in murky legal waters so it is up to us to introduce the topics and help move the discussion.
You might expect me to go into the discussion in detail related to topics such as saas and cloud based HR technologies, HR & big data’s role in the future of our industry, or how mobile ATS and HR tech is going to change the way we live and work. That’s not what this post is about today. It’s about helping our leaders whether they are CEO’s or our peers in the space realize that people are what make the innovation happen, and the people are what human resources and your organization are all about.
Technology has afforded me great opportunities in which to do this with the Internet and WordPress being the reason this blog is even here today. Without innovation, crowd sourcing, networks, and good old fashion competition, there would be nothing. Simply nothing but a paper application and a room full of metal filing storage boxes, and that is not the type of HR where innovation happens. That is also not the HR where I am meant or even desire to be.
I’m excited to be a judge at the upcoming iTalent competition during HRO Today’s Forum in Washington, DC May 1-2. Consider joining me as I help shape the future of HR and be where the innovation happens as it happens.