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    Entries in HR Tech (316)

    Thursday
    Nov052015

    HRE Column: A Golden Age for HR Tech

    Here is my semi-frequent reminder and pointer for blog readers that I also write a monthly column at Human Resource Executive Online called Inside HR Tech that can be found here.

    As usual, the Inside HR Tech column is about, well, HR Tech, (sort of like I used to write about all the time on this blog), and it was inspired by the recently concluded HR Technology Conference.

    I once again kind of liked this month's column, (I suppose I like all of them, after all I wrote them), but felt like sharing this one on the blog because it touches upon what has been in the past a pretty popular topic with HR leaders today - how to make the most of their HR technology investments.

    Here is an excerpt from the column, HR Tech's 'Golden Age':

    If it seems like I have been a little obsessed with the just-completed HR Technology Conference and Exposition®,it's because I have been. For most of the year, I work on the planning of the conference (formats, speakers, session themes, etc.) and from speaking with so many HR solution providers, experts, analysts and HR leaders -- both before and at the event -- I have come away from this year's event amazed by the quality, depth, breadth and sheer number of options HR leaders today have at their disposal when it comes to innovative HR-technology solutions.

    I'd like to try and break down three such technologies that were on display at the HR Tech Conference, and hopefully share some thoughts on how HR leaders can take advantage of them, and of what is possibly HR tech's "Golden Age."

    HR continues to move toward becoming a data-driven discipline. While this isn't a new theme, there is movement toward more advanced HR-technology solutions for data visualization, data consolidation and tools for more data-informed decision making. At the HR Tech Conference, this trend becomes even more prevalent, given the sheer number of exhibitors and demonstration sessions. Two companies worth noting participated in our "Awesome New Tech" and "Awesome New Startups" sessions.

    Read the rest over at HRE Online..

    Good stuff, right? Humor me...

    If you liked the piece you can sign up over at HRE to get the Inside HR Tech Column emailed to you each month. There is no cost to subscribe, in fact, I may even come over and wash your car or cut the grass for you if you do sign up for the monthly email.

    Have a great day!

    Tuesday
    Nov032015

    PODCAST: #HRHappyHour 223 - The Chairman's Show - #HRTechConf

    HR Happy Hour #223 - HR Technology Conference: The Chairman's Show

    Hosts: Steve Boese, Trish McFarlane

    Recorded Friday October 30, 2015

    LISTEN HERE

    This week on the show, HR Happy Hour hosts Steve Boese and Trish McFarlane broke down the recently completed 2015 HR Technology Conference.

    After many months of preparation and an amazing time at The HR Technology Conference, Steve shared some of the behind-the-scenes information you can only get here.  Trish also appeared at HR Tech as a speaker and gives some commentary from the industry analyst perspective. Steve even dropped some hints at his plans for some new elements for the 2016 HR Tech Conference.

    You can listen to the show on the show page HERE, or by using the widget player below, (Email and RSS subscribers will need to click through). 

    And don't forget the HR Happy Hour Show is available on iTunes, and on all the major podcast player apps for iOS and Android - just search for 'HR Happy Hour' to find and subscribe to the show and you will never miss a new episode.

    Be sure to check out (and share!) this episode.  It was fun to talk about many of the things HR Tech Conference attendees don't necessarily get to see.

    Thursday
    Oct152015

    What is your one wish for your ideal HR technology solution that you’d love to see created by 2020? #nextchat #HRTechConf

    I had a great time guesting and participating on yesterday's #Nextchat Twitter chat that is put together each seek by the fantastic Mary Kaylor over at SHRM. Mary and the SHRM team have done an amazing job building a active, engaged, and large community of people with #Nextchat, and it is always fun to get to dive in with them.

    If you missed the chat, there is an excellent summary of the conversation here. One point I thought it was worth teasing out, and particularly since the HR Technology Conference is starting in about 2 days, was the chat's final question, presented below:

    What is your one wish for your ideal HR technology solution that you’d love to see created by 2020? #nextchat

    The idea of this question was to try and get participants thinking about what tools or technologies would really help them get their jobs done more efficiently, enable them to unlock the potential of their workforces, better engage and retain their best people, or somehow just make HR and the organization 'better.'

    It was a fun and speculative way to end what was a really interesting overall discussion about HR technology today.

    Since I liked the question so much, (I did come up with it), and since HR Tech starts on Sunday and more than 300 HR technology solution providers will be exhibiting and they are the 'right' people to see the community response to a question like this, I am putting out the question one more time.

    What is your one wish for your ideal HR technology solution that you’d love to see created by 2020? #nextchat #HRTechConf

    I added the #HRTechConf Twitter hashtag to the question, (and to the blog post title above), since I know just about everyone involved in the Conference seems to be on the Twitter tag already.

    I would love to see more folks chime in on the question in the run up to the Conference and even have some of our HR Tech Conference exhibiting companies jump in to the conversation as well. You can post your responses on Twitter or in the comments of this post.

    It could be that the 'dream' HR technology you want to see by 2020 already exists, and there is a solution provider at HR Tech ready to show you.

    Thanks again to Mary and the folks at #Nextchat. 

    Hope to see lots of readers out at HR Tech!

     

    Note for readers: I am heading out the Conference tomorrow, so posting will be extremely light, if non-existent for the next week. You will be fine.

    Wednesday
    Oct142015

    #Nextchat with me today: The next 5 years in HR Tech - #HRTechConf

    Remember just a few years ago when we started to see a flurry of articles, presentations, and even books about the topic of “Workforce 2020” that offered predictions about what work and workplaces would be like at the then far-off-into-the-future year of 2020?

    I am not sure why authors and consultancies fixated so much on the year 2020. Maybe it just sounds fun to say out loud and it also had the benefit of seeming so distant that you could plausibly predict just about anything short of we’d all be commuting to work in flying cars and you’d probably get away with it.

    Let me see if that still holds today -- here is a 2020 prediction for you:

    “In 2020, organizations will have access to powerful technologies that automate every HR and talent management process, can apply sophisticated machine learning capability to predict workforce events like attrition and job-fit, and since these technologies are all delivered via THE CLOUD, they will be accessible and affordable for every organization, regardless of their size.”

    Wow, amazing!  And what is more amazing is that all of those things exist TODAY, and we don’t have to wait until 2020 for them. Which is a really good thing because I am not sure if you have noticed, but 2020 is really not that far off anyway. We have spent so much time thinking and talking about 2020 as some vague signpost in the far distance that it has just about snuck up on us.

    But the good thing is that since 2020 really isn’t all that far off, we can offer better, more reasoned, and more valuable predictions about what it truly will be like, and we can start making more concrete and specific plans for how in the next five or so years, leading up to 2020, our HR teams and our organizations can best utilize technology to improve work, workplaces, and drive organizational success.

    Please join  @shrmnextchat at 3 p.m. ET on October 14 (TODAY) for #Nextchat with special guest, ME, the HR Technology Conference Co-Chariman and Co-Host of the HR Happy Hour Show, Steve Boese (@steveboese).  We’ll take a look at the next five years of HR technology  and chat about what HR leaders should be thinking about -- and preparing for -- with respect to workplace technology in 2020.

    Here are the questions we will hit on the chat today:

    Q1. What are the key considerations for HR leaders as they begin to plan their HR tech strategies for the next 5 years?

    Q2. What are some ways to tie the HR technology strategy to the organization’s long term business and talent strategies?

    Q3. How will changing employee demographics and their expectations for technology change how HR leaders deploy technology in the next 5 years?

    Q4. What area of Human Resources (Recruiting, Performance, HR Admin, etc.) will technology have the largest impact upon in the next 5 years?

    Q5. How does the increased reliance on technology to enable HR service delivery change the role and competencies required of the modern HR leader?

    Q6. What should HR leaders look for when evaluating HR technology solution providers over the next 5 years?

    Q7.    What is your one wish for your ideal HR technology solution that you’d love to see created by 2020? #nextchat

    #Nextchat is the only Twitter chat I regularly participate in, and I encourage all of you to jump in to the conversation today from 3PM - 4PM EDT.

    Thanks to my friends at SHRM for having me back to chat about HR Tech!

    Friday
    Oct092015

    My Top 10 Tips for HR Tech Conference Attendees #HRTechConf

    NOTE: This is a (slightly) updated version of my Top 10 Tips for HR Tech Conference Attendees that I ran last year just before the Conference. Reading it over, I was not surprised how just about all my advice from last year still applies. I am clever that way. Plus, I have the inside scoop. Hope to see lots of readers at the event.

    And by the way, you can still register for HR Tech 2015 with Promo Code LINK15 and save an additional $150.00 on top of the $50.00 PreShow rate discount – That’s $200.00 in savings when you register by Midnight EDT Thursday Oct. 15 at www.hrtechconference.com 

    It's now a little more than one week until what is in my completely biased view as the Conference Co-Chair the best annual event for HR professionals, the HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas. If you are coming out to the event next week, and I hope lots of readers are, I wanted to serve up my slightly better informed view of than most have and give you my list of the Top 10 Tips for getting the most out of your HR Tech Conference experience.

    So here goes, (in no particular order, save this is how they came to me in a semi-coherent state late last night).

    1. Take advantage of the Conference's 'Welcome' day activities on Sunday, October 18

    Building upon what was a really popular and well-received idea from last year, once again at HR Tech, we will have several pre-conference educational sessions (offered at no extra charge for full conference attendees). These pre-conference sessions kick off at 1:15PM on Sunday with 'Workplace, Wearables, and Workout Wednesday' sponsored by FitBit, and then continue with three more pre-con sessions (from Ceridian, Salesforce, and IBM) at 2:30PM. These pre-con sessions are a great opportunity to jump-start your learning and kick off the Conference experience.

    Then in what is a first for HR Tech, we will have our popular "Awesome New Startups for HR" demonstration General Session also on the Conference's opening day, starting at 3:45PM. We have a fantastic set of HR Tech startups this year and you will not want to miss this interactive and dynamic General Session.

    And immediately after that, our Opening Reception (with drinks and appetizers) kicks off in the sold-out Expo Hall, (which will too be Open and with the Exhibitors ready and eager to meet you. All in all, the opening day and night of HR Tech should be fantastic and I encourage all attendees to take advantage of these opportunities.

    2. Don't go overboard on Sunday night once you leave the Opening Reception

    HR Tech is closer to a marathon than a sprint. I suppose it is more like a 10K or maybe even a half marathon. Either way, you jump out of the starting line all full of energy and adrenalin and excitement, but after a couple of miles of running at a pace you know you are not ready to sustain you are definitely going to hit the wall. And it might get ugly. In fact, seeing as it is Vegas, it almost certainly will get ugly. My point is you want to build slowly. And most of the really big, fun, over the top night time social events are on Monday night the 19th and Tuesday the 20th anyway. So have fun on Sunday night, but just remember you are not as young as you used to be. Leave something in the tank for the middle and end of the race.

    3. Give something back

    This year at HR Tech we are proud and excited to offer attendees the opportunity to 'work' for a good cause while also having some fun. HR Gives Back is working to raise funds towards finding a cure for Parkinson's, which is a cause near and dear to the hearts of many in the HR Tech community. At the Conference, and in partnership with FitBit, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in challenges and activity tracking in order to help raise funds for this great cause. Look for signage and information about these efforts at the Conference, and in the interim check out HRGivesBack.net for more information.

    4. Plan out your schedule, but be flexible too, and leave some time to explore

    Once again the agenda this year is packed and we have a record number of tracks and concurrent sessions. In most of the concurrent session time slots, there are as many as 10 sessions running at the same time. So you are going to want to spend some time in advance thinking about which sessions you'd like to attend, and even make a backup selection (or two) just in case we have to play nice with the Fire Marshal and cap off attendance in any given session. But also be sure to leave some room in your day to linger a little longer in the Expo Hall or take in one of the vendor demo sessions that will be running on Monday or Tuesday. Or even just to have some time to chat with some of the new friends you have made, (more on that to come). My point is this, it is a Conference, not a synchronized swimming contest - you don't have to know every step you are going to take in advance. 

    5. Don't travel (all the time) in the same pack

    If you are attending the Conference with some of your co-workers, (which is great), make sure to not spend all of your time traveling in tandem. Split up and cover some different sessions, make sure to engage with other folks during general sessions and meals, and maybe even (horror), hit some different parties after hours. You want to make sure you are not just seeing and interpreting things through the same lens that you use back in the office, sometimes breaking away from your co-workers, even for a little while, can help you to do this. Besides, you have the other 361 days of the year to spend with these people, and they are probably sick of you too.

    6. Say 'Hi' to me, or rather, anyone that you really want to meet and connect with

    Of course I want to meet as many people as I can, but you do too. And chances are you might want to meet and chat with one of our amazing speakers or one of our industry experts that will be leading panels and sessions throughout the event. So make sure you do! All of these execs and leaders are extremely approachable and generous with their time and their insight. So if there is someone, anyone, you want to meet, then don't let a long line of people stop you from doing just that. One of the best aspects of the HR Tech community is how much everyone wants to help, especially HR leaders that are interested in how HR technology can help them and their organizations move forward. 

    7. Take a rest somewhere in the middle of the run

    Ok, much like I am ready to take a breather half way into this post, (at about the 1000 word mark and counting), at some point during HR Tech you will want/need to take a little time to recharge. This could mean ducking out a little early from one of the parties, taking a power nap back up in your room after the last session of the day and before heading out for the evening, or it could be as simple as passing on that third dessert from the buffet. All I am saying is you probably can't go full speed all day and night in Las Vegas for too long and come out feeling good on the other side. Find a spot to get some rest, maybe hit the spa or the pool, (it will be pretty hot), and get ready for the last part of the run.

    8. It is ok to talk to the vendors in the Expo Hall. Even ones you have never heard about.

    I know for attendees the overwhelming tendency of Expo visit time is spent walking from place to place, checking out the vendors you are familiar with and/or interested in learning more about, and maybe entering a contest or two. And while you can easily spend hours talking with vendors and people you know, or maybe are currently using in your organization, I really recommend spending some Expo time checking out and actually learning about at least a few vendors that you have never heard about before. Now I don't want to name specific names, (because there are just too many and I will get in trouble as I would have to leave some out), but you know who you don't know, (if that makes sense), and I can assure you there are dozens of amazing solutions just waiting to be discovered. And don't miss our Startup Pavilion, where a record 30 HR Tech startups will be exhibiting in one area. If you are not sure who to check out, send out a Tweet on the#HRTechConf hashtag and just ask. Not using Twitter? Well that is a problem we will have to solve another day.

    9. The General Sessions are big and crowded and long. Go to them anyway.

    Yes the General Session rooms are massive. And crowded. And by the time you get there lots of the good seats are taken. But you still should attend them anyway. We have the industry famous 'Awesome New Technology' showcase for the more established HR solution providers on Tuesday morning and we will follow that up with the demonstrations from the first-ever HR Tech Hackathon on Tuesday afternoon. Both of these General Sessions are the kinds that audiences at HR Tech love - a chance to see up close and personal the best in HR tech. You definitely want to be blown away by the latest and greatest innovations in HR technology in the 'Awesome New' session and in the Hackathon. These General Sessions bring the entire community together and you simply have to be a part of that.

    10. Don't skip Wednesday.

    Assuming you made your travel plans accordingly and are still going to be in Las Vegas on the final morning of the event, you want to make sure you drag your tired, sorry self out of bed to make it down for the last half day of the Conference. We have a fantastic closing day keynote from Jim Whitehurst, President & CEO of RedHat. And in a first for HR Tech we have a great 'Ideas and Innovators' session planned, where 10 HR and HR Tech rock stars will speak using the fast-paced and popular 'Ignite' format. This session will include great people like Mike Psenka, Eric Winegardner, Trish McFarlane, Yvette Cameron, Kris Dunn and many more. Trust me you will not want to miss this, it is the closest thing to a live sporting event or a piece of performance art that you will ever see at a conference.

    And in true Spinal Tap fashion, here is an 11th tip...

    11. And this is the most important one - Connect with as many people as you can.

    This is kind of a boring tip since everyone who gives advice about these kinds of things always includes something like this. But just because everyone tells you to do this, doesn't mean it is bad advice. The truth is the most enduring value anyone (even me) gets from HR Tech or any large event comes from the people you meet, the relationships you build, and the connections you forge. Your next customer, next vendor partner, next boss, next employee, or maybe your next new best friend just might be at HR Tech next week too. But you have to take some initiative to connect. And for some folks, (again me too), that is not always the easiest or most natural thing to do. But you should try anyone. Even if you set a simple goal of connecting with even one or two new people each day at the Conference it will be worth the effort. And if you are finding that to be too hard, then find me and say 'Hi'. I am easy to spot, as I will be the best-dressed guy at the Conference. Ask anyone.

    Ok, that is it, I am out. I also want to thank regular blog readers who might have gotten a little tired of all the HR Tech Conference content on the blog lately.  Next week there may not be much new here (probably) while I am doing final prep and heading out to the event, but I will get us back to the regularly scheduled nonsense after that.

    Have a great weekend!